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State of Decay 2 – A Gun Guy Goes Gaming

Friday, April 29th, 2022

If it weren’t for Xbox Gamepass, I’d never have heard of a little game called State of Decay 2. I never heard of the first, and the second looked to be an enjoyable open-world game. Plus, it’s free on Gamepass, so I hopped on it. Never did I expect a game to offer such a unique experience. Not just the game itself, but the guns. As a gun nerd, I geeked out on State of Decay 2. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

The game features tons of guns and some very interesting gunplay. State of Decay 2 takes the player and tasks them with building a community of survivors. Throughout the game, the player has to kill zombies, make allies, and find and scavenge supplies, vehicles, and guns. It’s deep, can be extremely difficult, and is the Walking Dead game we’ve always wanted. It’s a free-roaming game with a vast open-world and several selectable maps. 

Pick a map, roll the nice to get characters, and jump on into a very addictive game. 

State of Decay 2 – The Gameplay 

State of Decay 2 is an open world, community building, third-person game. You can swap between a multitude of characters as you play. Each character comes with a variety of skills that affect combat, navigation, crafting, and more. It’s a very deep game with a lot of minutiae and a cult of players who are far more educated than I about the game. I’ve spent tens of hours playing it, and I still can’t explain the whole thing. 

You start with a small community and steadily build it. You move from sanctuary to sanctuary and build your community with a variety of different upgrades. We can have infirmaries, mechanic shops, armories, and more. Each member of your community is a playable character, and each member can bring different skills to your community. You’ll need to constantly scavenge supplies like fuel, food, ammo, and more. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

All of your survivors are playable characters with different skills

You’ll have to balance the strengths of your characters as well as their fatigue and health. When a character is wounded, tired, or bit, you’ll need to take them back to the community to rest and switch out. You can move between different paths through the game that offers you different missions, challenges, and outcomes. 

Throughout the entire game, you’ll need to balance your scavenging with combat. Combat involves either guns or melee weapons. You have broad availability of both. Today we are going to talk all about the guns of State of Decay 2. 

The Gunplay 

How many guns are there? I don’t know…all of them might be the best answer. There are dozens of guns, and I mean dozens of them. You can use the ultra-modern Maxim 9mm integrally suppressed handgun to the old-school cool Remington 1875. Maybe you are a scattergun guy like me, and you want an AA-12 or a Winchester 1897 Trench gun. Well, you can use either. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Mare’s Leg? Sure, we got em!

Guns have been added throughout the lifespan of the game. We even get guns that aren’t ‘mainstream’ outside of the world of guns, like the CMMG Banshee, the KelTec Sub 2000, and the Colt Monitor. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Weapon drops bring us everything, including WW2 guns.

There are tons of guns that fall into various classes. You seemingly get everything outside of crew-served guns. I can’t help but think someone at the State of Decay 2 studio is a gun nerd. Not just because of the gun selection but due to the depth. 

Select fire weapons can swap between full auto, burst, or semi, depending on the gun. Guns will eventually wear out, and when they wear out, they begin malfunctioning and eventually just break completely. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Don’t forget the shotguns (Courtesy of IMFDB)

Characters build skills with their firearms by using them. The more shoot, the better you’ll be at it. Some characters have unique traits that they come packaged with to make them better shots, and as your skill grows with guns, you can pick between different advantages. Some skills paths and advantages affect reloading, recoil control, and accuracy. 

Noise and Size Matter

Throughout the game, noise is always a concern. If you’re loud, you’ll attract the attention of zombies, which will converge on your location. Breaking windows, kicking open doors, vehicles, and obviously, guns will affect your noise level. Different guns have different levels of quietness. 

They get this mostly on point. A .22LR rifle is a fair bit quieter than a full-powered anti-material rifle. When noise becomes a big issue, you can toss on a suppressor. Suppressors come in different tiers, with the lowest being a fuel filter and the best being an Osprey 9. Suppressors can be attached and removed, but not all guns can use suppressors. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

The Honey Badger Helps keep things quiet (Courtesy IMFDB)

Realistically most revolvers can’t be suppressed, but realistically you can get a silenced Nagant revolver. Little touches like that make a difference that makes State of Decay 2 stand out. 

