Stay Dead Evolution

I love the concept but the execution is terrible

FMV fighting game where combat takes place primarily through rhythmic QTE sequences ✅Use of live-action footage ✅Nice graphics ✅Feels like watching an interactive movie (It's a shame it's only the QTE type, which I like, but that's not enough for me) ❌Low content. Only 3 main enemies, plus a possible bonus fight and one unlockable enemy ❌The entire fight is based on a single QTE type ❌No scenes explaining the story or the meaning of the events. ❌The price should be definitely lower ❌❌Verdict: [strike] Terrible [/strike] , [strike] Bad [/strike] , [b] Mediocre [/b] , [strike] Decent [/strike] , [strike] Good [/strike] , [strike] Very Good [/strike] (Rating scale for short games, retro indie simulator games and similar) [quote]If you'd like to see more of my reviews, you can find them on my curator page: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45994324/admin/reviews_manage/]CuratorKingViking[/url] and he we group: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/CuratorKingViking]GroupKingViking[/url] If you have any questions about my reviews, feel free to ask. I'm happy to answer them. All reviews are my own!! Best regards, King Viking Bezimienny, Polish Game Reviewer. [/quote]

a qte-based fmv fighting game. not the first of its kind, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2919760/]prizefighter[/url] is from 1993, for instance. multiple player profiles for some reason, more than the usual 3 or 5, not as many as unlimited (it's 6). there's a single overall volume setting, windowed mode toggle, controls are wasd/arrows or gamepad. non-rebindable but nothing else is needed, mouse also works in the menus. cutscenes are skippable, the pause menu also has audio/video settings. the interactive tutorial that turns into a text-based recap in the menu teaches the basics, including combos. more techniques and tips are shown before fights. the whole thing is one qte battle after another, no healing in-between unless you land 7 punches without being hit. multiple playthroughs and xp farming are necessary to unlock more difficulties, 80s and 90s filters, scoring, a special move and a bonus stage. you can choose your opponent on subsequent runs, do the them in any order, and higher difficulties add a couple more to the initial trio. video quality is poor at times (came out in 2015) but it does what it says on the tin and works better than most fmv titles, regardless…

In the style of an FMV game you might find in the 90's on Sega CD, but also it's a 1 on 1 fighting game. The combo doesn't really work, you see the same video clips again and again, and it just doesn't feel good to control, or satisfying when you win.

[b]KAMGUSTA'S MINI REVIEW[/b] It's a "FVM" game with quicktime events. The idea seems good, but: - it's an amateurish single man work - a fighting game it's not what I'd do in FVM - it's short and boring [b]Best played with keyboard Recommended buy price: 1$ Score: 3/10[/b]

Stay Dead Evolution is an eccentric and experimental title that stands apart from most modern action games by embracing a deliberately retro design philosophy rooted in full-motion video and cinematic presentation. Developed by Brucefilm and published by Plug In Digital, the game feels less like a conventional beat ’em up and more like an interactive B-movie where the player’s inputs guide the flow of live-action scenes. From the outset, it makes no attempt to hide its unusual identity, instead leaning fully into the novelty of filmed actors, choreographed fights, and a structure that recalls the experimental FMV games of the 1990s. Rather than offering free movement or complex control schemes, Stay Dead Evolution builds its gameplay around timing, rhythm, and quick reactions. Combat encounters play out through pre-recorded video sequences in which enemies attack in set patterns, prompting the player to respond with specific directional or button inputs. Successful timing results in counters, strikes, or evasive maneuvers, while missed inputs lead to punishment and lost momentum. This creates a gameplay loop that feels closer to a rhythm game or extended quick-time event sequence …