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Dead Nation

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Dead Nation
Developer(s)Housemarque
Climax Studios (PS4 and PS Vita)
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4
ReleasePlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
  • NA: 4 March 2014
  • PAL: 5 March 2014
PlayStation Vita
Genre(s)Shoot 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Dead Nation is a 2010 shoot 'em up video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3.[4] Dead Nation takes place in a world afflicted by a zombie apocalypse. The player can choose between a male or female character and battle different types of zombies. Dead Nation was part of Sony's "Welcome Back" package, created to resolve the initial PlayStation Network outage.[5] In February 2014 a PlayStation 4 version of the game titled the Apocalypse Edition was announced along with the PlayStation Vita version. The original Road of Devastation downloadable content was included for the PS3 and Vita versions, and the PS4 version was free for PlayStation Plus subscribers in March 2014.[6]

Gameplay

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Players are awarded score multipliers and money when zombies are killed. Money is used to purchase and upgrade weapons at checkpoints, and multipliers to grant better scores. Each time players are hit, they lose multipliers and health.[7] Players fight their way through ten levels, using weapon shops that allow weapon upgrading and armor swapping. Throughout the levels, players can find boxes that hold ammunition, multipliers, money, or armor pieces, and also loot cars and trunks for money. If a car is blown up before being looted, though, the loot is lost. At times the players are trapped in areas where they must survive until they have accomplished a certain goal (e.g. wait for an elevator while fighting zombies or kill all zombies in the area). Armor sets influence strength, endurance and agility.[citation needed]

Zombies are attracted by flares, car alarms, grenades, mines, and vending machines. Zombies can be killed by environmental hazards which the player can use to their advantage. Players can encounter a variety of zombies.[8] Players can use a melee and rush attack against zombies,[9] as well as a variety of weaponry.

The metagame allows players to follow their country's progress in relation to other countries, as well as local leaderboards. Using the PlayStation Network, players are grouped with other players from their country.[10] When a country is rid of zombies, a new infection cycle begins. Multiplayer can be done locally or online for two players.

Plot

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Society has collapsed and most of the world's population have become zombies due to a virus outbreak. A year later, the protagonists (either Jack McReady, Scarlett Blake or both when played in co-op mode) are preparing to leave their shelter in search of food and water. They are immune to the current strain of the virus. After reaching a gas station, they pick up a radio transmission, but it is just static. They head to a police station, in search for a means to strengthen the radio signal, but find out they need to get to higher ground to do so.

After picking up the transmission, they are contacted by a Doctor Morton, who tells them he works for Egogate Pharmacy company, and that he is developing a cure, but need two things: a sample of their DNA and a tissue sample from Patient Zero, named Douglas Bane, the first human being to be infected; he then directs them to Marrow hospital, through the edge of the city.

They fight their way through infested streets and, at the hospital, they find out that the body was buried in a nearby graveyard. It is revealed that the body was moved to the harbor docks via train. However, the body was moved again to Raven's Field Airport, north of the harbor, so they head there and, after collecting Bane's head, they fly using an abandoned helicopter to the underground facility, where they are welcomed by the doctor and told that they will be injected with a serum to be synthesized by their bodies and they will be living sources of the cure. However, they are to be turned into biological weapons, controlled by the company to do their bidding.

Realizing that they have nothing to lose, and there is no way out, they bite a cyanide capsule they have implanted inside their molar, in case they are overwhelmed by zombies, to prevent enduring the pain of being eaten alive. As the doctor notes that they are dying, he rushes to see what is happening, but the zombie virus has mutated and they have been infected, turning into zombies right after the capsule is opened. Their first kill is the doctor.

Assuming the first person nature of the narrative, it is implied that they have become sentient zombies.

Reception

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The PlayStation 3 version of Dead Nation received "generally favorable reviews", while the PlayStation 4 and Vita versions received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[28][29][30] The game engine was noted for supporting large numbers of zombies on screen as well as impressive lighting effects.[10]

In 2013, the PS3 version was included in IGN's Top 25 PlayStation Network Games, at position 12.[31]

Updates

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Dead Nation lacked online voice chat upon release, but an update released on 10 March 2011 added this feature. The update also included laser sight upgrades for guns and display improvements including visual indications when the rush meter fills and when players take damage.

