A rich post-apocalyptic setting overrun by zombies and 'bugs' | Review - Lost Future

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✨Overview Lost Future is a mobile third-person zombie survival game that recently launched and is now available for both Android and iOS platforms. It features a post-apocalyptic setting overrun by zombies, where they must explore, survive, and uncover the mysteries of a semi-futuristic Earth. 🟩Pros

+Decent visuals +Post apocalyptic open world gameplay +Base management elements +Seamless character switching

🟥Cons

-Gunplay is clunky and buggy -Sluggish performance with no way to change the graphics settings -Lots of model and texture pop-ins -Repetitive animations ⭐️Score: 6/10

📖Story and Premise

Lost Future transports players to a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2035, where Earth has been overtaken by zombies. Set in a semi-futuristic environment driven by AI, cryptocurrency, and advanced 3D printing technology, the game's narrative is a compelling tale of survival, mystery, and exploration. One of the game's standout features is its exceptional worldbuilding. The post-apocalyptic setting is richly detailed and believable, offering a glimpse into a world where technology and civilization have collapsed, giving way to the undead menace. The story revolves around a group of survivors striving to survive all while unveil the mysteries of this grim future. The characters are well-crafted and possess unique charming personalities. 🎨Graphics and Art Style

It isn’t the most beautiful looking game, but there is merit in saying the game has console level visuals. The models, textures and animations are detailed enough. Honestly, the lines are blurred nowadays, with mobile phones getting more powerful everyday. The game reeks of high production values, the voice acting is superb and sounds AAA-like. The voice acting stands out as being of high-quality, providing an almost AAA-like experience. An interesting detail worth noting is how the game handles character dialogue and distances. When characters are close to each other, their voices sound natural, but when you move away from the NPC you're talking to or switch characters, a radio filter is applied to those characters speaking but not present in the scene, enhancing the game's immersion. 🎮Gameplay

The gameplay of Lost Future centers around a post-apocalyptic open world filled with various activities and challenges. Players will engage in melee combat, shooting, stealth takedowns on zombies, and looting for essential supplies. The vibe of the game feels very similar to one of my favorite zombie games, State of Decay. Lost Future also features base management elements, where you can build new facilities within your safehouse and upgrade them for more benefit. As far as mobile games go, it may remind you of games like LifeAfter and Last Day on Earth: Survival. Lost Future also implements seamless character swapping, a feature originally popularized by Genshin Impact. It can be somewhat immersion-breaking, as characters abruptly switch places like schizophrenics with multiple personality disorders, but that's how the game is, and it's still still better than having a lone character roaming around. . Nevertheless, I wish had all three characters be on the world simultaneously together like in other games. It’s definitely doable and would feel much more immersive. The three characters don't differ significantly from each other, with most of the differences arising from the weapons and gear they equip. These choices result in distinct movesets and damage levels. For example, a baseball bat can easily knock down enemies and even has an area-of-effect swing attack, while a machete excels at dealing massive damage per hit. The zombies in this game are formidable and challenging to take down, particularly when encountered in groups. This isn't an action-packed horde shooter like Left 4 Dead. Instead, you must avoid zombies as much as possible to conserve your ammo and ensure maximum survivability. Throughout the game, you'll explore the open world, loot resources from key buildings and houses, all while working to build your safehouse and progressing through the main quest. ⚔️Combat

The combat system in "Lost Future" is a mixed bag. Melee combat is generally solid, with hits that feel weighty and responsive controls. The melee attacks automatically snap to enemies, increasing accuracy, but this can also lead to unintended targets being hit, disrupting the flow. Unfortunately, melee attacks lack variety, with only one animation per weapon type, potentially making combat feel repetitive even a few minutes in. On the other hand, gunplay is a significant weak point of the game. The decision to use an ADS (Aiming Down Sights) mechanic in a first-person view is questionable and results in inconsistent camera views, causing confusion and control issues. Additionally, I’ve encountered bugs can disrupt the camera view, adding to the clunkiness. Overall, the gunplay is clunky and buggy. Stealth mechanics in the game are well-implemented. Players can perform stealth takedowns that rely on both visibility and sound, offering a satisfying way to eliminate zombies in one-hit, silently. ⏫Progression

Lost Future features a progression system that revolves around enhancing your safehouse and character capabilities. Players can build and upgrade facilities in their safehouse, which provides various benefits, contributing to the overall survival and resource management aspect of the game. Progression is tied to the main quest, as players explore the open world, loot resources, and tackle challenges. 💵Monetization

The game is completely free-to-play and monetization comes in the form of weapon and item packs, which shamelessly pop-ups in the game from time to time. Ammunition being sold at the in-game store is ridiculously expensive, even when real money is used. For example, a roughly $30 pack gives you an armor, 3 weapons and around 100 rifle rounds, 100 9mm rounds, and 50 shotgun rounds. Overall, the game's monetization strategy relies on in-game purchases which is pressured on the player, especially with how difficult surviving in the game can be, a common approach for free-to-play mobile games. Players can choose whether or not to invest in these purchases, but the cost of some items may be prohibitive for some players. 📊Technical Performance

While Lost Future offers impressive graphics and visuals, its performance is a bit sluggish, at least with my experience on a Snapdragon 888 device.There is literally no way to adjust graphics settings to at least optimize my performance by my own. In addition to performance issues, there are noticeable model and texture pop-ins that can affect the overall gaming experience. Players may also observe aliasing and jagged edges in the visual fidelity, which, while not game-breaking, can detract from the immersion. Also, the aforementioned bugs regarding camera, as some as some minor animation breaking are present. ⚖️Conclusion

Lost Future is a mobile zombie survival game with a rich post-apocalyptic setting, decent console-level visuals and likeable characters. However, the game is marred by technical issues and general clunkiness. The combat system, while offering solid melee combat, struggles with clunky and buggy gunplay. The performance is sluggish, and there isn't even a way to adjust the graphics settings. If these issues are remedied, then this game would jump from a 6/10 to a solid 8/10 for me.

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