Hello, keepers!
Good zombies are zombies that work. They work skillfully, with no days off, and for free.
Bad zombies, on the other hand, are zombies that bite. And there are thousands of them; they've overrun the Town, and they are ready to tear apart anyone who gets close. In this devlog, we'll tell you how to grind them all into dust!
What Are We Fighting For?
When developing the Graveyard Keeper 2 combat system, one of our goals was to make battles part of the story. So, from the idea of a Town overrun by zombies, it naturally followed that we'd have to wipe them all out. While you get your house, church, and graveyard just for being a decent person, the Town will have to be liberated in battle. Which is a pretty heroic thing to do, and being a hero is cool.
But don't get too full of yourself. After heroically liberating the Town, you are going to be the one who has to rebuild it.
A Place in the World
Just like in the original Graveyard Keeper, the Keeper has a wide range of things to do this time around, the most important of which are tied to specific days of the week. And one of those weekly tasks will be liberating the Town: city battles will only be available on a certain day of the week.
If you fancy swinging a sword on other days, you can head down into the sewers, which are open 6/6. They're also full of zombies who might not be happy to see you, but will gladly meet you halfway. He-he.
And the streets whisper that somewhere deep beneath the Town lies... the Sewrena!
A Tour of the Town
Town battles don't take place in special arenas; they happen right on the streets, which, after your victories, will become populated by the townsfolk and market stalls. Because of this, different parts of the city have become distinct, unique battle arenas, each with its own design and win conditions.
For example, in the battle for the Town Square, you'll need to hold off waves of enemies attacking from every direction.
Meanwhile, in battles for the central streets, you'll need to push forward on multiple fronts and capture control points.
A Good Fight Needs Good Prep
Guess who in the world of Graveyard Keeper produces quality materials and knows how to raise the dead? Why, it's you, dear Keepers. And how convenient that this is exactly what you'll need to prepare for battle: you'll use materials to build barricades and towers, and zombies will become your comrades-in-arms.
Barricades and towers let you hold back hordes of enemies at the approaches to your base.
You can position your squads of zombie fighters wherever you like, or raise their banner and lead them into battle yourself.
Tactics and Manoeuvres
Once you familiarise yourself with the combat system, you'll be able to win in your own style. Maybe you'll favour squads made up entirely of archers, or you'll take a liking to spiked barricades that do the killing for you. Or maybe you'll stock up on combat potions and hold off waves of enemies, Rambo-style.
Whatever floats your boat.
The important thing is that you slash these pesky zombies by the dozen and enjoy every second of it. Don't worry about the moral implications, though; the zombies are evil, and they're not even real.
P.S. We mentioned there are thousands of zombies in the city. And that is 100% true: over the course of the game, you'll lay a little over 4,000 zombies to rest.
P.P.S. If you're playing with a mouse and keyboard, you'll be able to control combat with one hand. Feel free to use the other hand to sip your favourite drink or scratch behind your ear. Or scratch behind someone else's ear, for that matter.
Graveyard Keeper 2 is launching September 22nd! Get ready to restore the Town and become the true Grand Inquisitor. Pre-order the game today and get the exclusive building and platform-specific outfit.
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