"Survive the Fall: Exclusive First Look"

Before Bethesda's involvement and Walton Goggins' captivating performance in the TV adaptation, the *Fallout* series was renowned for its isometric action RPG format, viewed from a bird's-eye perspective. This classic style of exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland seems to be the inspiration for the upcoming game *Survive the Fall*, at least based on the initial hours I've experienced. This game builds on the original *Fallout*'s framework, particularly evident in its robust camp development system. With squad-based combat and scavenging, *Survive the Fall* offers a refreshing experience, though its static story presentation slightly dampens its personality.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic settings, the world of *Survive the Fall* wasn't destroyed by nuclear fallout. Instead, a catastrophic comet impact reminiscent of the dinosaurs' extinction event decimated a large part of the population and left behind a toxic mist known as Stasis. Survivors either avoid this dangerous substance or harness its power, transforming into enhanced but less human forms. In *Survive the Fall*, you'll lead a growing squad of scavengers, forming alliances with various factions across three distinct biomes to ensure survival and prosperity, from the Stasis-embracing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult called the Sighted.

Engaging with *Survive the Fall*'s numerous quest-givers, I quickly appreciated the squad-based mechanics. As you navigate your party of up to three survivors through the national park setting that kickstarts the story, you can manually search for resources like chemical compounds and lumber or delegate these tasks to your team members. This division of labor feels more natural and accelerates the process of exploring and looting settlements. However, the interface can occasionally become cluttered with button prompts when interactive elements are closely grouped, though such instances were infrequent.

Combat in *Survive the Fall* is also team-oriented. Given the scarcity of rifle and shotgun ammunition early on, I favored a stealth approach, treating enemy camp infiltrations like strategic missions from *Commandos: Origins*. I used tactics such as hiding in tall grass, creating distractions with thrown stones, and stealthily eliminating foes while directing my team to dispose of bodies. The game also offers environmental hazards like explosive barrels and precarious cargo pallets that can be exploited to gain an advantage over patrolling enemies.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

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Clearing out enemy groups felt rewarding, though combat became challenging once stealth was compromised and firearms were necessary. Using a controller, aiming was somewhat cumbersome compared to what I imagine a mouse and keyboard setup might offer. I often relied on melee attacks and dodging to whittle down enemies' health in close combat. Thankfully, the ability to pause and direct squadmates to focus on specific targets—similar to systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero—helped manage encounters effectively, allowing me to handle less durable foes while my team tackled the tougher ones.

After a day spent battling mutants and gathering resources, *Survive the Fall* transitions into a base-building management phase at your camp. Researching documents found in the wild yields knowledge points, which you can invest in a comprehensive technology tree to unlock crafting options for everything from bunk beds and kitchen areas to water filtration systems and armories. Resources like timber can be turned into planks for constructing frames for new structures, such as plant boxes or gates to fend off nighttime raiders. Foraged herbs and salvaged meat from wildlife can be prepared into meals and stored for future expeditions. The depth of the base-building system promises many hours of engagement as you transform your settlement from a ruin into a thriving community.

Beyond your base, *Survive the Fall* offers a variety of intriguing areas to explore, from a repurposed crashed passenger plane turned enemy fortress to a farmstead teeming with Stasis-infected ghouls. Each direction holds unique locales, though the detail-rich environments, like the luminescent mushroom clusters in Mycorrhiza's swamplands, sometimes caused performance issues with a volatile framerate. Additionally, occasional game-breaking bugs required me to reload my save, such as getting stuck in menus. With *Survive the Fall*'s release approaching, there's hope that Angry Bulls Studio can optimize performance before launch.

While the game's dialogue is delivered through onscreen text, which can feel somewhat flat, interactions with characters like the humorously named Blooper, who refers to the Stasis smog as "fart wind," provided some light-hearted moments. However, these interactions often felt more like quest prompts than opportunities to develop deeper connections with faction members.

As *Survive the Fall* nears its PC release in May, it shows significant potential as a survival-based action RPG. With some refinements to its controls and performance, it could become a worthy addition to the genre, deserving of your hard-earned bottlecaps.