How The Last Plague: Blight Learned from Project Zomboid and Don’t Starve

Although the widely popular survival crafting genre can largely be summed up by its title, games like The Last Plague: Blight and their inspirations have made a significant mark. Thanks to changes in perspective, an emphasis on realism, or game mechanics from other survival games that apply constant pressure to players struggling to survive, The Last Plague stands out.

In an interview with Game Rant, The Last Plague creator Sergei Bezborodko weighed in on some of his biggest inspirations in the survival crafting genre, which included well-regarded titles like Project Zomboid, Don’t Starve, and The Long Dark. Each of these games boasts some unique qualities that are certainly worth taking note of, and The Last Plague‘s particular blend of inspirations should make it a worthy addition to the genre as well.

The Last Plague’s Top Down Perspective Was Inspired by Don’t Starve and Project Zomboid

A similarity shared by Project Zomboid and Don’t Starve is their isometric perspectives, which is otherwise fairly uncommon in the genre. Bezborodko pointed out that this top-down view of the world has a significant impact on the feel of survival gameplay, allowing players to keep tabs on their surroundings and have a bird’s eye view of their camp. There are some downsides to this angle such as difficulties with seeing far into the distance, but that’s something that could add some flavor to the experience.

“Playing games like
Project Zomboid
and
Don’t Starve
previously was a huge driving force for this game to be a similar perspective. I think, for me, just seeing a top-down view of an environment with houses, rooms, and villages immediately draws my attention to the game.”

[…]

“A top-down perspective provides a really unique way to see your surroundings quickly at a glance, get a sense of your base/camp design strengths and weaknesses, as well as help you prioritize threats and targets around you more easily.”

Bezborodko said that a major goal for The Last Plague is to be immersive for players and it’s a credit to The Last Plague that it manages to feel so immersive from a top-down when the first-person perspective is traditionally seen as the most immersive way to pull players into a world. Through compelling and realistic gameplay, players can forget that they are watching The Last Plague unfold from above.

The Long Dark Inspired The Last Plague’s Realism and Silent Adversary

Aside from the camera angle, Bezborodko also found inspiration in some of the gameplay pillars of these titles. Project Zomboid is well-known for being a shockingly deep simulation of zombie apocalypse survival, with a high degree of realism underpinning every world interaction. Indeed, The Last Plague is a comfortable title to step into for players who have spent some time with Project Zomboid. Meanwhile, the increasing difficulty of Don’t Starve resonated with Bezborodko, with The Last Plague‘s creeping blight acting as an ever-present threat pushing players onward.

”
Project Zomboid
and
Don’t Starve
are big ones, but also games like
The Long Dark
with its more realistic approach and similar silent adversary (the cold). I wanted the constant pressure and walls closing in on you feeling of
Don’t Starve
combined with the more realistic survival aspects of
Project Zomboid
and
The Long Dark
.”

Survival game fans can probably agree that being caught in the cold without the proper equipment is often just as scary and stressful as being surrounded by a group of hostile creatures, except this problem is solved with planning and survival skills rather than combat prowess. With a fresh perspective and an ever present reason for players to push themselves, The Last Plague looks to be a solid survival game that’ll keep players engaged for as long as they can stay alive.

The Last Plague: Blight enters Steam Early Access on October 3.

MORE: 8 Best Story-Driven Survival Games