Survival Crisis Z
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| Survival Crisis Z | |
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| Developer(s) | Ska Software |
| Publisher(s) | Ska Software |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release date | 2004 |
| Genre(s) | CRPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | Digital Download |
| Input methods | Keyboard & mouse |
Survival Crisis Z is a 2004 computer role-playing game (CRPG) for Microsoft Windows from Ska Software.
The game takes place in a section of city during the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Players assume the role of a Survivor, and are given free reign in how they deal with the hostile world.
The game plays something like a cross between a CRPG, Freelancer and fast-paced Survival Horror. There are a number of strategies to employ, weapons to use, and skills to help the player. The player can build their character and party to accommodate different play styles, all while dealing with the growing masses of living dead.
The player advances the plot by taking missions from leaders. They can also take over houses, trade, or simply roam the map looking for items and weapons to trade, just as long as they watch out for threats of the post-apocalyptic world—living or dead.
The old website's introduction of SCZ:
Survival Crisis Z is an open ended intense survival experience that is nearly as much RPG as it is arcade. Make money or steal it. Buy weapons or pick them off a fresh corpse. Work for the leaders of the post-apocalyptic ruin or have them working for you. Marauders, terrorists, merchants and heroes are all equals here. They are all either one of us or one of them, warm-blooded or cold, survivors or monsters.
Contents |
[edit] Features
[edit] Scavenging
Scavenging plays a big part in the game, as it stocks the player with supplies, money, and other tools.
[edit] Supplies
There are four types of supplies, all of which are used in either skills or consumed automatically by the player's hunger stats.
[edit] Hardware
Hardware is the main source of any skills that build anything solid, like armor or turrets.
[edit] Electronics
Any skill that needs some computing will take one piece of electronics, such as a GPS or the likes.
[edit] Chemicals
Some things require liquids that aren't for consumption.
[edit] Food
This is an automatically used resource. It's very important that the player's character keeps eating regularly. To avoid the negative effects of starvation, the character would normally eat energy bars, but if none are available, these will act as an emergency backup. These packages are automatically consumed when the character's hunger reaches 0, however, there are skills that consume them as well.
[edit] Takeovers
The player is allowed to take control of houses. If attempting to take a house from a neutral NPC, the player will have to survive a horde of zombies entering the house. However, this is usually very difficult to do alone and would generally require assistance from a group. If attempting to take a house from a Rebel or SWAT leader, the player will have to fight with SWATs or Rebels attacking the house. These are significantly more difficult to take over than neutral houses.
[edit] Hunger
If the player's character is hungry, he will slowly lose health and be more vulnerable to attacks. Hunger can be filled using energy bars or the food supply. Sleeping also helps to reduce hunger, although by only small amount.
[edit] Fatigue
When the character is tired, the player will see the screen skip back and forth occasionally, which can throw off the player's aim. Fatigue can easily be solved by sleeping in a non-hostile building or swallowing caffeine pills.
[edit] Factions
There are 3 factions that the player can choose to join: Rebels, SWAT or Neutral. Each faction has it's advantages and disadvantages.
[edit] Neutral
This faction is often victimized by the other two factions. When the player dies in hardcore mode and chooses to possess a Neutral, he gets only a knife. The advantage, however, is that neither of the other factions will attack the player.
[edit] SWAT
The SWAT unique weapons are powerful but have hard to find ammo, and unless the player has the heavy weapons skill, shooting will be difficult.
[edit] Rebels
The ammunition for Rebel weapons are generally easier to find, and they have a range advantages over those of the SWAT. Another advantage of these weapon sets is not having to worry about the heavy weapons skill.
[edit] Zombies
The zombies are not a faction the player can join and serve as the "enemies" in the game. They are much more dangerous at night, as a single gunshot can draw the nearest zombies to the player. As such, it may be advantageous to perform missions during daytime, where the zombies are calm and less aggressive.
The zombies exist in two types. The less dangerous of the two are the decrepit and slow-moving kind. The more dangerous zombies are the Infected, which represent the new and recently turned zombies. They travel faster than humans and attack with great speed. These zombies can also spit maggots, who crawl up the victim's leg and bite him, giving a quick and insignificant shock to the player's screen. Though their main purpose is to serve as a distraction, they do cause a small amount of damage.
However, zombies can also be used to the players advantage. When low at ammo, it is wiser to not attack a zombie that is attacking a faction. Killing a faction member does not allow the player to pick up the weapon, but if the faction member is killed by a zombie, he will drop his weapon.
[edit] Potions
There are vials scattered throughout the streets, mostly in scavenging spots, such as decapitated/massacred corpses, bags and suitcases. Much more in the "Complex".