Throughout the game, you’ll need to manage your inventory. You only have so much room and weight to balance. In some situations taking a suppressed 22LR rifle makes more sense than taking a AR 15. The 22LR rifle is lighter and quieter, and so is the ammo you have to carry for it. Rifle ammo weighs more, so keep that in mind. 

The Little Details 

A few of the little things worth noting is that when you reload a partially empty magazine, the gun keeps a +1 in the tube. That’s a neat little feature I didn’t notice for the longest time. Also, most of the time, full auto is useless. Headshots matter and zombies can’t be suppressed. Firing full auto can be tough to control and inaccurate. 

The only time full auto is handy in State of Decay 2 is when facing off against human threats and juggernauts. Juggernauts don’t go down with a single headshot, so spraying them can be a viable strategy. Guns can be upgraded with mods. 

weapons of State of Decay 2

Full auto is for Juggernauts only

Mods, of course, are suppressors, as well as chokes for shotguns, flash suppressors, and compensators. They alter how the gun handles, and other guns can be found with upgrades, like optics that can’t be removed but increase your zoom range. 

A weapon can be fixed at workshops via spare parts, and ammo can be reloaded and crafted as well. Speaking of ammo, the ammo comes in different calibers and types. However, it’s not super accurate. Some ammo types are grouped together, like different types of rifle ammo are all grouped together. 5.45 guns just shoot 5.56, and the M1918 BAR uses the same 7.62 ammo the AK uses. 

Goofs 

Like any video game, you can expect to see plenty of goofs in State of Decay 2 or just silly things regarding guns in the game. Like damage differences between identical 12 gauge shotguns. The two that stand out most in my mind deal with reload animations and suppressors. 

First, the reload animations for all of the rifles and SMGs are the same regardless of their design. They all insert the mag the same way, and all use a right-side charging handle. M4sMP5s, SCARs, and G36s are reloaded the same way. 

Second, whenever video games have suppressors, they gotta do some weird stuff with them. In State of Decay 2, the suppressor wears the gun down a little faster. The lowest tier suppressors reduce wear the fastest, and the highest tear reduces wear the least.

 

Brains…..Brains….

State of Decay 2 is an awesome romp. It can effectively be played forever, and it only ends when you really want it to. State of Decay 2 does guns fairly well, and the massive variety makes it fun to hunt the guns down as you play. Sure, it’s not perfectly realistic, but guns are a considerable part of the experience and more than just an ornament in the game. 

World War Z – Trailer 2

Monday, March 25th, 2013

Hollywood strikes again!

ONE Custom ‘NZCS Tactical Corset’

Thursday, February 7th, 2013

download

Because it’s been a slow season, the folks of Niall’s Zombie Control Service have offered to make ‘one’ (see, the all-caps emphasis in the title was totally necessary) custom ‘NZCS Tactical Corset’ for ‘one’ lucky female individual, a piece of kit usually reserved for one of their team members. There are four stipulations to getting the corset, however:

1. You must be custom fitted, this must take place in the Portland Metro Area (Oregon).
2. You will not get the patches that they have on our uniforms.
3. The cost will be $225.
4. It will take up to 2 weeks after the fitting before it is ready.

Interested parties may contact NZCS via private message on their Facebook page.

http://www.zombieservice.com/

Remington Versa Max Shotguns With Zombie Coating

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013

VersaMax Zombie Shotguns

Remington has expanded their line of Versa Max semi-auto shotguns to include two “zombie” coatings: Gargoyle Green and Pink Explosion. Versa Max shotguns feature an 8+1 capacity with the use of 2 3/4″ shells, the ProBore choke system that includes both IC and tactical extended choke tubes, oversized bolt release, oversized bolt release button, and oversized trigger guard, receiver mounted picatinny rail, HiViz front sight, and picatinny barrel clamp for accessories mounting.

