Developed and published by CABO Studio comes a unique take on the Extraction Shooter Genre. Brave the irradiated wastelands and monster infested streets as you scavenge and shoot to survive. In a blend of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Escape from Tarkov, and Enter the Gungeon, prepare for a wild ride.
The trains about to depart, it’s time for ZERO Sievert.
Enter the Hazard Zone
Years ago, there was an explosion. A nuclear power plant owned by the Crimson Cooperation went critical, and the land of Zarkov has never been the same since. Since then, it’s been a lawless land. Overrun by mutated monsters, enraged wildlife, and warring factions fighting for scraps. As a Hunter, you traverse the various areas where loot can still be had, in hopes of making it in the wasteland and uncovering the truth behind the incident.
ZERO Sievert is a roguelite extraction shooter in a 2.5D pixel aesthetic. It isn’t really fair to call the style minimalistic, as the amount of detail is crazy for being so simple. There are a lot of things on the screen at all times, and thankfully the game is optimized enough to handle a lot of elements at once. It really gives the impression of an overgrown wasteland. It also plays in to how things are seen in game. Fog of War exists, and objects obscure view, allowing enemies and yourself to hide and lay in ambush.
Lock and Loaded
Weapons as you would expect play a huge part in survival. All weapons have a durability, lowering overall effectiveness as they are used. Many weapons can be modified with better parts over time, allowing you to customize to your hearts content. You can also craft armor, food, ammunition and more at your bunker hideout. This place is at the main hub of ZERO Sievert, and over time you’ll be able to upgrade the place and unlock more craftables.
The bunker also plays as the main location to accept jobs, sending you to the various maps in search of items to retrieve or targets to kill. Completing jobs will increase your reputation with the factions, and unlock more gear for trade. Trading with NPCs is on a time limit, each having only a certain amount of stock and money to exchange with. NPCs will eventually restock after a few days have passed, but in the meantime you’re on your own.
The game-play loop in ZERO Sievert is fairly straightforward. Grab your gear, prepare for whatever you might run into, and jump on the train leading to your destination. There are currently 5 locations in game, with more in development. Each locale deals with different hazards and enemies, all of which are capable of dropping you like an irradiated potato. Killing enemies or NPCs allows you to loot them, and depending on who you loot will vary what you can get. There are also caches and chests throughout the maps that you can loot, each time containing new things to protect yourself or make a profit.
Concluding Thoughts
Would you believe that from the moment I started playing Escape from Tarkov, I’d been wondering what a 2D version of that game would look like? Imagine my delight when I see that in action. This game hits that grueling difficulty and translates it to a 2D perspective perfectly. The use of Fog of War and the structure of the maps work amazingly well. There are some balancing issues and unfinished bits of the game, but it is also in early access. And for early access, I think it’s doing very well. I can’t wait to see what else is in store in the wastelands of ZERO Sievert.
Steam key was provided by CABO Studio.
VERDICT
GOOD
GOOD
This game hits that grueling difficulty and translates it to a 2D perspective perfectly. There are some balancing issues and unfinished bits of the game, but it is also in early access. And for early access, I think it’s doing very well.
