Vultures - Scavengers Of Death
Developer: Team Vultures
Publisher: Firesquid, Gamersky Games
Released on: PC
It’s easy to imagine the pitch for this post-apocalyptic disaster game: a turn-based Resident Evil. The forced-isometric PS1 visuals (which can be switched to a cleaner look, should you prefer) emphasise this, as does the game’s story, which mixes corporate malfeasance with a powerful yet hidden cult. And zombies. Lots of zombies.
Vultures takes place in the once-busy city of Salento Valley. A bio-hazard disaster has ravaged the area, appearing to have turned the majority of its citizens into bloodthirsty undead. As part of a covert operations team, the player takes control of either agent Leopoldo or Amber, parachuted in to discover what caused the outbreak and gather clues that could help cure the infected.
Both agents share an arsenal of ranged and melee weapons. The latter consists of a sturdy knife and stun baton, while ranged weapons include a powerful handgun, shotgun, assault rifle and grenade launcher. Collecting valuables nets you credits to spend at a market, where the team can purchase weaponry upgrades and more. Med kits and a variety of other boosters help the agents negotiate the tight rooms and enemies of Salento City and its environs.
Once the mission begins, the player is allocated a set number of movement points (used for, well, moving) and action points (used for everything else, but normally combat) per combat turn. Once these are expended, pressing Space cedes to the enemy for their turn until the battle is over. The result is a more studied, tactical approach to situations, where evaluating a situation before rushing in is definitely preferable, should you wish to avoid getting bitten.
For the other part of the pitch above, there’s a whole lot more Resident Evil in Vultures beyond mere zombies. All resources are rare, meaning you’ll have to do plenty of the scavenging mentioned in the title to survive. Save rooms include a computer terminal (updated from the traditional typewriter, of which the game makes a sly nod to during an early mission), and there’s a reassuringly creaky box in which to store all of your surplus items. A relaxing melody even accompanies these areas, assuring the player that absolutely nothing horrible is going to jump out and nibble you. And as you explore the insidious happenings throughout the city, the story behind Vultures begins to feel similar, too.
Not that this is a bad thing, of course. If you’re going to be inspired, you might as well get it from a legendary series like Resident Evil.
Turn-based combat is not for everyone, but it’s implemented well here, with satisfying responses to successful attacks. Exploring the grimy world of Salento can be challenging at first, with a bewildering array of options. Each agent can run, walk or sneak, juggle weapons, swap places or push enemies, utilise throwables, and more. Amber also boasts a nifty grappling gun, useful for both defensive and attacking tactics, and there’s a good variety of enemies, even if you’re likely to have seen their type before.
The UI takes some getting used to, but it also works smoothly, with the camera zoomable for close-up analysis and fully rotatable to get a complete view of the battle before committing those valuable AP and MP. Pressing M brings up the game map, helpful for some of the maze-like interiors.
Unfortunately, bugs have definitely been an issue for developer Team Vultures (not the creepy-crawly type), and the version we tested—almost a final build—still included several issues, including objects that the agents could not pick up and rare random crashes back to desktop. We will test the final version to see if these are still present and re-score accordingly.
Despite this, Vultures remains a playable and rewarding experience, clearly created with passion and love for one of horror’s most famous series. If you’re willing to invest the time—and forgive its foibles—you’re in for a gruesomely entertaining ride.
Conclusion
Old school in both gameplay and presentation, Vultures - Scavengers Of Death is sure to engage anyone prepared to put the time into its compelling mechanics and storyline.
