It would seem that changes are afoot in the world of Rust. In the latest update for Steam Early Access title Rust zombies were entirely removed and replaced with aggressive wildlife like bears and wolves.
Yep. We did it. We decided we couldn’t hold off any longer. The longer we keep zombies in the more complaints we’d get about removing them. We are forcing ourselves to deal with it. We are no longer a zombie survival game! They’ve been replaced with red bears and wolves. You hate them. We know. They’re just plugging a gap for now. All will be revvvealed.
It’s a bold move, but could it possibly be a genius one? The Zombie survival genre has been booming as of late with notable entries like DayZ, Project Zomboid, and Rust all debuting on Steam Early Access in recent months. Those are just the latest titles in a genre that feels more and more boxed in by the relatively one-dimensional antagonists that make up the core gameplay. Could it be that the developers of Rust want to separate themselves from the genre before it fades in popularity and make a more unique gaming experience? From the sound of it they’ve got something in the works that should be a fitting replacement for those pesky zombies. We’re not clever enough to figured out what they mean by “All will be revvvealed” other than to think of roaming packs of haunted motorcycles wreaking havoc upon the countryside. That’s probably not what Gary had in mind for Rust, so we’re stumped.
Check out the full update notes at http://playrust.com/6th-feb-update/. Our favorite note of the patch is located at the bottom. “There used to be about 200 wolves in one area of the map, we fixed it, though“.
What are your thoughts on the whole zombie survival genre? Is it dying? Is this a good move for Rust or are you withholding judgement to see their zombie replacement.