Remington – Versa Max

CenterPoint Zombie Sniper Riflescopes

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

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CenterPoint has released two zombie-themed scopes in their product line: 3-9x40mm and 4x32mm. The 3-9×40 mm features a red/green illuminated mil-dot reticule, while the 4x32mm features a duplex reticule. Both scopes feature finger adjustable windage and elevation dials, splatter-proof lens covers, picatinny mounts, and cleaning cloths.

http://centerpoint.crosman.com/

Christensen Arms Zombie AR Package – SHOT 2013

Friday, January 18th, 2013

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The Christensen Arms Zombie AR Package uses a Christensen Arms CA10 or CA15 as the base firearm and includes a ZEISS Conquest Duralyt 1.2-5×36 #60 illuminated scope. The rifle and scope are both dipped in green zombie camouflage. According to the company, the package is supposed to be available this month.

Zombie Stop – SHOT Show 2013

Thursday, January 17th, 2013

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Zombie Stop is a series of pepper spray products by Montana-based company Counter Assault. All four products spray a green-colored stream or fog distances varying between 6 to 12 feet. The spray is a non-flammable, oil-based, law enforcement-grade formula (Oleoresin Capsicum – 2 million SHU) with a 5 year shelf life.

KA-BAR Zombie Knives – SHOT 2013

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

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KA-BAR has expanded their line of Zombie knives to include the “Zomstro” and “Swabbie” style blades. Both blades are constructed from SK5 1095 Cro-Van steel and come with nylon sheaths with a front stuff sack. The handles comes standard green, although a replacement set in black comes with the knives. Made in the USA.

DuraCoat Zombie Coat – SHOT 2013

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

Zombie Coat is a new line of DuraCoat protective firearm finishes, but with a host of zombie and undead-themed names. Zombie Coat comes in the following colors: Graveyard Black, Tombstone Gray, Blood Red, Biohazard Yellow, Zombie Green, and, my favorite, Rotting Flesh.

http://www.houtsenterprises.net/dur_zombie_colors.html

EOTech New Sights – SHOT 2013

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

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EOTech’s newest showings in their line of sights at this year’s SHOT can be seen above. The first is a sight calibrated specifically for use with .300 BLK and .300 whisper. It features a two dot reticle that is set for two different ranges depending on whether subsonic or supersonic ammunition is used. Not shown is the diagram on the roof of the sight detailing this information.

The other sight is the Zombie II. Practically identical to the original EOTech zombie sight, it features the same biohazard reticle, with the largest change being the inclusion of ‘Reaper Z’ camouflage. Other features include 20 brightness settings, a 600 hour run time on a single 123 battery, and attachment to a 1″ weaver rail or 1913 picatinny rail.

Walking Dead Multi-Gun 2012 Promo

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

The Walking Dead Christmas Special

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012

What’s better for a post-Christmas post than a post about zombies and Christmas? Funny though, I don’t think this was actually on AMC last night…

The Stopped Dead – A ‘The Walking Dead’ Infographic

Sunday, December 9th, 2012

Richard Johnson and Andrew Barr of ‘The National Post’ created this infographic that details all the on-screen carnage against zombies in the AMC series ‘The Walking Dead’, split up between seasons, characters, and tools of use. Click to enlarge.

The National Post – Stopping The Dead

TACWRK Zombie Apocalypse 2012 Survival Kit

Friday, November 30th, 2012

German company TACWRK has put together a zombie survival kit for the year 2012. Included with the kit: Stanley Fatmax crowbar, SOG Voodoo tomahawk, replica Panzerfaust, baseball bat, Mission Archery MXB-360 crossbow, Oakley M-Frame 3.0, replica hand grenade, replica H&K G36, ‘The Zombie Survival Guide’ by Max Brooks, Hanwag Alaska GTX boots, Fenix ​​TK70 flashlight, Böker machete, Stihl MS880 chainsaw, compass, ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’ replica survival knife, replica Walther SG68 RAM shotgun, United Cutlery Expendables Kunai 3 piece thrower set, Tasmanian Tactical TT Vest Base, ‘Zombie Hunter’ patch, and ‘Zombie Hunting Club Berlin eV’ patch. The Price? € 8,999.00, plus shipping.

TACWRK – Zombie Apokalypse 2012 Survival Kit

Here’s A Bit Of Footage from The Upcoming ‘World War Z’ Movie

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

Hooray! Hollywood is completely missing the point of the book being an account of a world recovering from a massive zombie war as told from the perspective of multiple people. Instead, they’ve turned it into a generic modern zombie flick with a god-like-solve-all-problems solo protagonist in Brad Pitt! I’m totally sure it’s a way better story.

