Having a survivor with the medicine skill, for example, is needed to upgrade medical facilities used to treat infected survivors.Ĭharacters also have a number of traits that can offer minor boosts or detriments, and a Hero trait that can be unlocked when they've risen through the ranks in the community. These core skills are improved by activities such as searching containers, running, engaging in melee combat and shooting, and when maxed out, a character will be able to specialize, gaining extra abilities or different attacks.Įach character can also gain a fifth skill, called a community skill, that provides knowledge of a profession, such as cooking, mechanics or chemistry. Part of what makes the game fun is trying to build the perfect community and the randomness of finding survivors to join you who have just the skills and abilities you need.Ĭharacters have four core skills: cardio, wits, fighting and shooting. You start by picking a pair of survivors - each with their own history and relationship. The game is played in a pretty familiar, third-person over-the-shoulder view. Plague Hearts spread their influence across the map, and with the new update, no outposts can be claimed within plague territory, mandating their removal. The infection also can spread to your survivors, and if left untreated, is lethal. Do so and they'll become reliable trading partners and might even join your community, but ignore them and they could turn hostile.Īs your community grows, you'll pack up and move into larger bases and establish useful outposts (such as claiming an electrical substation to power your base, or a military outpost that will be an ammo source).Īlso on the map are what's called Plague Hearts - pulsating sources of infection that spawn particularly nasty plague zombies. Your small band must upgrade and defend a base while scavenging from the surrounding area for necessary supplies.Īs you explore, you'll encounter other enclaves attempting to survive, many of whom will ask for your help. Like the first version, 'State of Decay 2' revolves around building and maintaining a little community in a world overrun by zombies.

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