Summary
7 Days to Dieis a zombie survival-crafting game with base-building mechanics, developed by the indie studio The Fun Pimps. After over a decade of being in early access,7 Days to Diefinally reached its full releasein late June 2024.
Despite being an indie game,7 Days to Dieoffers something that any zombie game, AAA and indie alike, would be wise to learn from, which is its destructible environments. Mixed in with7 Days to Die’s base-building mechanics, the game’s destructible environments are one of its biggest strengths that lead to countless hours of PvE and PvP sandbox fun. Consequently, more zombie games should experiment with their own take on destructible environments, regardless of whether or not they come paired with complimentary base-building mechanics.
7 Days to Die’s Destructible Environments are Right at Home in a Zombie Apocalypse
Destroying Player Bases is a Highlight for PvP in 7 Days to Die
Once players reach theloot stage in7 Days to Dieto get easy access to rocket launchers and throwable explosive weapons, this opens up a lot of new avenues for combat in both PvE and PvP. Breaking into a player’s fortified bunker with a rocket launcher and raiding their loot is something that every player should arguably experience at least once, if possible. Even if it’s staged in creative mode, pulling off a heist like this is quite a memorable moment.
It’s often anunwritten rule in7 Days to Diein PvP servers for players to avoid destroying other player-made structures. However, if everyone’s in agreement about this rule, then it can lead to some memorable moments.
Destroying Environments is Extremely Useful for PvE in 7 Days to Die
Outside of how destructible environments are a guilty pleasure for PvP enthusiasts, this feature also has its uses in PvE. In POIs, breaking down the environment and paving a new path can be a satisfying way to overcome some of the most overwhelming hordes of zombies lying in wait for players to spring invisible traps. This is because of thestealth combat triggers in7 Days to Die, where no matter if the player is effectively sneaking or not, there are certain parts of POIs where zombies are scripted to become alert to the player. However, by breaking off of the beaten path, players can sometimes avoid these combat triggers to pick off enemies one by one utilizing stealth.
Not only can players fully demolish every structure and landscape in7 Days to Dieapart from bedrock, but zombies can do it too. Consequently, building a well-fortified structure will only get players so far, unless players are mindful to make regular repairs to their defenses. This is especially the case on thenight of the Blood Moon horde in7 Days to Die, where zombies won’t hesitate to destroy an entire base just to establish a path to the nearest player.
Ultimately, destructible environments are a big contributor to making games set in a zombie apocalypse feel much more immersive and dynamic. So, in hindsight,7 Days to Dieis arguably all the proof future zombie games should need to bite the bullet and embrace the fun of destructible environments.
