The Dead Linger is a first-person shooter sandbox zombie survival game in development by Sandswept Studios for Microsoft Windows and possibly later Mac OS X and Linux. After accepting pre-orders, the first version of the Alpha launched on Halloween 2012. It can currently be purchased and downloaded only on http://www.thedeadlinger.com/.
Gameplay
The Dead Linger differentiates itself from other zombie games by featuring a randomly generated world spanning roughly 25,000 kilometers (some 15,500 miles), which includes areas like forests, mountains, caves, grasslands, and cities, towns, islands. In addition, it includes detailed player interaction with the world, free form barricading, modifying and creating traps and custom weapons. It will also feature various sources of power (electricity). Not taking cues from any particular location, the game is said to take place in "Everywhere, USA". The map is in a "Pangea" style, lacking continents, and wraps around so that there is no edge to arrive at. Players fight various enemies, including crazed survivors, the military, zombies, and infected animals. Players can travel the world using various vehicles such as planes, trains, and automobiles. Additionally, the game supports a number of levels of difficulty in order to cater to different play-styles.
Both a single and multiplayer mode are available; players can explore the world alone or set up their own servers and play with others.
System Requirements
These are the minimum PC requirements for Alpha release. They are subject to change as the game develops.
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6000 series or equivalent AMD AthlonX2 processor
- RAM: 6GB RAM
- GPU: GeForce 8000 series or higher, ATI Radeon HD2000 series or higher. (512 MB)
- OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 [Mac and Linux version not available in Alpha]
Funding
Main article: Kickstarter funding drive
To complete and publish the game independently, Sandswept Studios needed money from outside sources. After six months of initial development, Sandswept Studios started a project on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, which ran from March 30 to April 29 2012. While the initial goal was $60,000, this number was reached on April 8 and total funding eventually reached $154,968. The extra money allowed Sandswept to expand the scope of the game and polish already planned features.
People who pledged money on Kickstarter were able to collect several rewards, such as inclusion in the credits, obtaining the Kickstarter backpack, or having game content named after them or made in their likeness.
Development
Currently the game uses the Unity-Engine, and can only be launched trough Steam.
The game employed the Ogre 3D engine for rendering and simulation. Build 003 added the ability to save the game and respawning of zombies, as well as a more intricate sound system, allowing for greater variety in background noises. The same build added one-time online activation DRM, only for it to be removed in build 004 after a discussion on the Sandswept forums. From humble beginnings, world generation has become gradually more complex, varied, and accurate.
Reception
The Dead Linger attracted attention during its Kickstarter funding drive. Geoff "Zag" Keene held interviews with websites The Survivors and NeoGamr. NeoGamr called the game an "awesome title" and explained its concept as "Fallout 3 meets The Walking Dead, but more random".
See also
Twitter: @thedeadlinger