Game Review: Dead Run by Sokpop Collective

 
 

Dead Run is a simplistic post-apoc game in which you drive around a barren world from town to town, collecting food and sticks, upgrading your car, trying to find the source of a radio signal.


Official Description:

dead run is an action-survival game where you travel around a post-apocalyptic version of Earth to find the source of a mysterious radio signal. Drive around in a fully explorable version of Earth and collect supplies along the way. Is there anyone out there?

Long Review:

This is a very simplistic little post-apoc game. You drive and walk around an empty world, going on little quests, finding food, fuel, and sticks for campfires.

The graphics are 3D but also very simplistic, in a sorta pretty, stylistic way.

It seems like a game that would be peaceful, but I found it more foreboding, at least in survival mode. The tense music, the scarcity of supplies, the long stretches of wilderness, the not knowing if zombies might attack me (there’s a health bar, so there must be something that can lower it). But that’s fine, it’s a vibe. Still pretty chill.

Screenshot from Dead Run of a car driving along a road with nothing but forst on both sides, in a simple blocky 3D style.

Unfortunately…

The driving mechanic is the worst I’ve ever had the displeasure of trying. You cannot go straight, you constantly have to swerve left and right, and the whole screen moves when you do, which is bad if you get motion sickness. But if you’ve ever wanted to drift your way through the apocalypse, this is the game for you!

Those aforementioned graphics, also screwy. Things like accidental canyons with floating trees and buildings.

And despite being able to walk over the accidental canyons, I learned the hard way you cannot drive over them, or your car will get stuck in a forever loop of falling and respawning at the top.

Also, for a game that seems pretty basic, it sure did make my computer sound like it was going to explode.

Anyway, for a low enough price, it’s a neat way to spend an hour. But then you might actually want to feel like you accomplished something, and it becomes a frustrating way to spend another half hour. And then you fall down a canyon and give up, still having not accomplished anything.

(I watched a video to see the rest of the game, and I gotta say, I’m glad I didn’t bother to try again.)

This could’ve been cool, with fewer bugs and better driving. As it is, it’s not worth $3, in my opinion, but I got it on sale for $1.49 on Steam, and sure, give it a try at that price, but only that price (or lower).

Screenshot from Dead Run of the car drifting sideways into the trees, as shown by curving tire tracks. There are some trees and buildings, all in simplistic blocky style.

Short Review:

– Simplistic gameplay
– Chill but foreboding vibes
– Horrible, awful driving mechanic
– Graphics pretty in a stylistic way, but screwy
– I got stuck falling and refalling down a glitch canyon
– Overall, neat for an hour, but only on sale

Accessibility:

(May not include everything)
– No accessibility features that I found.
– May cause motion sickness.

More Info:

Steam // itch.io

 
 
 
 

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4 thoughts on “Game Review: Dead Run by Sokpop Collective

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  1. Roberta R.

    Oh, so that’s the one. The graphics style looks pretty…too bad for the glitches. I suppose this one would have needed more testing (not even being able to drive straight, WTF?).

  2. Greg

    I love the premise. Is there anyone out there is always so compelling for whatever reason. Bummer this was disappointing…