There are plenty of underrated gems on the Xbox Live Arcade but State Of Decay deserves a special mention for the sheer scope of its design. You might find yourself comparing it to DayZ constantly but State Of Decay has plenty of great ideas of its own. For example, it features a great base-building mechanic; something that's often overlooked in survival games. There are several locations to build your base up from and finding materials to upgrade and expand your home is great motivation to get out into the world and explore. There are also plenty of missions and storylines to complete, allowing you to interact with the various communities in the game world and build relations. It's surprisingly in-depth. There's also no 'main' character in the game (although Marcus, your first character, is probably the strongest you'll find) as any friends that you make in the game can be controlled, meaning you'll eventually have several characters to switch between whenever you want. This is key as characters will grow weary while out exploring and slaughtering zombies, so switching between your roster keeps everybody fresh. That's vital too as permanent death is a big feature in the game; losing a character you've spent hours building up is crushing. It's a shame that the massive game world and unique gameplay ideas weren't adapted into a multiplayer mode (a spiritual sequel is in the works though, apparently adding MMO gameplay to the game). The game is also full of glitches and bugs which may be hard for people to overlook. Still, State Of Decay is a massively rewarding game for those willing to stick with its rough moments the future looks bright for developer Undead Labs.
I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.
