The Midnight Walkers is an amalgamation of some sudden influences. The hardcore survival and extraction parts of Escape From Tarkov. The character-based zombie slaying of Useless Island 2. The backdrop of a messed-up, Squid Recreation-style leisure present. It is an odd combine, on paper, however one that mixes loads higher than you’d count on. At Gamescom, I acquired to mess around half an hour of The Midnight Walkers, and whereas I could not get a full style of its aggressive, extraction-driven gameplay loop, I did see some early indicators of promise from what’s already an extremely atmospheric zombie recreation.
Set contained in the Liberty Grand Centre – a tower block with over a dozen flooring all related with stairwells and elevators – The Midnight Walkers ditches a sprawling open world in favor of one thing extra compact and vertical. A bunch of crooked elites on this post-outbreak world has assembled a survival gauntlet that throws a number of groups into the loot-filled, zombie-packed constructing. The objective is to seize as a lot loot as you possibly can and attain an extraction pod with out dying – in case you perish contained in the Liberty Grand, you possibly can wave goodbye to no matter you had on you on the time. It is an intriguing idea for followers of the very best zombie video games and extraction video games alike.
Whereas I could not expertise any of The Midnight Walkers’ chaotic multiplayer parts (my Gamescom demo was a solo, PvE-only affair), I did get correctly swept up in its environment. From the parking zone on the base of the tower, by to the hospital, on line casino, and TV studio ranges, the sick Squid Recreation wannabes behind the Liberty Grand have, admittedly, accomplished a good job creating difficult and darkish ranges that keep away from feeling repetitive and samey.
Image the scene: the elevator pings, and the doorways slide open, revealing what would’ve as soon as been your common company workplace house, however now it has been devastated by the undead (and previous contestants, little doubt). Zombies pop up from behind overturned desks, swipe at your toes as they crawl by vents, and crash by ceiling tiles. Taking part in because the character Lockdown, I am outfitted with a deadly composite bow, however for each enemy I take out with a well-placed arrow, it seems like one other three or 4 emerge. It is not overwhelming, however it’s actually intense. I used to be a tad dissatisfied with the number of zombies, each from a visible and gameplay perspective, however given that is nonetheless an early model of the sport, I count on that there is extra work to be accomplished in that division. The environments, nonetheless, are a distinct story – the degrees I acquired to discover had been all tremendous eerie, excelled at mixing open areas with tighter choke factors, and had been full of grisly particulars.
I seize as many high-value objects as I can, Tetris-ing them into my Tarkov-style stock, earlier than the inevitable occurs. A warning message and timer seem on display screen, telling me this ground will quickly be off limits as poisonous fuel is pumped in. That is how The Midnight Walkers retains contestants transferring and squeezes groups into moments of battle. It is not some repetitive, predictable ‘closing of the storm’ that you just see in a variety of extraction and battle royale video games – flooring are chosen randomly at intervals all through a match, so that you by no means know whether or not you may be pressured up or down, to unexplored flooring, or ones you have already ransacked. Elevators and stairwells help you transfer between ranges and are secure areas from the fuel, so you possibly can bypass poisonous flooring if it’s essential to. Word that they may not be secure areas from enemy groups mendacity in ambush, although.
The extraction mechanic sees you find escape pods utilizing a scanner, which can begin to beep and information you in the appropriate path once you’re inside a couple of metres of 1. These will take a number of seconds to unlock, and the one room I discovered with a pod in it was extraordinarily crowded with zombies – a lot in order that I used to be clobbered earlier than I may even begin the unlocking course of. So, count on some hectic conditions from each the zombs and different gamers once you’re ready to make your escape.
When it comes to fight, The Midnight Walkers goes for a hero-style strategy, with a number of characters that include distinctive loadouts. As talked about, Lockdown is the ranged choice, together with his bow offering efficient harm in case you’re exact. Nonetheless, he did really feel a bit clunky and one-note – since my Gamescom demo, although, a rework of this class has been introduced. I additionally acquired a couple of minutes with Brick, who wields a large sledgehammer. Swinging this melee weapon round positively felt extra satisfying, and it actually highlighted the sport’s spectacular flesh harm and dismemberment, however I as soon as once more would not name it subtle or easy.
I feel the general loop right here is a superb one. I initially thought pod scanners and gas-immune stairwells would make navigating the sport a bit too straightforward, however in fact I used to be experiencing this with out another gamers out to kill me. Fight actually wants some work, and a few extra variation when it comes to enemies would not go amiss, however I am very eager to expertise The Midnight Walkers once more, with a squad, and with some PvP moments too. The Liberty Grand makes for an intense and immersive location for post-apocalyptic leisure, so let’s hope the motion finally ends up being as wonderful as the world.