There are four vials, red, yellow, blue and a mysterious type (Catalyst, according to the game's readme) that creates new loopholes to the classic three. [still finding out the name]
Types of potions:
Two red vials = red potion.
As you might have guessed, this potion refills your health significantly.
Two yellow vials = yellow potion.
This potion has a caffeïne-filled look, and also serves the same purpose. This potion will add to your fatigue points. More significant then mere caffeïne pills.
Two blue vials = blue potion.
This blue potion serves as an internal armor, much like the armor skill (the weaker one).
Red + blue = Purple potion.
Yet to be uncovered, however, this potion is double use. When used, it takes effect, refilling both fatigue and hunger, and turns red, making a simple red potion.
Yellow + blue = green potion.
A favorite amongst the many. This potion temporarily lets you run faster.
However, longer then the shot or skill enables you to.
Red + yellow = orange potion.
In tradition to the yellow potion, the orange potion fills your hunger points with 3000.
Special mixtures:
With the mysterious vial, that can be found in the underground complex, you can make three more mixtures. Their combination is secret, but we thought you might enjoy to at least know what they do, when you get your hands on them.
Perceptol: this brown goo mixes up the yellow and orange potion's function, and much more.
You get a way bigger boost to both stats, but also temporarily are blessed with clip-sight.
You can see nearing enemies through walls and buildings, and the dark no longer has any effect on you.
Stimulyte: A famed drug, known to flip you badly. Your eye gets a mixture, your controls aren't that reliable, and somehow everything gets scarier. Its recommended to attempt and enslave a houseleader. Who knows, the might become a loyal follower.
Mercuronicum: An upgrade of the blue potion. This steel-coloured potion is the most valuable potion around, and strengthens your natural resistance to bullets, way better then the better armor skill could.
Nice side effect to be noted:
When the hunger and fatigue stats are both maxed up to 20000, you get a temporary slow-mo boost that, granted you got enough ammo, will let you withstand any zombie attack with graceful ease.
[edit] Storyline
SCZ tells the story of someone who just found out he's in real trouble. Being stacked with basic equipment and skills, you look for a non-hostile house, where, after pulling a job or two, you get the mission to prove your worth, clearing a building full of zombies.
After this, you get more anti-zombie missions. Then your faction decision comes in play. The house leader's faction controls your purpose. Is it a neutral, your missions can resolve about trying to protect the neutral side and make the trip to the sewers to escape the infected situation at the streets. The SWATs will want to deal damage to the Rebels and strengthen their own situations, whilst the Rebels will want you to...kind of do vice versa.
During the missions you will learn that a mysterious creature called Dutch was the cause of this all. The game ends at a standoff with Dutch himself, in the fictional zombie-filled "Hell". After this, you end up with the player returning from "Hell", realizing he removed the cause, but the situation remains the same. He sees himself surrounded by zombies, back on the streets, vowing he won't end up like this, the screen darkens, leaving a huge cliffhanger.
[edit] Platforms
There are four places (and a secret dungeon system) in SCZ where the player needs to go to perform missions, or can go to just scavenge.
- The streets.
Ruled by the two factions over day, by the zombies overnight. Scavenging gets performed by entering abandoned houses, and picking up weapons of people who fell victim to either enemy fire (not yours) or zombies. A good hint is to get the dirt bike keys through the secret dungeons to find bikes here and there, that way you can cross the streets easier, and safer.
- The sewers.
Same goes as the streets, except there are a lot of zombies, both day and night. Having buildings to scavenge or to go up again. These exits/entrances can be seen on the map as the green flashing buildings.
- The "complex"
A humongous Lab-complex filled with normal and zombified scientist. One or two missions take place here. This is a great spot to scavenge for extraordinary and mysterious stuff. At the same time, Zombies lie at at concentration spots, leaving you no choice to either battle or flee when they spot you. The complex entrance/exit can be recognized on the map as the building thats flashing a blue.
- Zombified Hell.
This is an odd world. The first you can enter through a mission with a mysterious phone call. Upon scavenging, you will come across weird items that let you escape this dimension, re-enter (if on the streets), boost your fatigue and hunger on a very odd cost, and (a fan and anti-boss's favorite): the severe handing, attacking anything thats in its way.
- Dungeons
Sometimes if lucky, the player encounters a one time entrance to the secret dungeon. (If the player comes back later, this entrance will have disappeared.) In here, you have to fight through several rooms full of enemies, collecting a key that opens a locked door. To know when almost there, you'll encounter a ladder back up, in a room either filled with a random faction's soldiers, or zombies. Going further then gets your prize.
