Monster Star Fall
What a lot of people don’t know is that in my youth I was a scaredy cat, I mean I wouldn’t do anything horror, even the intro to the Twilight Zone would freak me out. With the help and bullying of older cousins I was able to finally conquer that fear, and when I did, I went back to play the survival horror games that I had missed, the Silent Hills and Resident Evils from back then; fantastic games that ooze atmosphere and scares. Ground Zero is being developed by Malformation Games and they are hoping to give players that same feeling that they had when they first played survival horror games back then.
Ground Zero opens with the introduction of Korean operative Seo-Yeun and Special Agent Evan from Canada. The pair are briefed on a meteor that has struck South Korea where there is now a quarantine in place. Players assume the role of Seo-Yeun when the game starts. She’s the more know it all of the pair as Evan gives off a calm demeanor and isn’t worried about all the weird stuff that’s happening around him. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, especially since so much of this game seems to be a send-up to the classic Resident Evil’s and Silent Hills where protagonist is just cool with zombies and giant monsters roaming around, maybe not ok; but they are calmer than I would ever be.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
Ground Zero builds its atmosphere through its environmental storytelling more than anything. Streets are empty of citizens with only their corpses remaining, buildings look as if the inhabitants had to leave quickly little touches like cups of coffee or plates of food on a table telling the story of families who didn’t even have time to eat before they evacuated. I appreciated that the game wasn’t filled with moment-to-moment action, the developers did a great job of allowing the players to wander in gloomy silence, it greatly helps in building the tension. Graphically speaking, the game does a great job of evoking the classic survival-horror games by using pre-rendered backgrounds. These aren’t always consistent in quality but as I said they do help to sell the retro vibe.
One area where the game struggles for me is in the animations of the various characters. Sticking to established survival horror rules, Ground Zero offers the option for the classic ‘tank’ controls or a more modern scheme but even using the modern controls the characters felt heavy and sluggish to control. Luckily fighting felt better but players will have to remember that each fight carries with it a level of risk due to the fact that resources are limited so taking the time to consider if an enemy is worth the bullets or if just running away is more prudent. Overall gunplay is fine, but weapons lack the punch that other games in the genre have. Enemy reactions must have been on a budget because they all do the same thing and it gets old really quickly.
Narratively speaking, Ground Zero tries is best to punch above its weight class but the stiff delivery of the dialogue and a lack of emotional weight hold it back. I mean where is the little girl that I have to save and or avenge? I mentioned the dialog and its pretty uneven, some lines land while others just feel oddly paced. Honestly, pacing in general is an issue with the game, early on there will be LOTS of backtracking. Again, just as in the other games players will have to find pieces of things to combine to make a key or potion or some other random thing.
Ground Zero isn’t a bad game at all, in fact I was surprised by how much I had fun with it. The developer understands what makes the survival horror genre a compelling one, but Ground Zero feels like its being held back. Ground Zero stays firmly within the preexisting lanes for survival horror, which is fine, I just would have liked to see them do a bit more than play it safe.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
