After several years, Project Zomboid build 42 is finally playable, albeit in an early form. The long-anticipated update to one of Steam’s best-loved zombie games is a transformative overhaul packed with new features, from richer environments to animal husbandry, hunting, and a dramatic combat rework. Build 42 promises to be one of the most substantial upgrades to the survival game since its early access launch back in November 2013, and now it’s finally ready to test.
With more than 250,000 reviews to its name and 94% of those recommending it, Project Zomboid is a name that certainly carries weight among the best zombie games on PC. Developer The Indie Stone has been working on its latest update, build 42, for a long time now – we first reported on some of the new features back in 2022 – but it’s finally ready to test. This colossal patch promises plenty of fantastic additions, so if you’ve been itching to try it out, now is the time.
First and foremost, it’s important to note that this initial release is an unstable build, which The Indie Stone is using to “collect player feedback to find bugs and improve our game.” Saves and mods from build 41 are not compatible, multiplayer is disabled, and saves may break as the developer continues to work on the new version. “It’s ‘unstable’ for a reason and our unstable branches evolve a lot during the process,” it writes, “so please be understanding and constructive if you come across issues.”
The map has been expanded with three new locations to discover – Echo Creek, Irvington, and Brandenburg. On a smaller scale, buildings have been dramatically revamped, with randomly generated basements a common occurrence and high-rise buildings also a possibility. Both offer more opportunities to scavenge but also some very potent options for new survival tactics, especially if you’re someone who likes to retreat to high ground.
Combat has been dramatically reworked. Swinging melee weapons too often can now cause muscle strain – this effect decreases as you become more proficient but will prevent you from wading into the hordes early on in particular. Alternatively, you can turn to guns – these now feature actual aiming with crosshairs that narrow as you become adept with individual weapons. This makes the likes of pistols and rifles a lot more viable early on, although shotguns are still likely to be the go-to where possible.
Agriculture takes a step up with dozens of crop types to grow, and is accompanied by the introduction of animal husbandry, allowing you to farm cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. You’ll have to take seasons into account when choosing what to grow, along with ensuring you have suitable feed for your livestock. There are also deer, rats, and rabbits to be found out in the wild, and you can now track and hunt animals for another food source. Fishing has been completely redesigned to make it a more active pastime, removing the potential for AFK fish harvesting.
Another major introduction is crafting, which features all manner of options to help you make useful equipment. You’ll be able to see recipes and what you need to craft them immediately, but there’s the potential to learn more out in the world. The build menu has also been redesigned, and the UI overall should now scale better for players who are on either smaller devices or high-resolution screens.
There are plenty of new items and objects to uncover, from clothes and weapons to containers, storage devices, and world objects. You’ll find more environmental storytelling out in the world, along with additional flyers, newspapers, and TV/radio broadcasts to further the lore. Corpse dragging and window chucking allow you to get rid of inconvenient bodies – although it’s slow enough that you’ll likely still want to lure enemies away from your base before bringing them down to avoid the risks of corpse sickness.
Last but not least is a big upgrade to the game’s look and sound. The new lighting effects are absolutely beautiful, and also impact gameplay – some areas can now be plunged fully into darkness, mandating a light source if you want to explore them properly. Dynamic music helps heighten the tension, while a selection of player voices (with pitch modulation options) allows you to hear your character’s yelps and squeals.
Project Zomboid build 42 is out now on the game’s unstable branch. You can join by right-clicking the game in your Steam library, going to ‘properties’ and then ‘betas,’ and joining the ‘unstable’ branch from the drop-down menu. Expanded crafting, skills, professions, and hunting will all be introduced later, along with multiplayer functionality, and The Indie Stone also provides a list of other known issues.
Think you’ve got what it takes to stay alive in any situation? Prove it in the best survival games on PC. If you’d rather have friends by your side, the best co-op games in 2024 are perfect for that.
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