Terminus: Zombie Survivors, a 2D turn-based roguelike, throws you headfirst into the unforgiving maw of a zombie apocalypse. Each trek towards the fabled Terminus, a sanctuary whispered of by survivors, is a unique experience where you will have to think or fight your way out of nearly every situation. Every decision you make, from foraging for scraps to fending off the undead, could mean the difference between life and a gruesome demise. Does Terminus: Zombie Survivors live up to its undead premise or is it dead on its feet?
Delving into the Depths
Terminus: Zombie Survivors unfolds like a grim, procedurally-generated fairy tale. You, a lone survivor in a world ravaged by a zombie plague, must reach the Terminus, a beacon of hope supposedly untouched by the undead. The narrative unfolds through environmental storytelling and terse messages from fellow survivors you encounter along the way. It’s a desperate struggle for survival, a constant dance with death.
The Strategy of Survival
At its core, Terminus: Zombie Survivors is a game about strategic decision-making. Every action you take costs Action Points (AP), so you need to carefully plan your moves to avoid running out of steam in the face of danger. Do you spend your AP scavenging for supplies, or do you focus on getting to the next safehouse before nightfall? Whatever you decide, you will have to live with the consequences (or rewards) of that choice because the choice is ultimately yours, and every decision can mean the difference between life and death.
The aim of Terminus: Zombie Survivors is to reach Terminus, a final safe place that is alarmingly far away from where you start the game(!) You must both implement and balance strategy against risk with every move to ensure that you give your character the best possible chance of survival. You will have to manage your inventory, including supplies, weapons and medical equipment, to ensure that you are equipped appropriately for every scenario.
There are 15 different archetypes to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Although, at the beginning of a new game, those choices are limited to the first three: a soldier, firefighter, or police officer. The reason for this is because each subsequent row of archetypes is unlocked after each successful playthrough. Thus, they will be unlocked after your first, second, third and fourth playthroughs respectively.
The Cunning of Survival: Mechanics
At its core, Terminus: Zombie Survivors is a masterclass in turn-based strategy. Every action you take – moving, scavenging, crafting – depletes your precious Action Points (AP). It almost feels like everything costs too much AP, however that merely feeds into the immersion, causing you more desperation and anguish with each move (in a good way!).
Resource management is paramount. Spend too little AP, and you might struggle to find enough sustenance to survive. Conversely, expend too much, and you could leave yourself vulnerable to a ravenous zombie.
The balance of enemy encounters feels absolutely perfect – there are neither too many nor too few. There are several types, all possessing a variety of strengths and weaknesses.
Combat is turn-based, feels great and is really good fun to participate in. Despite not actually engaging in anything more than a few clicks of the mouse, combat still feels extremely satisfying thanks to real-time visuals. Each successful attack is represented visually, such as a slash of blood appearing across the enemy’s body when you strike them with a knife, for example. If you were to swing a baseball bat at an enemy’s legs successfully and you get a good enough contact with them, their legs will disappear, and the visual will then display an enemy with no legs. However, the enemy is still a threat because they have their torso and head in tact.
Each area has a health score attached to it, which depletes each time damage is taken. Once the score reaches zero, the respective body part is “defeated”, and if it is the torso or head, then the enemy has been killed.
There is also more to Terminus: Zombie Survivors than just navigating enemies and engaging in battle with them. It features a robust crafting system that allows you to create tools, weapons, and even food to help you on your journey. You’ll need to scavenge for materials and then use your crafting skills to create the items you need to survive.
You are also granted a vast amount of freedom when navigating the map. This means that you aren’t restricted to foot-only travel. You can travel in vehicles, both ground- and water-based!
There is also a skill-levelling system, which you can continuously update as you progress through the game. With each skill level, you gain more abilities and things become easier, thus making the game more manageable as you progress.
You also meet other characters and can choose whether to partner with them or compete with them. If you partner with them, you are then able to control them, enabling you to subsequently share resources and work as a team, which in turn changes the way you play the game from that moment on. This is because having others on your team allows you to think more strategically now that you have more resources available. Thus, one character can focus on replenishing supplies whilst another goes exploring. The possibilities are not only vast, but fun!
A World Painted in Bleak Hues
The world of Terminus: Zombie Survivors might look simplistic, but it is anything but! It is rendered in a grim yet oddly beautiful classic, nostalgic pixel art style. Every element is not only immediately recognisable but looks great! The desolate cityscapes and decaying buildings evoke a real sense of post-apocalyptic dread and the dark backgrounds subconsciously add to the suspense.
The sound design is equally brilliant, with the chilling moans of the undead and your character’s amplified footsteps creating a hauntingly atmospheric soundscape. Each swing of a blade provides an audible, metallic swish as you imagine it slicing through the air.
Sharing the Burden
While Terminus: Zombie Survivors is primarily a single-player experience, there’s a certain sense of shared humanity in encountering other survivors. You can choose to band together with them, sharing resources and facing the hordes as a team. Alternatively, you can take a more solitary approach, scavenging their supplies if necessary for your own survival.
Undying Depths of Replayability
The beauty of Terminus: Zombie Survivors lies in its replayability. The procedurally generated world ensures that every playthrough is utterly unique. Different areas to explore, a vast array of items to scavenge, and the ever-present threat of the undead keep things fresh. In addition to that, there is always the “luck-of-the-draw” aspect to consider when starting a new run as some maps will generate slightly easier or harder than others.
Terminus: Zombie Survivors also features multiple endings. As such, you’ll find yourself drawn back into the world time and again, each time crafting a new strategy for survival. You have the option to choose a different archetype, use different tactics, different routes, different weapons – the list goes on!
There are (currently) four scenarios to choose from (Sanctuary, Out of Stock, Crowd and Frozen Zombies), each offering a different environment to play through.
Conclusion
Terminus: Zombie Survivors is a must-play for survival fans. It is a challenging yet rewarding survival roguelike that will keep you coming back for more. With its strategic gameplay, deep crafting system, procedurally-generated environments and endless replay value, Terminus: Zombie Survivors is a must-play for fans of the genre. While the lack of co-op mode is disappointing, the overall experience is still highly enjoyable because Terminus: Zombie Survivors excels in so many other areas.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Deep and strategic turn-based gameplay.
- High replay value.
- Multiple endings to strive for.
- A bleakly beautiful atmosphere.
- The option to cooperate or compete with other survivors.
- Deep crafting system.
- Procedurally generated world.
- Multiple endings.
Cons
- Pixel art style might not appeal to everyone.
- No co-op mode.
- Can be quite challenging.