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MCAlliance Reviews: Exodus S1 Zombie Apocalypse

The Walking Dead:

Reviewed by DaltronForce

 

Not many people would expect a lot from a Zombie Apocalypse based adventure map. Especially after the legacy left behind by Hypixel’s Zombie Apocalypse Adventure map. But Exodus season 1 will most definitely prove everyone wrong.

 

Exodus, created by R3D_K1D is an adventure map centred on your character taking part in a reality TV show to survive in a zombie apocalyptic world. The story plot was intricate and complex, making references to real world issues. Your character slowly uncovers the history of the abandoned city as you discover written texts left by survivors throughout the city. Like the Hunger Games franchise, it dealt with the topic of politics as well as testing human morality, successfully implementing issues as old as the bible itself.

 

Gameplay was especially a major strength in Exodus. Right from the beginning it gave you nowhere to hide and waves of zombies would come pouring down on you. Every situation also seemed to give you a game changing choice, whether to escape or to fight on. This choice making factor was a key asset throughout the map, like entering certain areas or deciding to press a button or not. Making a decision in these situations was never easy. I especially liked this factor since not many adventure maps are able to do this well, and Exodus truly made me feel the consequence of my actions.

 

Another thing I loved about Exodus was that I always had a sense of ownership. This was because I had to scavenge for materials to craft my own tools. This also added to the realism of a survivor in a zombie filled world. The fact that you were put in a zombie apocalypse for entertainment cleverly displayed mankind’s dark side, and I felt as though I was actually on TV.

 

However, the things you find in chests are unrealistic, ranging from overloads of XP bottles to Diamond tools and armor. Opening a chest didn’t feel like a gamble and I always felt that there would be a jackpot. Slowly, I depended less on crafting, knowing that the next chest would get me loaded.

 

Combat was completely about strategy. There were various strategies when it came to encountering mobs varying from spawning villagers to ward them off or maneuvering across ledges. Having to strategize my approach to every situation made gameplay not just a fighting session, but a test to see how fast I could think. However, combat became a bit boring after a while because there was no variety and it seemed as though it was the same kind of mob coming after me over and over again.

 

Another issue I had with the combat was the boss fights. Boss fights are supposed to pose a challenge, that’s why they have the word “Boss” in it. But the boss fights in Exodus were just so disappointing. And the only real challenge in the boss fights were the minions. Sometimes I didn’t even know I was fighting the boss. Even though there were boss fights which were intense, you couldn’t help but rage quit the game after your screen is spammed with red. And that’s a true disappointment.

 

Presentation:

 

It’s rare to find an adventure map with a combination of many genres like parkour, puzzles, mazes and combat, but it’s even rarer to find one that combined them perfectly. Unfortunately, Exodus only falls under the rare category. I loved the different varieties of puzzles and the new feature of slime block parkour. It all totaled out to be a new and fun experience which I enjoyed a lot. However, it didn’t exactly link to the main plot of a zombie apocalypse and the combination wasn’t a perfect fuse.  This resulted in the Exodus having an inconsistent pace. And even though the various puzzles were fun, it was hard not to get frustrated after a while.

 

Presentation wise, the setting was phenomenal, having all the elements of realism, with nature reclaiming the city, plants and vines strewn everywhere and flickering lights. Every building looked completely different from the last and they looked as though they were filled with decay and the atmosphere in every room made me feel as though something was creeping up on me. It all felt so dark and gloomy, typical of any zombie apocalypse. This is definitely not an adventure map you want to play in the dark.

 

The better part is that free roam and exploration is a massive part of the gameplay. But I didn’t really explore as much as I thought I would because firstly, zombies were everywhere and secondly, rooms didn’t seem special. With hordes of zombies chasing me everywhere, I also couldn’t find opportunities to look around. Luckily this was a minor issue and I still extremely enjoyed the game.

 

The ending for Exodus was especially satisfying, getting the reward promised from the beginning of the game. Not only that, you get to tour the set of what was behind the Exodus, witnessing the magic once again, and that was one of the things I liked best in this map.

 

The Verdict:

 

Nothing can be compared to the awesomeness of Hypixel’s Zombie Apocalypse. But to me, Exodus comes close to the fun I had in Zombie Apocalypse and maybe even better than that. With its intense gameplay, vast dystopian landscapes and astounding puzzles, the two hours I spent playing this map might have been one of the most fun experiences I’ve had so far. And who knows, if season 2 comes out, I’ll definitely tune in to watch it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

+Amazing landscape design

+Element of strategy

+Intense and exhilarating gameplay

+Nice Story Plot

+Challenging puzzles

-Lame boss fights

- Frustrating at times

 

Do you agree with our verdict? What adventure map do you want us to review next? Be sure to post your suggestions in the comments below. For more on adventure maps and news, destroy that subscribe button and join the MCAlliance.

 

Amazing

9

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