Drawing inspiration from the classic isometric Fallout RPGs, long before Bethesda’s take or Walton Goggins’ ghoul transformation in the TV series, Survive the Fall delivers a gripping post-apocalyptic adventure. My early hours with the game reveal a faithful nod to its roots, with a robust camp-building system anchoring its squad-based combat and scavenging mechanics. While the story’s static delivery slightly dims its charm, the experience feels refreshingly distinct.

Unlike typical post-apocalyptic tales of nuclear fallout, Survive the Fall’s world was shattered by a comet’s impact, wiping out much of humanity and leaving a toxic mist called Stasis in its wake. Survivors either steer clear of this otherworldly haze or embrace its mutating power, trading humanity for strength. Your squad of scavengers must forge alliances with factions across three distinct biomes, from the Stasis-addicted Shroomers to the enigmatic Sighted cult, to survive this unforgiving landscape.

The squad-based mechanics instantly won me over. Navigating a sprawling national park in the game’s opening, you control up to three survivors, either manually scavenging for resources like chemicals or lumber or delegating tasks to your team with a single button press. This streamlined approach feels intuitive, letting you focus on exploration rather than micromanaging, though crowded interactive elements occasionally clutter the screen with prompts—a rare but noticeable hiccup.

Combat leans heavily on teamwork and stealth. With ammunition scarce in the early game, I prioritized sneaking through enemy camps, using tall grass for cover, tossing stones to distract foes, and silently eliminating threats before hiding their bodies. Environmental traps, like explosive barrels or droppable cargo pallets, add satisfying tactical depth. It’s reminiscent of Commandos: Origins, with careful planning rewarded over brute force.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

Clearing out enemy groups felt rewarding, but when stealth failed, combat grew tricky. Using a controller, aiming with the laser sight felt clunky, often pushing me to rely on melee attacks and dodges to whittle down enemies. Pausing to issue squad commands, similar to Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero, proved invaluable, letting my team handle tougher foes while I tackled support units.

Back at camp, Survive the Fall shifts into a base-building sim. Researching recovered documents earns knowledge points to unlock tech tree upgrades, from bunk beds to water purifiers and armories. Resources like timber become planks for constructing plant boxes or defensive gates, while foraged herbs and hunted meat fuel your next expedition. The depth here suggests hours of potential settlement customization, turning a ramshackle camp into a thriving hub.

Exploration yields varied locales, from a crashed plane turned enemy stronghold to a Stasis-infested farmstead. While visually striking areas like the glowing Mycorrhiza swamplands impress, they occasionally suffer from unstable framerates and rare game-breaking bugs, like getting stuck in menus. With a month until release, Angry Bulls Studio has time to polish these issues.

Survive the Fall seemed to reward me with distinct locales in any direction I pointed my compass in.“

Dialogue, delivered solely through text, feels flat, missing the depth voice acting could bring. While quirky characters like Blooper, who dubs Stasis “fart wind,” spark some laughs, most interactions serve as quest prompts rather than memorable exchanges.

Set for a PC release this May, Survive the Fall brims with post-apocalyptic promise. If Angry Bulls Studio smooths out its control and performance rough edges, this squad-based survival RPG could be a standout, worthy of any wasteland wanderer’s attention.