Mintrocket, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Dave the Diver, has shared gameplay of its next project, Nakwon: Last Paradise. If you were expecting another lighthearted adventure, though, you’re in for a shock. Nakwon is instead a survival game set in a zombie apocalypse.
It’s not single-player either, and is described as a PvPvE game where you and multiple players scour the ruins of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, for weapons and items to complete missions while avoiding enemy zombies. While you can shoot down any zombie you see, it sounds like Nakwon will encourage stealth since even a single gunshot will alert any nearby zombies and draw them to you.
The game’s Steam listing also mentions that it’s a “blend of simulation and extraction survival” and “You must decide yourself what to do and eat for survival.” Plus, while you could always cooperate with other players, Mintrocket recommends you “trust no one,” suggesting it’s better to betray fellow survivors to keep yourself safe. After all, if you die, you lose everything.
There’s no launch window yet, so the game’s probably not due to come out for a long time, especially since it’s still in the pre-alpha phase. Meanwhile, Mintrocket has put out 20 minutes of early gameplay footage to give prospective players an idea of what Nakwon looks like. Even at this early stage, it’s obvious sound will play an important part in keeping you alive since you can choose to quietly open doors and use sounds like car alarms to distract zombies. Anyone interested in trying it out will be pleased to know a pre-alpha test is planned for Nov. 29, which is open to anyone who simply asks for access.
Dave the Diver‘s critical and commercial success, as well as its nomination for best indie game at this year’s The Game Awards, is bound to help draw attention to Nakwon, but it’s hard to imagine fans of Mintrocket’s first project sticking around for it. After all, Nakwon is clearly targeting a completely different audience. If you’ve yet to play Dave the Diver yourself and want to know what all the fuss is about, though, it’s currently available on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Hopefully, it’ll make the jump to PlayStation and Xbox at some point.
