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Overland |OT| A Dog Is a Great Companion for the Apocalypse, but a Knife-Wielding Dog Is Even Better

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Dancrane212

Dancrane212

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,962
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Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, iOS (Apple Arcade)
Release Date:
September 19th, 2019​
Genre: Strategy Rouge-lite
Price: $24.99/€23.99
Player(s): 1
Format: Digital
Developer/Publisher: Finji
Size: ~1.1GB


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What is Overland?
Overland is a turn based strategy game where you lead a group of survivors westward across a ruined United States. You do this by selecting missions, recruiting hitchhikers (humans and dogs alike) and finding supplies like gasoline to keep moving you forward.

Rogue-lite?
Yes. Overland is a run based game where you are presented with randomly generated levels, characters and events. The game also features perma-death.

How big are these turn-based battles?
Once you select a destination from the map you are given a small arena to move through but this isn't a situation where you want to kill every monster in-sight. The longer you stay in a map the worse things will get for you as you make sounds that will attract more creatures. You want to accomplish whatever objective (either one you've set for yourself or a level-specific goal like clearing a roadblock) you have and get out of there as quickly as you can, perhaps even leaving someone behind who just couldn't reach the car in time.

Knife Wielding Dog?
You can give members of your convoy weapons, canines included.
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Physical release?
Nothing revealed yet.

Is there any form of long-term progressions?
Yes. The game is made up of multiple environments and you can skip ahead and start at any of the ones you have completed.

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Metacritic | Opencritic

Dualshockers 9/10
Like the best survival games out there, Overland doesn't by any means make things easy for players. It can be a brutally-challenging game that is often unforgiving, for better and worse. While certain elements of Overland may take players some getting used to, its mixture of survival, strategy, and roguelike elements makes for an experience that had me questioning my every move, and also had me ready to journey ahead just a little bit further each time.
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God is a Geek 8/10
Overland is a game about survival and teamwork and never leaving a person behind, but sadly that choice will rarely be yours. When the chips are down and your back is to the wall, you'll do whatever you can to get just one person into the car and away to comparative safety. While it would be nice if your survivors weren't quite so weak and useless, or there was a way to really improve them over time, Overland's bleak and desperate atmosphere succeeds in creating a truly tense and memorable experience.
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Itch
Official Site
Apple Arcade
​
 
Last edited:
More_Badass

More_Badass

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,623
Played a bunch of the beta for this, and loved it.

Posted these impressions back in 2016
It's a tactical roadtrip across a low-poly America ravaged by creatures. Limited seats, limited space, and limited fuel means every decision counts, harsh consequences means every action must be methodical, and you can befriend a dog as a companion.

Reminds me of Hoplite in a way, in that the encounters are more akin to very tight tactical puzzles than the more free-form combat/exploration of typical roguelikes. Everything you do must be economical. Survival means being fast, efficient, and knowing when you need to get your butt back to the car and get out of there.

For example, my first death. I had made it to the plains. Low on fuel, I opted to make a high risk stop. This map had a lot of prairie grass already burning, and some fast skittering enemies that can surround you easily. Staying in the car wasn't a good idea because we needed fuel and the car would only attract enemies towards it (thus inviting damage and probably blowing up the car.) So I made a decision to split up my duo, one to run for the fuel, the other to push dumpsters to make some barriers. But the fire was spreading, which also helped because that gave me a natural barrier between creatures if I was careful not to get trapped myself. Unfortunately, the person I was using to get fuel got trapped and had to make a bad move to avoid being burned, so she died and I had to make a choice with my remaining survivor: run for the fuel or go for another vehicle on the map which had more fuel but was back from the road. I used the current car to ram through a few enemies; the car took a hit which meant it would explode in the next turn, so I rushed out and let the explosion take out the creatures around that car. But before I was able to make it across the map to the other waiting car, I was surrounded and killed.
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kiguel182

kiguel182

Member
Oct 31, 2017
9,442
I bought the game years ago. Playing the final version on itch.io.

After all these years I'm still in love with this damn art style.
 
