One thing is clear: many of us video game players enjoy suffering. We could simply grow flowers, or walk in a safe and spectacular environment, but we prefer to slaughter sinister mutants and try to survive in an irradiated post-apocalyptic universe. Welcome, therefore, to Zero sievert.
Intriguing mix of top-down action gameplay,extraction shooter evoking Escape From Tarkov and post-apocalyptic title in an Eastern Europe devastated by a nuclear disaster at the STALKER, Zero sievertdeveloped by CABO Studio and published by Modern Wolf, seems unimpressive at first glance.
Indeed, we don’t really suspect, in front of these square visuals, in front of this aesthetic that we can practically describe as retro – if indeed retro games have already voluntarily been presented in this frankly aspect utilityin a sense – that the title will stubbornly refuse to take our hand.
For our first mission, we will have to go to a dangerous forest, with the objective of killing a certain number of wolves. After having selected our equipment, without really knowing what is most advantageous for our character, we are almost immediately confronted with our first monsters. No wolves, but rather sharp-toothed mutants and ruthless bandits.
In this universe, you certainly shouldn’t expect to survive very long; the structure roguelike of the title is quickly brought to light, and there is no doubt that it will be necessary to reapply 100 times before mastering the game codes sufficiently and hoping to progress further.
There is no need to say, Zero sievert can be frustrating. Very frustrating, even, as you go around in circles, little by little eaten away by radiation, without being able to find the exit from the level, nor knowing if it is important to collect everything, as any good game player knows how to do. role-playing or survival game, or if you have to magically guess what is the most useful… before dying stupidly, slowed down by four pieces of armor and three bulky firearms.
For fans of the genre, however, this title is one of those that you master slowly, very slowly, by devoting hours to it. We will quickly learn to appreciate this survivalist aspect, with a tension always very present. Brief, Zero sievert is certainly not for everyone, but for those who are not put off by a challenge that meets their expectations, and who like to suffer, it is the ideal game. After all, aren’t we in the middle of global chaos?
Zero sievert
Developer: CABO Studio
Editor: Modern wolf
Platform: Windows (tested on Steam)
Game not available in French