Road of Devastation

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A DLC expansion called Road of Devastation was released in September 2011 for the PS3,[32] and in April 2014 for the PlayStation Vita. The pack focuses on continuous survival, and presents players with upgrade paths instead of stages. Each round ends by returning to a laboratory, where the player receives prizes for their achievements before starting the next round. There are three main paths, each of which splits into two sub-paths. Once a round is completed, the player cannot re-enter the same path in the following round.

Gameplay has been altered slightly compared to the main game. When a player in co-op mode opens a box with money, the amount acquired is only given to the player that opened the box. Zombie strength, health and speed increase with each round. The game ends when the player dies, forcing them to restart from the beginning.[32] A patch added an arcade mode to the DLC, where progress can be saved between rounds, but players are limited to play until Round 6, and the original mode now is called "Endless".

Reception

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The PS3 version of the Road of Devastation DLC received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic.[33]

References

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  1. ^ Cristina Giuliano (15 November 2010). "The Zombie Apocalypse Is 1 December". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. ^ Daimion Pinnock (15 November 2010). "At Death's Door: Dead Nation Hits PSN November 30th". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  3. ^ Sal Romano (14 April 2014). "Dead Nation coming to PS Vita this week". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  4. ^ Ilari Kuittinen (7 October 2010). "Dead Nation Online Co-op Confirmed". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  5. ^ Scott Nichols (17 May 2011). "PSN's free 'Welcome Back' titles revealed". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. ^ Colin Moriarty (27 February 2014). "Tomb Raider, Dead Nation, More Free for PlayStation Plus in March". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  7. ^ Jeremy M. Zoss (18 October 2010). "Dead Nation is Perfect For Zombie Fans". Joystick Division. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  8. ^ GamerSpawn (25 November 2010). "Dead Nation - Know Your Enemy". YouTube. Alphabet Inc. Retrieved 9 July 2018.[dead YouTube link]
  9. ^ Eric Layman (15 October 2010). "Preview: Dead Nation". Digital Chumps. Gloomy Tree Productions. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b Ryan Clements (19 August 2009). "GC 2009: Dead Nation Hands-on". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  11. ^ Conrad Zimmerman (29 November 2010). "Review: Dead Nation (PS3)". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  12. ^ Edge staff (January 2011). "Dead Nation (PS3)". Edge. No. 223. Future plc. p. 100.
  13. ^ Dan Whitehead (1 December 2010). "Dead Nation (PlayStation 3)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  14. ^ Steve Haske (7 December 2010). "Dead Nation (PS3)". GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  15. ^ Chris Watters (1 December 2010). "Dead Nation Review (PS3)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  16. ^ Robert Workman (24 November 2010). "Dead Nation Review (PS3)". GameZone. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  17. ^ Joe Donato (16 March 2014). "Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition review: Lost in the shadows". GameZone. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  18. ^ Brad Shoemaker (3 December 2010). "Dead Nation Review (PS3N)". Giant Bomb. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  19. ^ Greg Miller (30 November 2010). "Dead Nation Review (PS3)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  20. ^ Colin Moriarty (3 April 2014). "Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  21. ^ Colin Moriarty (21 April 2014). "Dead Nation Vita Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  22. ^ Andrew Yoon (30 November 2010). "Dead Nation review: It's dangerous to go alone (PS3)". Engadget (Joystiq). Oath Inc. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Review: Dead Nation (PS3)". PlayStation: The Official Magazine. No. 41. Future plc. January 2011. p. 81.
  24. ^ "PS3 Review: Dead Nation". PSM3. Future plc. January 2011. p. 96.
  25. ^ Lewis Brown (13 May 2014). "Dead Nation Review (Vita)". The Digital Fix. Poisonous Monkey. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  26. ^ David Jenkins (2 December 2010). "Games review - Dead Nation goes a zombie too far (PS3)". Metro. DMG Media. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  27. ^ David Jenkins (5 March 2014). "Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition review - zombie free". Metro. DMG Media. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  28. ^ a b "Dead Nation for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  29. ^ a b "Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  30. ^ a b "Dead Nation for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  31. ^ Miller, Greg; Moriarty, Colin (28 February 2013). "IGN's Top 25 PlayStation Network Games". IGN. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  32. ^ a b Colin Moriarty (1 October 2011). "Dead Nation: Road of Devastation DLC Impressions". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  33. ^ a b c "Dead Nation: Road of Devastation Critic Reviews for PlayStation 3". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  34. ^ "Review: Dead Nation: Road of Devastation". PSM3. Future plc. December 2011. p. 110.
  35. ^ Mark Salmela (6 October 2011). "Dead Nation: Road of Devastation (PSN) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on 9 December 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
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