It seems odd that Microsoft would bother upgrading State of Decay. Released in 2013,it was a middling zombie romp at best, with emphasis on stealth, survival and saving your mates over bloodthirsty brain bashing. In the annals of post-apocalyptic zombie games, State of Decay sits firmly in the middle of the pack.
Since its release, it has simply been outclassed. Telltale's The Walking Dead series is delivering a supurbly serialised version of the TV show, Sunset Overdrive provided a splatterfest of cartoon zombie thrills, and Dead Rising 3 was an arcade action rampage of zombie carnage. Then there's current genre-leader Dying Light, a relentlessly grim game that delivers gut-busting gore so extreme it's unlikely to be topped for a good while yet.
So why play State of Decay's Xbox One upgrade? Yes, there are more missions, weapons, and characters, and the game's DLC is packaged together. At $29, it's also incredibly cheap. You'll even get a discount if you already own the Xbox 360 version. So if you're looking for an entry-level zombie action game to sharpen your teeth on, you could do worse.
But, despite an upgrade to a 1080 framerate, State of Decay's animation and scenery still look a little shabby when compared to the glistening Dying Light; action scenes are glitchy and chaotic, missions like clearing houses and going on supply runs become repetitive and boring, and there's still no multiplayer option.
