Comments: 0 (Go to Comments)
Categories: Review
Tags: browser, mmo, pc, zombies
It’s the middle of the night and I’m in the graveyard. Not the smartest place to be, but (like the game says) it is much easier to rob graves in the dark. I’m not interested in what the dead left behind, though. I’m here hunting the undead. Dead Awaken is a free browser-based MMORPG set months after zombie apocalypse. In it, players select either a human or zombie character and … well … do a lot.
At its core, Dead Awaken is a roleplaying game. Players must manage character stats (strength, speed, accuracy, defense, and intelligence) and skills (counter, combo, search, pickpocket, and conceal). Players earn stat and skill points daily and experience is earned by defeating other players in combat. Of course, stats and skills are only half the equation–weaponry and armor make up the rest (right now I’m styling in Goalie Equipment and have Lawn Darts ready for zombie scum).
Combat is just one facet of Dead Awaken, though. Like other web MMOs, performing actions in DA costs stamina (which regenerates one point every fifteen minutes). You can quickly burn up stamina by fighting other players in the mall, or by performing missions for money in the Subway (where a Russian midget rewards you for committing minor atrocities against the other side), or other activities—which is where DA excels. In marketing terms, DA is sticky which means that you’ll stay on the site, long after you’ve used up your daily stamina.
Unlike the narrow scope of some MMOs, DA has a wealth of activities for players: you can bet on zombie races at the Winston Downs, rob graves, head to GlobeCom Stadium and enter a battle royale, play arcade games on the boardwalk, test your reflexes or gambling ability in the graveyard games, or make money in DA’s version of the stock market.
DA has a robust economy based on three “currencies.” Weapons, armor, and trips to the pharmacy cost money–good old-fashioned in-game dollars. Killing zombies (or humans) in the mall or graveyard earns heads. And donating irl dollars is one way to earn zombie/human hearts. Heads and hearts can be used to buy more searches in the graveyard, more training points, and other player boosts. Heads and hearts are also sold at the Swap-O-Rama for in-game dollars to other players (right now heads are worth $4300 and hearts are going for $44,900). With an economy hovering around $6 billion, DA could buy its way into the UN.
Of course, an MMO would be nothing without a dynamic player community. DA has active message boards and a Java-based chat room. Players have also grouped themselves into mobs and hordes, creating compelling rivalries and pooling resources to strengthen member characters–shout out to The Infected.
It’s possible that DA’s lack of structure may turn off some players, but having played the competition, where combat was a sluggish ordeal and every turn felt like a waste of action points, I’m glad I made the switch.