On the one hand, great promotional ideas, see the trailer with Will Smith and the official collaboration with Io Sono Leggenda; on the other, an outdated MMO survival structure, slow, crude and lame like the zombies we will face during the campaign: there is no doubt that Single handed goes through ups and downs, but presents an eastern approach to the genre that is still difficult to digest, especially on mobile devices.
You already know the guidelines for films produced by Netflix, according to which if something does not happen within a few minutes of starting, users tend to disconnect and change the series, so the directors feel somehow obliged to shape the narrative so that it has a strong initial peak? Here you are, Tencent Obviously you have not yet understood that the same thing happens on iOS and Android devices, and it is normal that this is the case given the portable and often extemporaneous nature of these experiences.
We explain everything to you in the dawn review.
History and structure
an invasion of zombies has plunged the world into the abyss, devastating the cities and forcing the survivors to hide in fortified settlements: a fairly traditional incipit, which Undawn makes its own without posing any major problems, but seasoned with human events and frankly strange attempts at romanticism: Think that in the initial stages at one point a song even starts.
The developers at Lightspeed Studios have tried to leave some kind of mark on the narrative level of the experience, but it is clear that more is expected from a product of this type and that is where the proverbial donkey falls. Yes, because after the promising character editor (which can also use a photo of us to automate functions) and a sparkling start, the campaign ends up trapped in a sea of insignificant tasks that hinder progression.
La structure In fact, of Undawn should be based on the exploration of certain scenarios, the unlocking of connected settlements and access to missions in which it is necessary to eliminate a certain number of zombies and mutants, using equipment that is gradually enriched with new weapons and tools, but that remains tied to the survival mechanics of collecting and creating resources, even just for ammunition and upgrade management.
Therefore, it happens that after a few hours we find ourselves wearily following the inevitable targeting system, using rapid movements from one area to another in an attempt to find the right point of interest, when instead this type of operation They should be much faster and more accessible: We're still talking about a mobile game, but Tencent seems to have forgotten about it.
Gameplay
The consequences of this approach result in a slow and heavy system, which literally drags on to give us some modest content, hidden among a plethora of conceptually very dated collection missions. From this point of view there really is everything, but basically imagine a mix between the mechanics of PUBG and those of Fortnite.
The good thing is that the interface, initially so cluttered that it limits visibility, can be adjusted to substantially reduce distractions and elements that we consider less important, see for example the chat or the numerous icons that carry as many notifications related to the rewards obtained. up to that point, with an inevitable reference to microtransactions.
From this point of view, the experience is relatively malleable, although it is reasonable to imagine that at a certain point in the campaign the difficulty level will increase for monetization purposes. However the banality of the phases played (only saves from the autofocus option), but especially the wood of everything around you could make your enthusiasm wane very quickly.
Which is a shame, because it would have been enough. review project ambitions, making it more compact and immediate, to avoid wasting energy and development ideas on many time-consuming operations, focusing instead on making sure that the battles with the zombies are more lively and fun.
The technical realization of Undawn
There are certainly sequences and glimpses of Undawn that manage to surprise with the quality of what is shown on screen, along with a degree of optimization slightly above average if we take into account that on the iPhone 14 Pro the game manages to run practically at its maximum potential, maintaining 60 fps and avoiding overheating of the device.
The investments are there and can be seen, for example, in the dialogues spoken in English (although the interpretation often leaves something to be desired) and in a soundtrack capable of unexpectedly surprising with some good songs. However the geometries, the effects and the animations. they look dated, as well as the design of the different scenarios that we will have the opportunity to visit in the game.
Conclusions
Tested version iPhone digital delivery app store, Google Play Price Free Holygamerz.com 6.0 Readers (7) 7.4 your voteUndawn is a very rich and multifaceted survival on paper, but in practice it turns out to be a modest, slow and limping experience. The developers have filled the structure and gameplay with useless flourishes that weigh down the system, making it substantially less immediate than what one would expect from a mobile game and emphasizing the paucity of action sequences that are saved from absolute mediocrity only thanks to the multiple options. available for the interface and touch controls, including the never-praised automatic fire when an enemy enters the crosshairs.
PRO
- Very big very rich
- Some interesting technical solutions.
- Many options and there is even automatic shooting.
AGAINST
- Really too slow and cumbersome.
- Dirty and derivative
- Barely passable action sequences
