After an incredibly long development period, we’re finally just days away from the release (albeit in Early Access) of one of my most anticipated RPG. I’m talking about Urban Strife, an isometric RPG developed by White Pond Games and published by MicroProse Software. A world on the brink of collapse, a virus turning people into the undead, and factions you’ll have to contend with—these are the foundations of this highly promising RPG, which features real-time exploration and grid-based combat.
I’ve started playing it, and even in the opening moments, I was impressed by the solid UI and, most notably, the shelter management system—something I hadn’t heard much about before. This system gives you the responsibility of managing the inhabitants, assigning them tasks, upgrading defenses, and much more.
We are also working on a preview which arrive in the next days but in the meantime you’ll find my gameplay footage of the first 20 minutes, offering a clear overview of what you can expect from Urban Strife. Releasse date is set for the 10th of December 2024 on PC via Steam.
About This Game
Can you push back against fate, live among ruthless gangs and fight back the zombie horde, with just a handful of ragtag militias to help you?
Enjoy an unique blend of old school turn-based strategy, post-apoc survival mechanics and a thrilling RPG storyline. With all the benefits of the modern Unreal Engine, real bullet ballistics, day/night cycle, fire with dynamic material consumption and spread, advanced sound and smoke propagation mechanics, AI NPCs with independent lives, faction based morals, hunger, wounds and sickness, and towards the end of Early Access, advanced modding support .
Starting as a mysterious patient evacuated by CDC from their Atlanta lab, your hero is rescued half dead by the kind people of Urban town shelter, somewhere in deep south of USA. You need to raise up and become a true leader, rebuild their pillaged camp and bring hope back in the hearts of the survivors. Then venture out to negotiate alliances with ruthless factions or go to war against them. And finally, do your best to survive against all odds against a huge horde, approaching the town after destroying Atlanta.
REAL BALLISTICS
Urban Strife brings you the common weapon classes that you can expect to find in the context of the story, somewhere in a southern US city: handguns, shotguns, hunting, assault and sniper rifles. All these have pros and cons that make them special in specific situations. Handguns and shotguns for example excel in CQB with excellent damage. While pistols do cumulative damage due to their low AP costs, shotguns have individual pellet impacts adding up!
BODY PARTS TARGETING
Assault rifles bring tremendous cumulative damage too, when used in burst mode, with frightening multi-body penetration. Provide you can come by such expensive ammo and afford to waste it. And finally the option to aim for specific body parts for either instant kills or crippling shots make hunting and sniper rifles true long-range exterminators. How much fun they are depends just on which side of the barrel you are.
MELEE ATTACK MODES
The ranged arsenal is complemented by a wide array of stuff that can be used to smash, slash and punch – basically almost anything that CAN be wielded as a melee weapon also IS a melee weapon, from a rolling pin or a frying pan to your own customized baseball bat.
RPG
Once you will start exploring, you’ll find a world populated with NPCs just as eager to survive the apocalypse, going about their life. Among these you are to discover those willing to help you – provided you help them first. And as long as you serve their interests. Because in Urban everyone has an agenda.
Three main factions are fighting for control through numerous proxy groups in the town. Army rebels, a zombie loving cult and a ruthless gang of bikers. You’re free to choose one of them as ally. But be aware – no path will be easy or morally justified – an apocalypse comes with a dire lack of innocence. It is all about survival. And being able to live with your choices.
SURVIVAL MECHANICS
You will find the Urban Shelter dilapidated and in ruins, full of refugees on the brink of despair, locked down by vicious bandits and roaming zombies. You need to regain control of the neighborhood fast. Start rebuilding and expanding. You have to scavenge resources and show the locals you’re the hero they waited for. Then start repairing and upgrading the shelter, hiring the residents as specialists and using the refugees as labor. Depending on the allies you make you will be able to unlock unique upgrades that will make shelter administration more and more rewarding.
OLD-SCHOOL TBS (with a twist)
Urban Strife uses a classic Action Points system (Jagged Alliance 2 style), with consecutive turns & interrupts based on skills. But we’ve also tried to avoid the pitfalls of turn-based combat, especially against large numbers of foes. And zombies come first in this list of enemies everyone hates to wait for in TBS, because they are both numerous and slow. Hence we introduced a special turn for the horde, with simultaneous movement for all undead, while still letting each AI take individual decisions.
