Infection Free Zone (XSX) Early Access Review

Developed by Jutsu Games, Infection Free Zone puts you in charge of building a new settlement from the remains of the old world. It’s not going to be easy, either. You’ll need to find somewhere suitable to establish your base, gather resources, bring survivors together and slowly turn a ruined area into somewhere capable of supporting human life. Meanwhile, the infected are waiting for their opportunity to ruin everything you’ve worked for.

I’ve played more than my fair share of zombie games over the years, so it takes something a little different to make me sit up and pay attention. Infection Free Zone managed that pretty quickly, mainly because it takes something I wouldn’t usually associate with a zombie strategy game and makes it one of its biggest selling points.

The game lets you choose a real location from around the world and attempt to survive the apocalypse there. That might not sound particularly revolutionary on paper, but once you start looking around the map and seeing familiar roads and buildings, it gives the whole game a strangely personal feeling. Instead of surviving in some fictional town that disappears from your mind once you switch the game off, you’re essentially asking yourself how you’d cope if the dead started walking around your own town.

When Night Falls

During the day, much of the enjoyment comes from managing your settlement and deciding what needs doing next. Buildings can be adapted for different purposes, while farms, power facilities, defenses and other structures help your little community become increasingly self sufficient.

There is a satisfying feeling when you start with very little and gradually watch the settlement develop. Furthermore, because you’re using real world locations, choosing where to establish yourself becomes more interesting than simply selecting a spot on a generic map.

Scavenging is another important part of the experience. Survivors can venture into abandoned buildings looking for useful supplies, but there’s always the possibility that something nasty lurking within. This creates some genuinely tense moments, particularly when you’re struggling to keep your settlement supplied.

Then night arrives.

This is when Infection Free Zone really starts to bare its teeth. Large groups of infected can descent upon your settlement, forcing you to rely on weapons, vehicles, walls, lighting and whatever other defenses you’ve managed to put together. Watching your carefully constructed little community suddenly come under attack can be chaotic, but that’s also where much of the fun comes from.

A Zombie Game With An Abundance of Potential

There is more going on than simply fighting zombies, too. Other survivor groups can appear, with some willing to trade and form friendships, while others are far less interested in drinking coco by the campfire. These encounters help prevent the world from feeling completely empty, although there are moments where the wider systems could offer a little more depth.

That is likely where some of the current limitations become noticeable. Infection Free Zone is still an Early Access game, and while there is already plenty here to enjoy, certain mechanics can feel underdeveloped or lacking the polish you’d expect from a finished release. The pacing can also occasionally feel uneven, particularly when you’re waiting for something to occur.

However, the foundation is stable and solid.

Worth Surviving?

Infection Free Zone isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t need to be at this stage. What matters is that the core experience is enjoyable, the concept works and there’s plenty of room for the developers to build upon what is already here.

There are some rough edges and moments where the experience could use more more depth, but the combination of settlement management, scavenging and nighttime zombie attacks works remarkably well.

Most importantly, I kept finding myself thinking about where I’d establish my next zone and what I could do differently. For a game about the end of the world, that’s a pretty good sign.