"Survive the Fall: Initial Preview Released"

Long before Bethesda took the helm of the series and Walton Goggins donned ghoul make-up for the captivating TV adaptation, Fallout was an isometric action RPG viewed from a bird's eye perspective. It's this classic style of wasteland exploration that the upcoming Survive the Fall seems to emulate, at least based on the initial hours I experienced. This deadly post-apocalyptic survival tale builds upon the original Fallout's framework—quite literally with its robust camp development system—and introduces squad-based combat and scavenging to create a fresh experience. However, the somewhat static storytelling might keep its full personality from shining through.

As I delved into the numerous quests in Survive the Fall, I quickly grew fond of its squad-based mechanics. Navigating a sprawling national park with up to three survivors, you can manually search for resources or delegate tasks to your team members, enhancing efficiency and immersion. This approach feels more natural than micromanaging every detail yourself, although the UI can become cluttered when interactive elements are too close together.

Combat in Survive the Fall also relies on teamwork. Given the scarcity of ammunition early on, I favored stealth, approaching enemy encounters like a strategic operation similar to Commandos: Origins. Utilizing environmental hazards and stealth tactics adds satisfaction to clearing out enemy camps. However, when stealth fails, combat can become cumbersome with a controller, though issuing commands to your squad during paused moments helps manage challenging fights.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

14 ImagesAfter battling mutants and collecting loot in the dangerous badlands, Survive the Fall transitions into a base-building management simulation at your camp. Researching documents to earn knowledge points unlocks a vast tech tree for crafting various facilities and defenses. The depth of this system promises hours of engaging settlement development, transforming your base from dilapidated ruins to a thriving sanctuary.

Beyond your base, Survive the Fall offers intriguing areas to explore, from a converted enemy fort in a crashed plane to Stasis-infected farmsteads. While the detailed environments are impressive, they occasionally cause performance issues, such as in the luminescent swamps of Mycorrhiza. Additionally, I encountered game-breaking bugs that necessitated reloading saves, though there's still time before the game's release for developer Angry Bulls Studio to refine its performance.

Interacting with your squad and NPCs via text-only dialogue feels somewhat flat, though characters like Blooper inject humor into the experience. However, the conversations often serve more to initiate fetch quests than to develop deep connections with the factions.

Survive the Fall is slated for release on PC this May and holds great potential for a survival-based action RPG. With further refinement of its controls and performance, it could become a worthy addition to the genre, deserving of your hard-earned resources.