Ice Station Z

Still just as effective, even after all these years. It’s exactly the same game as it was on the 3DS, no major changes, and honestly, that’s part of its charm. The unique atmosphere, the simple retro visuals, and the survival exploration gameplay loop are all still intact.The gameplay is minimalistic but addictive, looting, resource management, dealing with the weather, zombies, exploring a lonely open world... The multiplayer was always a core part of the experience too, with random encounters that could completely change the direction of a session. It’s a real shame it didn’t get any real promotion on PC. The servers are often empty, and it’s rare to run into other players online. That unpredictable multiplayer magic from the 3DS days just isn’t the same without an active player base. Still, it’s always a joy to come back to it. Even solo, the game has a vibe you just don’t find anywhere else. For those of us who played it back in the day, it’s a little frozen gem, and no matter what, I’ll keep playing it.

So... as like many others who have downloaded the steam release of this game, I was the type of kid who downloaded literally EVERY demo that was available to me on the Nintendo eShop. I one day discovered this cool looking zombie survival game and it quickly became my favourite game to play. So much so that I never finished the last "use" of it because I didn't want the experience to end. Eventually I bought the full game on the eShop and had a great time playing it until by 2DS imploded. Flash forward to about 8 years later, I'm now at university and my girlfriend, who studies games, says she's pitching an arctic expedition game called "Station Z". A neuron fires in the back of my head and I remember this similar game called "Ice Station Z" from years ago. I do some research, and find that the game miraculously got ported to Steam! So it was really a no-brainer buying this game again and reliving all the fun memories I had as a kid. It was really fun and nostalgic to come back to this game. It works especially well with controller, and they took the time to not only improve the graphics of the game to make it a bit more mature and poignant, but they also add in a few cool extra features to reward the older fans like myself. That being said, I do wish there was more. This game suffers almost the same problem as "Rake" when that was popular around the same time - it's lore is fantastic, the graphics are a great blend of fun and horrifying, and the sound design keeps you on your toes constantly. The only problem with the Rake was: once you'd beaten it once, there really wasn't all that much to come back to. Ice Station Z is the same in this way, except there isn't even a main monster for you to kill, or even a true central "objective". That's not to say that it's not fun or that it's not worth revisiting, it's just it can feel a bit repetitive. I can see myself going absolutely nuts if I try to attempt the "kill 500 zombies achievement". I think this game deserves an update. Something that expands the lore a bit whilst also giving new areas, easier access to vehicles, and a clear central objective. I know this may be asking a lot, but honestly it would be so much wasted potential if this game didn't receive an update. All that said, I will still be playing this game from time to time cause it carries such a nostalgic weight, but an update would really blast this game into the divine stratosphere.