In 2013, Undead Labs released State of Decay as an Xbox Live Arcade title on Xbox 360. Months later, the game debuted on PC via Steam giving even more players a chance to manage their communities in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies. Players took charge of a group of survivors and played as multiple characters recruiting new ones. They established a base and scavenged for goods. Now, State of Decay 2 is on the way with a release in spring 2018.

The sequel to State of Decay will contain many of the same aspects as the first title alongside new improvements and features. Most notably, State of Decay 2 will be a drop-in and drop-out co-op title. At E3 2017, developers of the game answered many questions about the open-world survival title. In an interview with Shacknews, Undead Labs founder Jess Strain revealed that there are over 1,000 traits for survivors versus the few hundred present in the first game.

Veterans of the initial game know that these traits are important for how well characters perform in different survival situations. Traits can affect their primary survival skills both adversely and beneficially. With a larger pool, players are likely to see new and interesting combinations. In State of Decay 2, survivors with poor traits are easier to handle, too.

In the Xbox Daily: Live video, developers note that players can now ask survivors to leave. In the previous title, players had to seek creative ways to get rid of characters they no longer wanted around by letting them die. In State of Decay 2, players can simply ask the person to leave. Sometimes the survivor will leave without incident while it is possible that they might get violent.

Of course, there are still many similarities to the first title as they are cornerstones of State of Decay gameplay. Characters will still be able to permanently die. Players will still be able to find and rescue more survivors with random traits, and characters skills still improve with use. Vehicles can still permanently be destroyed in State of Decay 2, but players will need to manage their fuel this time around. Vehicles can be upgraded with more gas tanks or protective shields around windows, though.

It is these similarities to the original State of Decay that has fans excited. The idea of experiencing the new features, such as online co-op, while still enjoying the same tested formula from the last entry should satisfy anyone seeking another adventure in Trumbull County.

In the sequel, players will be able to manage their community alongside another player. State of Decay 2 lets players each control different survivors from a community, giving the franchise more options in gameplay, according to the official game website. The sequel will let one player hold a zombie while the other attempts to kill it, for instance. Players can easily invite their friends to help their community or send up a flare to call for help from a player that has opted to be a volunteer.

As the Inquisitr reported, State of Decay 2 was announced at E3 2016, and its release window was confirmed at E3 2017. Expect State of Decay 2 on Xbox One and PC in the spring of 2018 as a Play Anywhere title.

[Featured Image by Undead Labs]