The Rising Popularity of Unturned

picture+via+twitch.com

picture via twitch.com

Unturned is a free to play zombie survival game available for free on Steam (a seller of online games). The game isn’t extremely popular, but it has a large enough following to have an active multiplayer community. The reason I wanted to talk about this game is because it offers so much to the average player, and it is completely free. It has a fairly extensive amount of graphics settings and other performance enhancing features which make it easy to run on any setup, from a basic laptop to an expensive desktop setup. The gameplay itself is also fantastic, with expansive maps to explore, a large selection of weapons and weapon modifications, and a surprisingly intense survival element, if the player chooses. One of the most important elements of the game is the element of choice that you have in regards to how it actually plays. Ultimately there is very little choice in dialogue or story, and there isn’t much story to start with, but you have a vast expanse of choices in how to play the game. There’s an active combat element to the gameplay, as well as an option to essentially play peacefully. A player could just stay out of any conflict whatsoever and still be fine. The game is designed for combat, but ultimately it’s the players choice as to whether or not they decide to partake in that part of the game. The game has a rather unique nature to it, which gives me hope for the industry as a whole. There is no pay to win atmosphere, everything you pay for is purely cosmetic and optional, and the game itself is completely free. No hidden costs, no hidden DLC or secret maps. The game also takes influence from the community, there are several fan built maps that are supported by the official team, and some have even been included in the achievements for the game (which are also very well done). All in all the point of this article is to provide some hope for people who feel the video game industry is beginning to sell out, there will always be those games that stand out, listen to the players, and allow for a truly fun experience.