THE LAST STAND: AFTERMATH

The Last Stand is a fairly well-known old series of mainly mobile and flash games (the 2007 version can still be launched on the official website) that are dedicated to both survival among zombies and battles between players in the spirit of the royal battle. And now a full-fledged roguelike about the zombie apocalypse, The Last Stand: Aftermath, created for PC and all key platforms, has been released, for which more than $60,000 was raised through Kickstarter.

Player cover
On one’s last legs
Aftermath takes place in a setting where the zombie apocalypse has been raging for 15 years. And we, of course, must make forays from the enclave of survivors into areas teeming with walkers – to look for resources, knowledge and answers to questions. Moreover, the authors came up with a very convenient explanation for the fact that, as is customary in “bagels”, after the death of the previous character, you need to play for a new one. It turns out that the main characters are suicide volunteers – they are already infected with the virus, they have just a few days left, and in fact they are offered to nobly sacrifice themselves, to die for the benefit of the rest.

Each time we choose one of the three suicide bombers with their own set of equipment.
First, the outskirts are available for study, divided into many locations – residential areas, been raging lots, and so on. We move between them in our car and make stops at each one to find gasoline for further movement. And at the same time, you can look for firearms, ammo, bandages, food and water to restore stamina, boards, pipes, knives and melee bits, herbs / berries, electrical tape, rags and scrap.

Sometimes we find crafting workbenches, where, for example, bandages can be made from the same rags and a bottle of alcohol, an antidote can be made from several herbs, and weapons can be repaired with the help of a crowbar, because it is gradually becoming unusable. Recipes, as a rule, we learn ourselves, in the process of creative combination of ingredients. Sometimes there are secrets. To open them, you will first have to start the generator, the noise of which will rush all the zombies in the area, so you need to act quickly – or even, having assessed the risks, spit and not open.

So I found an abandoned camp with a bunch of useful features.
There are also rare story missions. First, we will find a strange transmitter covered with unknown matter, which will be studied in the enclave. Then they will ask you to establish a signal source, for which you will need to open the gates and go beyond the Outskirts, where none of the survivors have yet meddle – after that, new large regions with their own tasks and stronger enemies will become available. The plot, of course, is not outstanding, but keeps in good shape.

The dialogue here is not very creative.
One for all
As it should be in such games, there is global progress, which is carried out in two ways. Firstly, during sorties we find documents that give knowledge points. And for them in the camp we buy improvements that increase damage in battle, reduce stamina consumption, make crafting more efficient, add a chance to stun attackers, allow you to break locks with wire cutters or remove traps, and so on. It rarely happens that right during a sortie we find and activate a radio station in order to buy upgrades on the spot, and not in the enclave. They will apply to all volunteers.

There are quite a few improvements.
Secondly, you can find large bags and drag them to the car – then we will get supply points. Or it happens that we are offered a choice – immediately pick up cool equipment from the cache or convert it again into supply points. Then, before the next sortie, in the camp we buy bonuses for them – for example, we add certain weapons and ammunition to the arsenal; we study the recipe for a powerful stunning hammer; open lethal guns that will come across in the next passages; buy 50 knowledge points; we make sure that certain items are available to all heroes at the start; etc.

The recipe is good, but will there be enough resources for it?
Stealth and bugs for mutants
In addition, each hero is pumped individually during outings – and this is one of the main features of The Last Stand: Aftermath. It is connected precisely with the fact that all volunteers are infected with the virus – it progresses, which leads to mutations of choice. So, you can significantly increase defense or damage, but lose in speed or endurance; on the contrary, add in the speed of movement; add spikes to the skin, which will help in close combat; turn ordinary rolls into sharp jerks that knock down and stun zombies. And, for example, with the “Skunk” mutation, the character begins to stink almost like walkers, and they pay less attention to him.

Not all mutations have side effects.
And everything would be fine, but each such mutation brings us closer to death. You can slow down the spread of the virus with the help of special injections, but initially only one is given out. And then, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a station.