PAX EAST 2022 | "Dead Fury"
Is there much more to be done with the zombie genre? If the recent revivals of Resident Evil and House of the Dead are any hint, it seems like the undead are here to stay! Dead Fury, a new zombie apocalypse game from Apogee and Funder Games. However, as its PAX East demo showcased, it has a long way’s to go before it can start taking on the competition.
Its short demo has you take control of a New Zealander, as he sets off to do some tasks in a survivor’s camp. After filling up with guns and weaponry, he goes off to see a man with a turret ready to be set up. Once that’s taken care of, a quick game of target practice ensues in the back. That’s when it comes time to head into the real mission of the game…which I didn’t even get a chance to experience for myself!
The presentation of Dead Fury felt more like a tech demo than a game one. You get a good idea on what movement and attacks will be like, but its narrative remains a mystery. There’s also the problem regarding how the zombies themselves will react, as one has to jump down the wall and fight them head-on to get some kind of feel to the combat. Of course, doing that in the demo caused me to get stuck outside the walls, with no way back in!
As such, I had to restart my demo in order to actually complete it. When I did that, it took roughly five minutes before I was greeted with the demo’s end screen. I can’t say that’s enough time to deal with what Dead Fury had to offer, and its overall presentation made me feel wary of the experience it wishes to give. It has potential to grow into something better, but as of now, Funder Games needs to bring a true outside-the-box experience to a genre whose showcased one too many of these third-person survival games.
Dead Fury just needs some extra time in the oven before it’s served to those who love zombie games. Sadly, with what it needs to rise above the other games in its genre, I can’t say with confidence that it’ll get done. I’d love to be proven wrong though, and I hope Funder Games will take its criticisms with enough salt to season a good steak. Until then, Dead Fury feels more like a day-old Big Mac left out in the sun too long.