OP
OP
Dancrane212

Dancrane212

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,962
Reviews are starting to roll out:


Dualshockers 9/10
Like the best survival games out there, Overland doesn't by any means make things easy for players. It can be a brutally-challenging game that is often unforgiving, for better and worse. While certain elements of Overland may take players some getting used to, its mixture of survival, strategy, and roguelike elements makes for an experience that had me questioning my every move, and also had me ready to journey ahead just a little bit further each time.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

God is a Geek 8/10
Overland is a game about survival and teamwork and never leaving a person behind, but sadly that choice will rarely be yours. When the chips are down and your back is to the wall, you'll do whatever you can to get just one person into the car and away to comparative safety. While it would be nice if your survivors weren't quite so weak and useless, or there was a way to really improve them over time, Overland's bleak and desperate atmosphere succeeds in creating a truly tense and memorable experience.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 

Deleted member 18179

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
863
Anyone else having big issues with controls on iPad? Feels like my taps go through the button probably 75% of the time.
 

Deleted member 3017

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,653
Both reviews in the OP are from the Switch build, so it looks like that's a solid version to play.

So many games to play, it's insane.
 
Darryl M R

Darryl M R

The Spectacular PlayStation-Man
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,722
Perfect Apple Arcade game. Something nice to pull up on my phone in between tasks
 
OP
OP
Dancrane212

Dancrane212

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,962
Gamespot 8/10
Overland perfectly captures a feeling of being helpless, of only just getting by, and of being afraid to venture too far away from your car into the pitch-black dark of night. Every movement you commit, every action you command, and every item or character you sacrifice for another will be an apprehensive decision. But taking each of those tough steps makes you even more grateful to hear the soft chime of your car's open-door alarm when you make it back, and the rev of the motor when you escape down the highway, relieved to leave another pack of abnormal creatures behind.
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werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,385
Played for about an hour and a half and managed to get to the second area. Definitely on the hard side & not for everyone. Like Into the Breach meets Oregon Trail.
 
Shodan14

Shodan14

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
9,410
Would be nice to hear some impression about the later game, do the enemies and maps get significantly harder and more varied?
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,385
Shodan14 said:
Would be nice to hear some impression about the later game, do the enemies and maps get significantly harder and more varied?
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In the second area, I started seeing monsters that can move twice in one turn, so I assume things keep getting more complicated and more difficult with each new area.
 

Wednesbury

Member
Apr 10, 2018
188
I've been playing this for a couple years on itch, very excited that the final release is out. It's a great game, can be very difficult doesn't spend a lot of time showing you what to do or what to hold onto or why. Every decision could mean game over or losing a party member. Remember that you can't save everyone, dogs before peeps and some stuff seems useless but can be traded for stuff that isn't. Also the nighttime maps are hellish, so keep an eye on your gas.

It might take you a while to get the hang of it but it's super satisfying when you role up on an area, jump out, search some bins, find gas, have your dog kill an alien, pull your friend into the vehicle and speed off just as a horde of aliens start poking through the ground.

I also have been playing it on Apple Arcade, the controls aren't great, sometimes I click and it doesn't seem to register and on the phone it's a little hard to select things, hopefully it gets a patch.
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,385
Raven777 said:
Any word on length and replayability?
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It's procedurally generated so replayability is high. Based on the New Game screen, there are 7 areas. Game is rather difficult (with perma-death) and just gets harder with each new area so I imagine it'll take a lot of failed attempts to beat it the first time. It took me about an hour of trying with a couple game overs to get to area 2. There's also an achievement page (on the Switch version) with a lot of things to accomplish (including some blank spots that I assume are hidden achievements).
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,385
Reached area 3 and yeah, things are getting more interesting & difficult. You can start at any area you've reached before, but I'm thinking you want to start at the beginning so you can prepare yourself with equipment & whatnot for the harder challenges.
 

Deleted member 57578

User requested account closure
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Jun 7, 2019
283
Super clunky touch controls. I'm only to the woodlands, but I so far I'm wondering what Finji has been doing all these years. If I end up playing more (definitely an "if" at this point), perhaps I'll find out. Maybe I should wait till it release on macOS so I can use a mouse.
 
Soupbones

Soupbones

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,278
Is it me, or does the game sometimes drop you in impossible situations?

I made it all the way to end (the blockade) of chapter 3, only to see a wrecked car (with no wheels or gas) and a boulder blocking the road. So basically I'm suppose to do what? Leave my car and walk to the exit somehow?

