Ground Zero (2026)

Ground Zero is one of the best resi-likes out there. In many ways, it’s superior to the games that it inspired, with deeper gameplay and jam-packed with content. Not everything works perfectly, like when the game occasionally glitches and enemies get stuck in a looping animation after they die. It’s nothing a patch couldn’t fix, but it’s still strange to see something like that in an otherwise polished game. Thankfully, it isn’t a rogue-like.

Ground Zero plays its cards very early on, showing you exactly what it wants to do from the get-go. It channels its inspiration from old-school survival horror games that made the PS1 so special, even leaning into pre-rendered backgrounds and offering tank controls. Visuals get blurry in certain areas, and frame rate takes a hit in weird places. Then there's the old-school need to actually conserve your ammunition for boss fights, which can put you in a position where you can't defeat the boss without enough weaponry. Overall, Ground Zero makes for a good time and has a good gameplay loop as long as you know what to expect from it.

Ground Zero stands out as one of the most polished and complete indie survival horror experiences in recent years. While clearly heavily inspired by Resident Evil, it feels like a lost game in the series rather than a copycat and the mix of combat and puzzles keep things fresh throughout. Throw in the generous extra modes and the unlockables mixing up subsequent playthroughs and you have a game that offers dozens of hours of quality survival horror for a bargain price.

Ground Zero is a game that builds on clear ideas and a strong sense of its genre. Without a doubt, it knows what survival horror is all about and always delivers what fans expect: a constant feeling of vulnerability, limited resources, and slow, careful gameplay.

Ground Zero is a bit of a weird one. On some levels, it works incredibly well, mostly in the nostalgic feel and wearing its inspirations on its sleeves.