The world has ended. You are deep underground, and all alone with a cheery AI companion. You will have to mine and build to survive, and search for other survivors to help you. Will you be able to reach the surface? And what will you find when you get there?
RPG Gamers summaryTitle: Aground Zero - A New Take on Post-Apocalyptic Survival
Emerging from the veil of the apocalypse is Aground Zero, an advanced spinoff of the well-received title Aground. Developed with a promise of new perspectives and gameplay elements, Aground Zero leaps from its 2D predecessor into a multidimensional 3D world of survival and rebuilding.
As an innovative twist, players awaken from a forced slumber to discover the world has ended. Guided by PAI, your Personal AI, players will find some solace in their seemingly insurmountable predicament.
Utilizing your protosuit, mining ores to secure resources and constructing an underground base become the crux of survival. Yet, isolation is not part of the game plan. PAI aids players to locate other survivors which they can theatrically wake up and include in their newly founded shelter.
Aground Zero requires more than basic survival; thriving is the key to victory. Players will face the challenge of expanding and automating their home base, requiring a blend of strategic planning and resource management. Engagement with familiar characters is another integral part of the experience, adding a profound depth to the in-game character and relational storytelling.
An intriguing deviation from regular earthly occupancy, Aground Zero presents the player with unknown entities lurking beneath the surface. While the encounters are fraught with danger, overcoming these adversities will lead the player closer to their ultimate goal: reaching the surface.
Exceptional in its conception, Aground Zero barrages its players with a blend of survival elements, multi-player capabilities, and sophisticated AI interaction. In contrast to most apocalyptic simulators, the narrative is infused with optimism, placing the remnants of humanity in the ‘capable hands’ of an AI and tasking the player with humanity’s survival.
Despite the game’s intended complexities, the developers stress that knowledge of the original Aground is not necessary to dive into this fresh experience. Aground Zero caters to a cooperative playstyle, supporting up to four players who can join the endeavors of underground settlement using a controller, although keyboard and mouse access is limited to one player in local co-op scenarios.
Aground Zero is shaping up to stand out in post-apocalyptic gaming, with its blend of survival, strategic building, and exploration elements set within a fascinating, grounded narrative.