Or did I just miss some mechanic? (hard to tell when the game tells you nothing)
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,385
Soupbones said:
Is it me, or does the game sometimes drop you in impossible situations?

I made it all the way to end (the blockade) of chapter 3, only to see a wrecked car (with no wheels or gas) and a boulder blocking the road. So basically I'm suppose to do what? Leave my car and walk to the exit somehow?

Or did I just miss some mechanic? (hard to tell when the game tells you nothing)
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I know some obstacles you can destroy if you have a weapon or have an enemy destroy it for you. Also, there's a vehicle type that has all-terrain capabilities.
 
Soupbones

Soupbones

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,278
werezompire said:
I know some obstacles you can destroy if you have a weapon or have an enemy destroy it for you. Also, there's a vehicle type that has all-terrain capabilities.
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Thanks - so I guess there are situations where you really can't do anything at the end of a level but leave your car behind and walk. None of the stops before that had weapons or ATVs. That kind of blows.
 
SoH

SoH

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,739
So far my dead ends have been a result of the classic roguelike blunder of not spending adequate time on a level gathering supplies before moving on to the next (through the blockade serving as the proverbial "stairs" here.) I've been meaning to write up a little list of tips around the car as it is so versatile in what you can do and should always be looking for an upgraded car with stuff like more storage space.

The small tip I will give is your first turn when dropped in a map keep in mind all your people start in the car. If you are not already in an ideal position (and normally you will not be) start the car right back up and move the damned thing. Also in dark maps turning the car back on can give some needed vision when you have no flares. In general just don't treat the car like an anchor, it is one of your biggest tools.
 
Phabh

Phabh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,702
This game has been barely reviewed, it's weird. Will I like it if I LOVED Into The Breach? I mostly hate procedurally-generated stuff. Into The Breach was a randomizer picking from a pool of hand-crafted maps so that was cool.
 
Wraith

Wraith

Member
Jun 28, 2018
8,892
I didn't realize it had been two years since the GB Unfinished video for this game. Will have to check out the Quick Look.
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,385
Phabh said:
This game has been barely reviewed, it's weird. Will I like it if I LOVED Into The Breach? I mostly hate procedurally-generated stuff. Into The Breach was a randomizer picking from a pool of hand-crafted maps so that was cool.
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If you loved Into the Breach, you've got a good chance of liking it. It's harsher than Into the Breach though - a full run (although you can start at later areas once you've reached them if you want) probably takes about 2-4 hours on Overland (based on comments from the dev) so messing up (or getting a string of bad luck) and losing feels a lot more painful. And there's very little in the way of tutorials or information so there's a lot of trial & error involved as you figure out how things work.
 
Phabh

Phabh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,702
werezompire said:
If you loved Into the Breach, you've got a good chance of liking it. It's harsher than Into the Breach though - a full run (although you can start at later areas once you've reached them if you want) probably takes about 2-4 hours on Overland (based on comments from the dev) so messing up (or getting a string of bad luck) and losing feels a lot more painful. And there's very little in the way of tutorials or information so there's a lot of trial & error involved as you figure out how things work.
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Thanks for the info but I think I'll pass for now, sounds a bit too harsh. And Into The Breach was just perfect. This will definitely be disappointing compared to that.
 
gazoinks

gazoinks

Member
Jul 9, 2019
3,230
Got paid early so grabbed this game along with Wildhearts and Goose Game. Played a little on my lunch break, and I like it a lot so far. Doing a turn-based game without combat is really neat - it feels like a combination of Invisible Inc. and Into The Breach. Gorgeous art, and the gameplay seems neat so far. Definitely like what it has going on. Mostly curious now to see whether it really has the legs to keep me playing like the best roguelikes.
 
dock

dock

Game Designer
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Nov 5, 2017
1,370
I really struggled with my first few games of this, and dying came as a relief from the incredibly awkward UX.

I'm a big fan of Into the Breach, literally wearing a t-shirt of it right now, and it really feels like night as day compared to this. Fussy item juggling and running out of petrol doesn't feel as rewarding as any single turn in ItB.

I'd love to see an example of a fun and successful run! Is there any way to have a better experience?
 
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