State of Decay 3 was first revealed in 2020, with a brief teaser trailer showing a survivor hunting an infected animal in a winter environment. The game went back underground after that, and Undead Labs focused on regular updates and experimental patches for State of Decay 2. At Sunday’s Xbox Games Showcase, we got to see a new trailer for State of Decay 3, and it shows a much larger look at the various heroes and zombies we’ll encounter.
The State of Decay franchise is zombie survival games where the player has to build up a base, manage resources, secure fortifications, and reach out to other groups. Much of the gameplay in State of Decay 2 is procedurally generated; the survivors who join your settlement arrive with their own past, pet peeves, and complications. It’s up to the player to roll with the punches and survive regardless — although that usually requires some of the player’s existing characters to perish dramatically.
It looks like the State of Decay 3 trailer has leaned into this angle heavily, showing a heroic sacrifice and a shrine made up of curious trinkets and keepsakes left behind. The trailer also showed a healthy amount of combat, with survivors warding off the undead through the power of firearms and teamwork.
There’s still no release date for State of Decay 3, but after a barebones teaser trailer and then years of silence, it’s good to see the project re-emerge.
