Online game "Left to Survive"

Shortage of games about zombies we, to put it mildly, do not feel - projects on similar subjects come out with enviable regularity. But among them there are really unusual, original games. For example, in Left to Survive we fight not only the crowds of walking dead, but also people and even other players, fortify and improve our base - and the very process of shooting reminds entertainment in cult arcades like House of the Dead. About these and other features of this unusual and very popular online shooter we tell in our review.

Left to Survive was created by Whalekit studio, part of the international brand MY.GAMES (owned by Mail.ru Corporation). In 2018, it was released on mobile platforms, where it won a number of awards - for example, Best Action Game in the Best of Galaxy Store Awards 2021. And now the game is also available on personal computers.

Its plot at first glance is traditional for such projects - there was a zombie apocalypse, everything is bad, the population of America is rapidly declining, the survivors settle outside the cities and periodically making forays for resources. And we just play as one of the survivors, completing story missions with the usual goals - mainly to destroy all the zombies, to protect or save other people when they are dragging boxes of resources or surrounded by walkers.

But there is a nuance - in addition to zombies and ordinary survivors, there is a third force in the story, a certain Republic, which conducts experiments to create advanced types of undead. And we have to fight it, too, which means we have to fight people. These missions are more complicated - the enemy soldiers move more actively and change positions. In addition to the normal missions there are the so-called expeditions - on them we send our characters with enough health and weapons, so they bring new resources. Expeditions also require finding coordinates.

The story campaign is divided into regions that are opened gradually, one after another - in each of them you can perform not only the key missions, where there is some dialogue and scripted tasks, but also additional, as well as bonus ones, where it all comes down to shooting the undead with certain types of weapons. But it gives extra money, experience and resources, the opportunity to try these "guns" in action. Experience allows you to get new levels and improve your parameters.

Weapons are also upgraded. The fact is that many missions have requirements for the strength of guns, so you often have to spend your hard earned money to buy new or improve existing guns/submachine guns/shotguns/sniper rifles on such parameters as damage, reloading, rate of fire, spread, and so on. There is also a system of so called evolution that allows to improve the weapon even after reaching the maximum level by normal means, but it requires special resources that can be found only in raids, tournaments, special events and battles with other players.

Yes, Left to Survive is a free-to-play MMO shooter with all the consequences it entails. There are battles with other players, including ranked ones, a clan system, tournaments and special events, when, for example, players were offered to fight with aliens in a secret "Area 51" or to collect a collection of valuable artifacts and then get especially cool rewards for them.

Battles between players are in a "1 on 1" or "2 on 2", and they are not quite usual for network shooters. Players here can not freely move around the levels - they sit behind shelters in front of each other and shoot the first one who pops out.

Sometimes you can only change cover, take a higher position or pick up a box with first aid kits and grenades. At first it seems primitive, but in the end in such mechanics you find its own charm and tactics. For example, you should not stay in one place for long and sit together with your partner behind one concrete slab - you can get hit by a grenade together.

In addition, each player in Left to Survive has his own base, and they can attack each other - it's called "raids on the base. In this case you have to shoot with a helicopter-mounted machine gun all the buildings of the other user, including defensive towers as well as defenders. Therefore it is important, on the one hand, to improve the helicopter's power by equipping it with various weapons and homing missiles. On the other hand, it is important to build up and upgrade the very same defensive towers and even anti-aircraft guns in your settlement.

So, about the player bases. Yes, the gameplay in Left to Survive is divided into battles and the strategic part. In the latter, our task is to build and strengthen our citadel. And the first thing to pay attention to is the city center - the strength of the base and its defensive capacity, as well as the number of defenders depends on how well it is improved and upgraded.

In addition, as the urban center develops, new opportunities open up - access to the same expeditions and to new buildings like the workshop, which allows you to install modifications to weapons, and to the laboratory, which allows heroes to use their unique abilities and consumables. By the way, in addition to the first starting character you can then unlock for the found parts (this is such a special resource) and new heroes, each of which has its own ability - someone takes an anesthetic to reduce the damage, someone can throw an ice grenade, and someone - poison darts.

Also at the base are many buildings that bring different types of resources - wood, fuel, metal, necessary for the construction and pumping of other buildings. And the farm gives tomatoes, which are spent on the ability to complete missions in the campaign and go on expeditions. By the way, during the story buildings you can save new surviving characters, and then put them in charge of this or that building (or become a helicopter pilot) - depending on their characteristics it will improve the performance of buildings.

