I’ve been playing Contagion intermittently since the game launched its early Alpha, and as the Beta nears final release this April, the improvements to the title are staggering. Since I picked the game back up a few weeks ago, I haven’t been able to put it down. For those who don’t know what Contagion is, the title is a FPS survival horror game built on the Source Engine. Set at the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse, the creators at Monochrome have lovingly created a handful of maps that are both large yet full of various nooks and crannies to find and explore.
There’s three game types - The Hunt, Extraction and Escape. The Hunt is your standard last-man standing game mode, but with a twist: there’s a shit-ton of zombies peppered about. Get too close, and the flesh-eating ghouls will come after you. They’re also drawn to sound, so stealth is key. Players start off with a smartphone, a melee weapon, and a gun. To win, you have to dodge hordes of the undead or take them out silently with melee weapons while searching for other players and better gear. You can also use your smart phone to see if enemy players are nearby. If another player’s name pops up on your phone, you can select it and give them a ring, setting off their phone and giving a hint of where they may be. Once dead, you’e not out, as you become a zombie. So if you remember where your killer is, you can summon a horde of the undead to help you seek them out. The Hunt is a game type that’s deceptively simple yet incredibly fun and layered. The AI zombies really add depth to this mode and offset the low player count. I’m terribly bad at it, but this one’s hands-down my favorite game type out of the bunch. What I like best about it is that you have to move. Especially if you kill a human player. If they remember where you were (and most do), you can bet your ass that they’ll be on you with a horde of zombies. And don’t forget about the other survivors as they can hear your gunfire!
Extraction is a simplified form of Escape, which I’ll get to in a minute. In Extraction, you and your team-mates have to locate AI survivors. You can find them via the GPS on your smartphone. Once located, you and your team have to hunker down and hold out as waves of zombies swarm on your location. Boards and nailguns can often be found then used to fortify doors and windows. If luck is on your side, you and your team can hold out and escort the survivor(s) to an extraction zone. Once there, the survivors will dole out weapons, ammo, and healing items. The more people you save, the more loot you get. Like any other mode in this game, when you die, you become a zombie. So your former team-mates become your prey.
Rounding out the game-modes is Escape, which places players in a sprawling level where they have to get out. Objectives are relayed via text messages on your smart phone. And, like all other modes, when you die, you come back as an undead ghoul. More than any other game mode, for Escape to be satisfying, you need a good team that communicates and is willing to share. Nothing’s more frustrating than some asshat running ahead of everyone, stealing all the gear, then getting killed in the process, only to come back as a zombie and slowly pick off your team. For the most part, that doesn’t happen. The Contagion community that I’ve encountered so far seem pretty cool and are willing to help one another out, so this hasn’t been much of an issue. But in the co-op modes (Extraction and Escape), team work is essential.
Visually, the game looks pretty good. Some of the characters appear a bit rubbery and a few of the animations are stiff, but I imagine some of that’s due to the fact that this is a Source Engine game. There’s an upside to that though, as the frame-rate is buttery smooth. I have a Geforce GXT 660 and usually pull 120 FPS with all settings maxed, so I can’t complain. And despite the few visual shortcomings I mentioned, Contagion has some of the best lighting and rain effects I’ve seen. What results is a title that really has some amazing atmosphere and is easy on the eyes.
Guns feel meaty, and for the most part, handle well (i.e., bullets go where they should). Ammo is scarce, and to a new player, that can be a bit daunting. But there are only regular zombies in this game. They move slow for the most part, and can only put on bursts of speed from time to time. When you get a handle on the game, you’ll realize you often have plenty of ammo… you just have to make each shot count. So aim for the head. Each weapon is satisfying and offers its own strengths and weaknesses. I often stick with pistols in co-op game types. But in The Hunt, I try to keep some kind of sub-machine gun on my person as a pistol doesn’t cut it against another player. Whether human or zombie, other players move fast. Oh, and ya know… human players also have guns. Melee needs a bit more polish, but is satisfying once you get an understanding of the range and timing of the various weapons. You have to dodge and weave, aiming for the head all the while. Don’t get too cavalier though, as you have to manage your character’s stamina. Use too much, and your digital self will need a breather, making you vulnerable to the undead hordes. And unlike Left 4 Dead, you can’t take on a mob of zombies, unless you want to join them. If you play it smart and have a good team, other players will lure zombies their way, allowing you to slip in from behind and dispatch the ghoul with a one-hit kill from your melee weapon.
A few other interesting points about this game is that as a zombie, you can roar and call seven other AI zombies to your position. What results, is a shit-ton of zombies, especially if there’s other humans playing among the undead horde. It’s a cool feature that helps offset the fact that you’re slower than your human counter parts. I also love that human players can drop ammo for guns they don’t have. This forces (intelligent) survivors to collaborate among one another, with teams often requesting ammo for specific guns. It’s a great feature and one that all survival horror titles should implement as it allows your group of survivors to glean areas you move through yet really cooperate and help one another out. I’m excited about Contagion as the team at Monochrome has been putting a lot of love in this title. It’s probably one of the best examples of how an early access game should be. There’s been a noticeable improvement in all departments throughout development. The only real problem with the game is that it only has a handful of maps – five at the time of this writing, I believe. But the team’s well aware of that and working on more. Even better though (as I understand it) is that the game will feature Steamwork support. So I’m pretty excited to see what crazy goodness comes out of that.
Even without that though, Contagion is a solid title that oozes personality and has the chops to stand on its own. It’s like Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil 2 had a baby, creating something simultaneously fun and terrifying. I love the hell out of this game. It’s probably the closest you can come to being in The Walking Dead sans the profuse sweating, body odor, and constant fear of meeting a horrible end. If that’s not worth your money, I don’t know what is! 
Contagion launches on April 11th, 2013. You can get it now via Steam Early Access for $14.99 USD.
Update (3/24/14)
So I figured I’d post an update on the state of the game, and whether or not it’s still sexy. Well, it is. As of this writing, Monochrome recently updated the game, adding another map that supports Extraction and The Hunt (Barlow Square). They’re also made zombies insanely more aggressive. In the co-op modes, ammo is far more scarce, which amps up the difficulty even further. I love it. Conversely, The Hunt now has copious amounts of ammo and guns, giving survivors all the more reason to blast one another out of existence! I’ve dropped 22 hours into the game so far and love it. The latest update did seem to throw off the hit detection, but I imagine the team at Monochrome will soon remedy that. I’m definitely looking forward to the final product. On the co-op end, this game is best with friends. But for solo outings, The Hunt may sate your bloodlust with a dash of zombie carnage!
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