State of Decay 3 Trailer Shows Off Xbox Series X Sequel

During the Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft showcased the first trailer for State of Decay 3.

The trailer focuses on a lone survivor who makes their way through snowy woods. Armed with a crossbow, this unnamed character first appears sitting by a campfire with only a few supplies as company. Their peace is interrupted by a loud scream which they return into the darkness.

Soon thereafter, we see the unnamed character track a trail of blood. They appear to be on the hunt for food, but what they find is a zombiefied deer that appears to be incredibly aggressive. We don’t see what happens next, but it certainly feels like a conflict between the two follows this tense moment.

Sadly, the State of Decay 3 trailer doesn’t reveal much more about the game. However, it’s easy to make a few reasonable guesses based on what we saw in this brief preview.

The biggest thing we took away from this trailer is the theme of survival. While survival has always been an element of the State of Decay series, this trailer seemed to lean heavy on the idea that the human survivor we briefly follow is outnumbered, under-supplied, and surrounded by danger. From the visuals of her campsite to the fact that we see her actively on the hunt for food, there’s certainly an emphasis on a lack of resources.

It also feels like the environment will be a much bigger player in State of Decay 3. The snowy landscapes we see in this preview feel much more distinct than the environments in the previous State of Decay games, which feels like a hint that this upcoming title may incorporate survival aspects related to environmental hazards (such as warmth).

Finally, there is a much more “muted” vibe to the entire affair best exemplified by the zombie animal who serves as the trailer’s primary threat. There’s an oddly subtle tragic nature to the design of this animal which feels much more purposeful from zombies and mutants we’ve seen in previous games.

Be sure to check out the State of Decay 3 trailer for yourself to see what theories you come up with:

We’re interested to see whether State of Decay 3 can improve upon its predecessor and recapture some of that magic of the original title. We look forward to learning more about this game ahead of its upcoming release for Xbox Series X and PC