The new DLC for Undead Labs’ State of Decay is more than an add-on: Lifeline is, in some ways, a whole new game. Lifeline brings a new map, new strategies, new characters, new story, and nearly a whole new feel to the table, and while part of the new frills are due to a game-wide update (meaning they’ll be available in the main game and Breakdown), for $6.99, Lifeline can make you feel like you’re getting away with something.
Unless you’re careful, however, that feeling ends as soon as you get into the game. At first, Lifeline seems deceptively easy. Here, instead of starting as two dudes in the woods, you begin as a military officer, with access to limited facilities… but those are limited facilities on a military scale, which means you’ve got supply drops and air support, and you begin the game with a massive cache of weapons and more ammo than I had at times in other playthroughs. On top of that, there are cars everywhere, including a new truck that handles so well I hardly want to drive anything else. And if you run low on anything? New facilities are available, too; here you can build a latrine and a generator. It’s like zombie-infested paradise.
But don’t get too complacent. Sure, the opening wave of zombies is easy for any seasoned player, and the first siege, even with getting used to the new mechanics, is cake. A misstep in Lifelife can end up costing a great deal, and missteps are as easy as getting supplies airdropped. Missions end on time more quickly than in the original game — no more putting story missions on the back burner here; folks will die — and some of your targets will not only not carry weapons or be able to defend themselves, they won’t hang back, either. It doesn’t take long to realize you start with a big pile of guns because you need them. Time to up your shooting game!
The city, too, is a dangerous place to be. Your teammates will go down easily during missions and sieges and if you don’t save them quickly, they’ll be torn apart right in front of you. Lifeline seems a lot less forgiving in this regard than the original State of Decay, and in that, too, it’s like playing a whole new game, because I often found myself adjusting my strategies and play style. It’s exciting… but it takes a little getting used to. And as soon as you get used to things? They change again as the difficulty ramps up.
But there are a lot of small changes that can make a big difference. Searchable spots on the connecting highway (you’ll spend a lot of time there) that yield supplies, the defenses that can be set around the base, the ability to direct allies to do certain things, all of it helps up the chances of surviving in a dangerous area.
State of Decay has never been a beautiful game, but here there are some nice touches, such as buildings burning beside the highway and the bodies that litter the streets. Visually, Lifeline is a subtle improvement, but definitely stronger. The only real problems I’ve run into are issues with draw distance — I’ve experience some pop-up issues while driving on the highway, but the highway becomes familiar very quickly and it’s easy to learn where the shifts and obstacles are. All in all, this DLC offers a fantastic alternative to what was already one of the best bargain experiences of the last year.
