Expedition Zero – Spotlight
Expedition Zero, developed by Enigmatic Machines and released not long ago, offers players a new kind of horror-survival game. The team from the Czech Republic has released Expedition Zero, their first game. For $19.99, you can get Expedition Zero on the PC now. It’s Enigmatic Machine’s first game, so how is it? Discover the answer in our Expedition Zero review.
The game contains a few plot points, but not enough to qualify as a narrative. The majority of the game’s events occur through lore bits, save for two short pieces of dialogue at the beginning and end. You’ll find clues to the mystery, but you won’t be able to interact with any of the characters.
During Expedition Zero, a meteorite crashes into rural Siberia, turning the area into an endless horror and requiring the construction of a massive wall to contain it. Arriving at the wall, you’ll meet the mysterious trader tasked with gathering samples and learning what happened to the expedition team as they traverse the wall’s various regions. You’ll be able to use multiple blueprints to craft items that will help you survive if you explore the various locations.
Many of the gameplay elements found in other survival games can be found in Expedition Zero. Exploration will provide you with useful items. Players will be able to make a variety of suit attachments using printers scattered throughout the game’s locations. It is unfortunately the case that blueprints are not compatible with all printers.
The player’s performance won’t be adversely affected. Expedition Zero provides sled-based storage. Using the sled, the player will be able to move quickly between areas, store items, and recharge their battery. And the sled will be easy for the player to find. Traveling from one location to the next is as simple as clicking on an icon on the screen.
With so many resources and crafting stations, survival is easier than in other survival games, such as DayZ. It also eliminates a lot of the extra work that comes with other games of this type because players don’t have to eat or drink in order to survive. There is some limited survival in Expedition Zero. One of the challenges the player will have to deal with is how to keep themselves warm while on the field of play. Heaters and places to build fires are scattered throughout each location, reducing the difficulty of staying warm.
You’ll be given a scanner to use in Expedition Zero to find the samples. It’s a radar scanner that makes it easy for the player to find each sample as they move around the map. However, even if you have a scanner, you’ll still face challenges.
Each location is riddled with zombies that will impede your progress. However, they aren’t the primary danger. There is a shadowy figure lurking in the trees, ready to strike at any moment. You’ll need to keep an eye on your health, as this device can also release toxic gas.
As a defence, the player is provided with a bolt action rifle and crowbar. These weapons are primarily intended to deter rather than to actually engage an enemy. As you make your way through the anomaly zone, use these to your advantage. Experiment Zero’s gameplay has a solid foundation, but the added fixes should make it even more difficult for players to survive.
For a game created by a small indie studio, Expedition Zero looks fantastic. The graphics provide a creepy, ominous atmosphere as the player makes their way through the woods. However, there have been reports of minor clipping and the problems with NPC functionality already mentioned.
Expedition Zero’s audio is outstanding, providing a mesmerising journey through the woods. As you run, you hear the howling of the dangers that lurk just out of sight. Audio design adds another layer of unease, knowing that every step outside the safe zone is a risk.
We found Expedition Zero to be a tense but enjoyable journey into the unknown in our review of the Enigmatic Machine game. As soon as possible, the developers responded to the community’s concerns by releasing updates to fix any issues that arose. Expedition Zero is a good buy if you’re looking for a quick scare and a spooky atmosphere.
