It isn’t uncommon for games to spend a long time in early access, but the four years it’s taken for Deadside to move from debuting on Steam and into its 1.0 launch is definitely one of the lengthiest we’ve seen in a while. Still, the open world survival sim, which includes the multiplayer gunfights, exploration, and crafting of games like Rust, DayZ, and Sons of the Forest, appears to have been worth the wait, if its reception so far is anything to go by.
Deadside stands out among the survival game genre not so much for the novelty of its concepts as the savvy combination of them. Its full launch offers three server types — PvE, PvP, and PvP without base raids — that provide different versions of a game centered on exploring a vast open world by foot or vehicle. As expected of a survival game, that exploration revolves around finding and gathering loot and constructing a home base. Along the way, the player completes missions and fights AI or human-controlled enemies. These gun battles involve a simulation-focused shooting system that emphasizes realistic ballistics and weapon behavior across an arsenal of 32 customizable firearms.
The game’s full launch seems to be off to a good start. At the time of writing, Deadside holds a 78% or Mostly Positive user rating on Steam, with its most recent reviews rating it at a higher 80% or Very Positive. Despite this success, the game’s creator doesn’t plan to slow down its work anytime soon. A Steam post detailing the 1.0 launch states that the team “will continue to improve and update Deadside for as long as we have a community to support,” adding that “leaving early access won’t be changing that.”
Deadside is out now in 1.0 on Steam, with a 20% launch discount that brings its price down to $19.99 USD / £16.79. Grab a copy right here.
Or, if you’d prefer to check out other games like Deadside, there’s lots to find in our lists of the top open-world games and simulation games on PC.
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