As in all such MMOs, construction takes a certain amount of time - from a few minutes to an hour and a half. Complete the process instantly, you can use gas pedals and gold bars - we get them for performing some actions in the game, but in limited quantities. But in the store you can buy a lot of them at once for real money. You're also free to build a bank at the base for real money, which will regularly add gold to your piggy bank. Or get a sheepdog (again, for your own money) - it will regularly bring gas pedals.

As you know, Left to Survive uses the classic principle of all free-to-play MMOs: besides the resources and dollars available in the game for free, there is a special currency, the same gold bars that can be bought for cash in the in-game store. It is spent on many things in the game, not only to speed up construction and leveling up - for example, to buy new powerful weapons and equipment for the heroes, on the tape, allowing this equipment to improve, and so on and so forth.

There are also many limited, special and other offers that allow you to buy for real money sets, which may include a cool weapon, all sorts of gas pedals (including "boosters" experience for the heroes), tickets to tournaments with different bonuses and special currency, which is issued only in special events, the same tournaments or in PvP-battles (to spend it can be in special sections of the store). In general, the standard scheme - except that the system of VIP-statuses is missing.

But it should be said that the donation in Left to Survive is quite liberal - many resources such as bullion or gas pedals in a small amount, but still given out for free. For example, there is a system of challenges and achievements, when performing certain actions (win three PvP matches, improve the oil rig to that level, collect a number of materials, and so on) quite generous rewards are given. Plus regular free gifts in the store - up to five per day. As a result, playing and having fun is quite realistic, and not particularly invested in the game with real money.

Especially since you really want to play - Left to Survive is addictive. First of all, despite the short duration and simplicity of the quests, it is interesting enough to pass them in a story campaign - the missions are all dynamic, the situation is constantly changing, the enemies attack from different sides. There are also special sniper missions.

In addition, the zombies themselves are of different types, which constantly keeps you in suspense and forces you to carefully monitor the situation. There are, for example, jumpers that jump on you from afar, fat bombers that are walking bombs, throwers that attack from afar or, on the contrary, very frisky zombies - they quickly run towards you and hit close to you. Especially hard and interesting in special events, where the number of enemies is greater and some insects, scorpions and other creatures appear.

Second, it's nice to shoot directly here. As in PvP, in normal battles you cannot move around the level by yourself - and even running between shelters is not always allowed. All of this is reminiscent of the iconic arcade game from our childhood, House of the Dead, mentioned at the very beginning of the review. At first, it also evokes mixed feelings, because here we have a full-fledged shooter, not an arcade arcade game.

But eventually you get used to it, and start having fun - a virtual director competently leads us through the levels, constantly changing the position and direction of the Walking Dead's attacks. And we often have to intelligently alternate weapons, switching from primary to secondary. In addition, the levels are full of explosive barrels and monsters that also explode - it's nice to shoot them, trigger an explosive reaction and destroy crowds of zombies at once.

Here it should be said that the game looks and sounds great - the picture in Left to Survive is quite nice and modern, the effects of the same explosions are convincing, and the weapon sounds only increase the sense of immersion in the action.

Well, in accordance with our tradition, at the end we'll give some useful tips for those who just started playing Left to Survive. First of all, in battles you should first of all destroy bomber and other special zombies. Try not to waste first-aid kits, machetes (used for melee attacks) and grenades - they are expensive, and you need them much more in battles with other players. And always try to aim at the head of your enemies - it does more damage, throws them off and gives bonus rewards.

When buying weapons it is better to pay attention to the one that increases the health of the character or even allows you to heal him (in the local slang such guns are called "vampires"). And when improving the "guns" in the first place is worth pumping up the increase of the clip and the reloading speed - when in the heat of heavy fighting your character nervously reloads instead of shooting, it can cost you a lot. But it's better to pump critical damage in the last turn - it seldom passes here anyway.

Finally, when strengthening the base the most important buildings are the city center, the farm (tomatoes are spent on both campaign missions and expeditions), as well as the resource store - if it's small, you just can not collect more and get awards for some missions. And, of course, it's important to pump the helicopter and allocate survivors among the buildings according to their characteristics - ideally, each should have its own guardian.

Conclusion: Left to Survive is certainly one of the most interesting and entertaining online shooters of today in its niche, attracting with pretty pictures, pleasant shooter mechanics, a lot of modes and the presence of a strategic component. It is necessary not only to shoot accurately, but also to develop their own base. At the same time the game remaining generally faithful to the traditions of conditionally free MMO, does not tie everything to the notorious donation, allowing you to play for fun, even if you are in no hurry to part with their hard-earned money.

March 2022