A Way To Be Dead – Review
Our Rating: 7/10
With its latest title, Turkish studio Crania Games expands its horror and suspense universe. Following on from the success of Roots of Insanity in 2007, it’s now time to take your chance with A Way To Be Dead, a fun 4v1 asymmetric multiplayer survival game.
Roots of Insanity and A Way To Be Dead are set in the same universe. It was wise to take the opportunity of a whole juncture that worked, especially in terms of history and environment. And the chilling atmosphere of suspense is even scarier with this new approach. Roots of Insanity and A Way To Be Dead are set in the same universe. It was wise to take the opportunity of a whole juncture that worked, especially in terms of history and environment. And the eerie ambiance of tension is even scarier with this new technique.
You can’t always have what you want..
The journey begins after Riley’s mother dies, prompting her father, a brilliant scientist, to embark on a perilous path to bring her back from the dead, drawing on the disturbing incidents of the previous game to set the scene. As is typical in these scenarios, what we get in return is very seldom what we desire, and we soon find ourselves facing a zombie invasion.
A Way To Be Dead ditched the Roots of Insanity formula, which was a story-driven survival horror game, in favor of something more practical and multiplayer-focused. As with Dead by Daylight, the tale for each match is now created by the gamers themselves.
Gameplay
In this game, 4 gamers wake up in a hospital and attempt to flee. On the other hand, whoever summons Dr. Riley will try to track them down individually. Moreover, when we have the unfortunate demise of ending up in the hands of this wicked executioner, the match does not end, as we are returned to fight as zombies.
Dr. Riley’s role isn’t invincible; in fact, he’s just as exposed as the other four characters. This creates a sense of tension for almost everyone taking part, as he will also have to fight the undead. There are a variety of weapons available. It varies from the most common, such as sticks and close combat weapons, to the most advanced weaponry. We have night vision, via a camera (which isn’t eternal because it’s powered by a battery), and we could also cure ourselves, just like in Outlast. For this, we’ll have to look for anything that’s close by, such as closets or even the bodies spread all over the map.
Comedic yet terrifying
It isn’t flawless, but it is undeniably entertaining. I’d say it’s split into two parts: one that’s more comedic when we’re playing with Dr. Riley, and another that’s more survival horror when we’re playing as among the four escapees. Even so, we are usually amused while playing this game. Although there are some features of horror in controlling Dr. Riley, it doesn’t work as well as it should in terms of creating tension, except if we discover one of the survivors. Zombies controlled by AI aren’t particularly difficult to defeat, and they’re also simple to avoid.
When we play the survivor, on the other hand, adrenaline is released more frequently because the danger is much greater. When we unexpectedly run into Riley, it gives us a good feeling of fear and even some scares. The moment you’re being hunted, the paranoia causes a few chuckles, such as desperation.
Final Thoughts
The game is appealing to hunters and the other five gamers, as it incorporates a cooperative element. Since every one of the escapees is limited to only one item, they must work together to enhance their survivability.
Gamers obtain points at the finish of every game based on their fortune and the result for the players participating, to enhance their character. It’s a standard advancement method, but it’s likely to grow in the longer term if the game achieves the studio’s expectations for success. Sadly, finding a match is not always quick, which would be certainly an issue in a multiplayer-only game. Although, the lack of gamers in the lobby appears to have improved in past days, indicating that the player pool is expanding.
In terms of graphics, it’s quite good. It’s not a game that will blow you away, but it also doesn’t let you down. The horror ambiance is excellent, and the dark setting aids this. It also achieves what is expected in terms of sound, producing a sinister and tense atmosphere. A Way To Be Dead is a great addition to the genre, given how rare it is. It’s unclear whether it will achieve success because it relies on numbers, and we’ll have a difficult time finding matches without players. It is, even so, deserving of a chance, particularly among horror fans.