Not Quite Dead: Open World Survival Review Summary

Solid graphics and performance with a strong community, but thin content, unreliable hit detection, punishing survival mechanics, and zombies spawning out of nowhere hold it back.

Graphics and performance are solid: The game's visuals are described as pleasant and soft, with smooth performance and no lag on PC. Reviewers note that the game looks and runs well, contributing to an overall positive experience.

Community and support are strong: The Discord community is active, with helpful staff and mods, and the developer listens to feedback. This supportive environment enhances the player experience.

Game lacks content and polish: Players describe the game as incomplete, with little to do, few items, and a small map, often finishing in a few hours. The overall experience feels rough and unfinished.

Combat hit detection unreliable: Shots and melee hits often fail to register, especially on moving targets, with arrows visibly sticking out but dealing no damage. This makes combat frustrating and unresponsive.

Survival mechanics unfairly punishing: Food, water, and warmth deplete too quickly, leading to constant deaths, especially early on. Sudden snow events and freezing can kill with no counterplay, making survival feel impossible.

Zombies spawn unexpectedly nearby: Multiple players report zombies spawning out of thin air at close range, even in cleared areas, and sometimes disappearing. This breaks immersion and makes combat feel unfair.

Bugs cause crashes and lost progress: Players report constant crashes, save system failures, and progress not being saved. Some bugs, like picking up a backpack, kick players to the main menu, making the game unplayable.

Zombie survival game: The game is consistently described as a zombie survival game, with open-world elements and multiplayer. Players fight Infected (zombies) in a survival setting.

Vehicles and helicopters: The game includes helicopters and boats, with helicopter mechanics. Vehicles are available, sometimes given at the start or after quests.

Multiplayer co-op support: The game supports multiplayer co-op, allowing players to play solo or with friends. This is a key feature highlighted by multiple reviews.

Loot and world population: The game features loot and world population, with looting being a core activity. Loot can be obtained from mobs and does not respawn.

Melee combat system: The game features melee fighting, including a melee guard mechanic, and enemies to fight. This is a core combat element.

Performance generally stable: Multiple reviewers report smooth performance, with one noting no crashes in two hours and another stating the game runs smoothly on PC. Overall performance is described as very good.

Occasional stutters and frame drops: Some players experience minor frame drops during the tutorial and stutters that need optimization. Performance is around 60 fps on high settings on a laptop, indicating room for improvement.

Crashes reported by some: One reviewer reports constant crashes, which is a serious issue for affected players. This contrasts with other reports of stability, suggesting variability across systems.

Backpack pickup causes menu kick: A specific bug causes players to be kicked to the main menu when picking up a backpack with loot. This disrupts gameplay and needs fixing.

Avoid buying this game: Multiple reviewers strongly advise against purchasing the game, citing wasted money and time. They recommend steering clear entirely.

Prefer SurrounDead alternative: Several reviewers recommend playing SurrounDead instead, especially for fans of the genre. They feel it offers a better experience.

Recommended for genre fans: The game is recommended for fans of survival, exploration, loot, building, and multiplayer games. Reviewers suggest it for those interested in the genre.

Highly recommended by some: A few reviewers give strong recommendations, praising the game and suggesting it is worth buying. They encourage others to try it.

Not worth current state: Reviewers state the game is not worth its current price or state at launch. They suggest waiting for improvements before buying.

Game completion: 3.0h.

Story completion: 3.0h.

Session length: 4.0h.

The game becomes enjoyable after completing the tutorial, with early friction from item recovery and inventory issues, and is best experienced with friends.

Friction: tedious item recovery after death; unintuitive inventory; tutorial bugs (e.g., helicopter getting stuck); performance issues during tutorial.

Unlock drivers: completing the tutorial; playing with friends/co-op.

Optimistic Early Supporter: Explores, builds, and anticipates future PvP features while tolerating early imperfections. Motivation: Supporting the game's growth and seeing its potential realized. Stance: buy.

Co-op Social Builder: Focuses on co-op sessions, base construction, and securing shared resources. Motivation: Playing and building with friends in a shared survival world. Stance: sale.

Survival Explorer: Explores the map, manages enemy encounters, and builds up equipment. Motivation: Engaging in the survival loop of exploration, looting, and progression. Stance: buy.

Compared unfavorably to Surroundead: Several reviews compare the game to Surroundead (also spelled SurrounDead), often stating it is worse or a copy. This comparison is a recurring theme in feedback.

Positive roadmap and development: Reviewers mention a good roadmap, clear plans, and an active developer on Discord who listens and works on bugs. This suggests confidence in future updates.

Early access state acknowledged: Multiple reviewers note the game is in early access or alpha, subject to change, and still in development. This is a common context for their feedback.

Lack of content: Several reviews state the game has little to no content, with some saying it can be finished in 2.2 hours. This is often attributed to early access status.

Poor translation quality: Localization, including Chinese and Turkish support, is described as poor AI translation but playable. This affects accessibility for non-English speakers.