Who knew a zombie invasion could look so cute? Basingstoke, from the minds behind Revenge of the Titans, launches today. You’ll take on the role of a survivor in the city of Basingstoke, which has become overrun with both zombies and alien monsters. Via a combination of stealth, scavenging, crafting, and combat, players will have to make their way through an ever increasingly dangerous world and escape the city.
Despite the tense set-up, Basingstoke is a pretty ridiculous game. Everything from military hardware to chicken kebabs can be used as a weapon, or merged with other scavenged materials to create something even more ludicrous. The characters and settings are an amalgamation of animated blocks that combine cutesy 3D design with an unsettling geometry. The constant strobing lights add an almost surreal atmosphere to the whole thing, like the game is a bad dream.
The lighting, character design, and eerie atmosphere occasionally make it difficult to discern what’s real and what isn’t. It makes for a game that’s capable of both terrifying moments and hilarious misunderstandings. The player may be sweating one moment as they sneak their way through a horde of monsters, and snickering under their breath at a random joke a few seconds later.
Though it’s currently a simple rogue-like, top-down arcade type game, Basingstoke has plans to expand in the near future. New types of monsters are in the works, as well as different ways for the player to both kill and be killed. Fresh locations are also on their way. Perhaps, most excitedly of all, player classes will be added to Basingstoke. This should create the opportunity to try different playstyles throughout the game and add some replayability.
Catch a glimpse of Basingstoke in action:
You can play Basingstoke right now on PC, but there are plans to release the game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well. If you need some survival tips to help you escape the nightmare of Basingstoke, check out our Basingstoke wiki.