The Walking Dead – The Musical

Saturday, October 20th, 2012

I was totally expecting the zombies to eat the dude anyway after their little song and dance number. Missed opportunity if you ask me.

Costa + Zombies = Profit!

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Operation Z is an upcoming 12-part DVD series billed as the “ULTIMATE guide to surviving a zombie apocalypse.” The first two parts will consist of ‘Introduction to Handguns’ and ‘Introduction to Rifles, Carbines, and Shotguns’, with release dates to be announced soon.

Black Ops 2 – Zombies Reveal Trailer

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012

The reveal trailer for zombies mode in the upcoming CoD: Black Ops 2 just came out today. Personally, I would have waited to release this until Halloween rolled around, but then again I’m also not a member of the marketing team for a billion dollar game franchise.

M48 Apocalypse Series Tactical Tomahawk

Saturday, September 22nd, 2012

While it has a bright green ‘zombie’ handle, the M48 Apocalypse Series Tomahawk does have some good features going for it. The 8″ head, constructed from 2Cr13 stainless steel, has two sharpened blades, the axe and spike. The 30% nylon reinforced handle secures the head with three separate bolts and is wrapped in black paracord. The M48 also comes with a nylon belt sheath with belt loop and snap closure buttons. It’s a United Cutlery piece, and they do offer a ‘non-zombified’ all-black version as well, if the Apocalypse model isn’t your thing.

Available on Amazon.com.

Crosman – Undead Apocalypse Airsoft Defense

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Crosman has their own line of undead-themed airsoft rifles, pistols, and shotguns.

Z71 Zombie Eraser

– Weight: 2lbs, 3oz
– Velocity: Up to 200 FPS
– Electric mechanism w/ rechargeable battery
– Metal barrel
– Weaver optics rail



ZT32 Zombie Terminator

– Weight: Roughly 1lb, 13oz
– Velocity: Up to 350 FPS
– Pump action mechanism
– Metal barrel
– Weaver optics rail

TACZ11

– Weight: Roughly 1lb, 6oz
– Velocity: Up to 400 FPS
– CO2 powered semi-auto repeater
– Metal barrel
– Weaver optics rail

You can see more of the undead-themed airsoft models and accessories at crosman.com/airsoft/undead.

Season 3 Comic-Con Trailer: The Walking Dead

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

The Walking Dead Escape

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

The Walking Dead Escape at Petco Park in San Diego, CA gives those who participate a chance to experience the thrill of a zombie apocalypse turned obstacle course as either a survivor, walker, or a spectator, watching the carnage unfold safely from the sidelines. The course is specifically designed for people with a wide range of abilities, including obstacles such as rope bridges and cargo nets, but includes an easy path if the challenges prove a bit too difficult; this path does increase of becoming walker chow, however. The event is pay-for-play ($80 a head) and runs from July 12-14. You can find out more details on the official website.

Thanks to Dev for the tip!

THE ULTIMATE AR-15 MALL NINJA TACTICAL ZOMBIE DESTROYER!

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

1 M&P-15, 1 muzzle break, 3 lasers, 4 flashlights, 3 red dot sights, 9 30-round magazines, 1 forward grip bipod, 2 additional laser/flashlights, and 2 additional horizontally mounted magazines = one 100% badass mall ninja zombie killin’ rifle!

The Zombie

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Yet another video of an individual dressing like one of the undead and terrorizing random people. Although this one seems at least partially scripted, you have to wonder when one of these zombie pranks will end in tragedy.

Vannen Walkers 2.0 Watch

Saturday, June 9th, 2012

Vannen has released the ‘Walkers 2.0’ watch, which features imagery from Robert Kirkman’s highly successful graphic novel series ‘The Walking Dead’. It features a 43mm matte white plastic case, 22mm wide, sandwich style strap, and 3 hand Japanese quartz movement; nothing tactical about this watch folks, just something fun to own.

The ‘Walkers 2.0’ is limited to 600 pieces and the packaging is signed by Kirkman so it could be considered a collectable. Also of note is the watch is water resistant up to 10 meters, although Vannen still recommends keeping it away from water.

You can purchase one at vannenwatches.com – Walkers 2.0