State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

State of Decay is such an amazing game, and while I'd recommend it for the most part, I'm listing this specific review as Non-Rec for these reasons. Additionally, throughout my review I want you to remember this phrase and basically my entire argument when it comes to this game… "There's making a game difficult, and then there's just adding BS." On Xbox I have 531 hours, and on PC I have 33 hours. By no means am I a know-it-all when it comes to this game, but I've had my fair share of experience and frustrating moments. This game really does offer the community-based apocalypse survival game you've been craving; there's no doubt about that. However, given how much time I have, I only feel there's really any challenge at LETHAL difficulty. And before you think, "Oh wow, no kidding you have these issues—you're playing on the hardest difficulty," I just want you to think about my phrase up above. VEHICLES—Why is it like I'm driving on ice? Every turn I take, I'm drifting and always feel like I have little to no control. On lethal difficulty, finding a decent car in itself can be a challenge. Upgrading it can even be harder, but certainly it's doable. But tell me, if I can upgrade my car to the point it looks nothing like the original (sheet metal, bulletproof glass, and spiky wheels) and it's all buffed out? There should be absolutely no freaking reason why a zombie can bang on my hood for any amount of time and the car COMBUSTS INTO FLAMES AND EXPLODES. W H A T ??? It's just BS and annoying, and spending the time and resources to even make your car "stronger and better" always feels like a waste in those moments. Furthermore, the same argument can go for doors. I have rebar welded to the door and reinforced it with steel, yet what I imagine is a 140 lb zombie hanging off the side (while the door is shut) will RIP IT OFF ENTIRELY. Does the zombie have the strength of an E4 tornado? You need vehicles to play this game, or otherwise you're fighting conveniently placed hordes that are spaced out every 25-50 m, but holy cow do cars feel like they're from Temu. Zombie Combat—Man, do I have a lot to say about this. First of all, why do zombies and hordes tend to spawn out of nowhere? If I clear out a plague heart, I obviously made a bunch of noise—which means any zombies in the area SHOULD have investigated. So I clear out the area, call it a day, and go inside to get the somewhat worth-it gear from the destroyed heart, and to my dismay, what do I see when I come outside? ANOTHER HORDE? Which, of course, will only magically attract more freaks and other things—then the fight starts over again! Additionally, why do zombies suddenly get the spirit of Usain Bolt? I can't tell you how many times I've had a fat zombie jog at me, then, like the fox in FNAF, lunge at me with such a force that it's an unavoidable attack and I'm screwed? Why do armored zombies have 100% resistance to fire? I don't even have a joke or reference for this one; this is just an unnecessary buff that's BS for no reason other than to give you the finger during your playthrough. Allies / Enemy Factions - Probably the most unrealistic aspect in this game. You could offer free materials, kill groups of hostile strangers for someone, and defend their home from a zombie attack, and what does that get you? Radio Encouragement. Wow… thanks, I guess? But don't worry, it gets better! If they need help again when they have an allied status and you DON'T help them, forget all the things you did to help them because they're out of here! Off to a new town they go. Don't forget the witty, condescending comments your community will give you too; always a nice rub of salt in the wound. Communities—Speaking of communities, holy crap, why can characters sometimes just be miserable for the sake of being miserable? Sometimes they'll have traits that'll make them more aggressive, which is fair—there are people like that IRL too. But when things are stable, nothing too bad going on, they just fight to fight. Now everyone is upset. Why??? You have food, water, shelter, and power, even? But no, the 2 infestation sites 2,000 meters from our base made you upset, and you beat Johnny up. Or better yet, you ate all the food. Day / Night Cycle - According to the Holy Google, the daylight cycle is supposed to be 50/50, with dawn and dusk included. But it feels like it's dark more often than not, and you can't sleep through the night either. The sun is actually out for maybe 30 minutes, then it's dark again. There's so much more I could add, but not enough space on Steam to talk about it. The game is fun, but man, did the developers pack a lot of BS into this game to give you the illusion of "difficulty," which is not at all true. It's just annoying, and when stuff hits the fan, you're never saying to yourself, "Oh yeah, that's fair, I should've prepared more," and instead will leave you thinking, "Why did my 5 fire bombs do nothing to those armored zeds?" or "Why were there 7 ferals out of nowhere in the middle of this open field?"