God Save Birmingham New Preview: This Medieval Zombie Apocalypse Is Steadily Finding Its Vision — Gaming

Key Preview Takeaways:

Setting off a zombie apocalypse during medieval times is a fantastic hook.
The survival aspects in this realism-aimed world works in Birmingham’s favor.
Combat in particular is much-improved since the last preview build.

Zombie apocalypses have certainly been a popular setting for many a game, and it's one that most players know very well. But the open-world survival horror game God Save Birmingham approaches it a bit differently with its main hook. Instead of a modern-era zombie apocalypse filled with tall buildings, firearms, and other modern conveniences, it asks a different question: what would happen if a zombie outbreak occurred in the Middle Ages?

With God Save Birmingham, players have to figure out how to survive swarms of zombies invading the English countryside, first utilizing common farm tools and basic goods, and then steadily building up to crafting proper knightly gear and real fortifications. Developer Ocean Drive Studios, Inc. has been steadily fine-tuning the concept since the game's public debut in 2024, with more players getting access in early playtests to refine it further. We recently got some hands-on time with an updated build at PAX West 2026, and God Save Birmingham's concept of a medieval zombie survival game – and the stronger narrative foundations – is starting to bear fruit.

In early hands-on and playthroughs around its debut, God Save Birmingham featured a fairly bare-bones narrative, mostly relying on its medieval zombie apocalypse hook to do the heavy lifting. The recent build I played offered proper onboarding for its concept, focusing on the protagonist waking up in the town's infirmary and church well after the outbreak has kicked off. In a similar vein to The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later, you play as a lone survivor in this medieval zombie apocalypse, and the first goal is to quickly leave the one safe room in a building filled with zombies and find whatever supplies you can along the way during the escape.

Escaping the infirmary was a decent tutorial of Birmingham's physics-based actions and movement, but it also set the mood effectively.

Escaping the infirmary was a decent tutorial of Birmingham's physics-based actions and movement, but it also set the mood effectively. Along with getting the basic feel of its physics and movement system, which really gives a sense of weight and heft to all actions, I had to carefully secure as many supplies as I could – and even some basic clothing. As the lone survivor, all of the townsfolk have turned, leaving the infirmary and the surrounding village to be a zombie-infested nightmare. Getting outside, while totally necessary, also opened up a whole host of problems I had to deal with.

It's an effective opening. Even though it is still very much a zombie apocalypse experience, the medieval setting, along with the scattered journals from priests and townsfolk speaking of the outbreak as a religious reckoning of Hell breaking out on earth, makes this particular take feel more grounded and unnerving than most other survival games. I really appreciated that there's not only better narrative backing to draw you in, but also that Birmingham's revamped journal gives basic direction on what to do next. My preview build also does a much better job of getting players into the flow and concepts across, which makes the lead-up to the familiar, mostly hands-off approach of letting players make their own way through the world feel more natural.

To that end, God Save Birmingham really leans into the survival aspect of its core gameplay. It clearly emphasizes that you'll need to craft bandages to mend wounds, avoid exhaustion and anxiety, consume food and water, and, of course, get some sleep when you can. All of this, of course, while scrounging for precious supplies and avoiding the zombies nipping at your heels. Project Zomboid's influence shows in God Save Birmingham's visually detailed world, which prioritizes realism above all.

Another big improvement in God Save Birmingham is its core combat and physics systems, which let you grab objects and move and adjust them freely. While there's a ton of amusement to be had with grabbing crates and ladders and smacking them against approaching zombies, there's also careful management needed for maintaining your stamina. Stamina management is critical in God Save Birmingham, as a winded protagonist leaves him vulnerable. When carefully managed, you can carry ladders and place them in spots to reach higher vantage points, block doorways, and yes, use your energy to smack ladders against zombies.

The combat is also much improved in the current build of God Save Birmingham, which feels a bit more natural and easier to engage with – as opposed to earlier builds that felt like they were deliberately making the combat clunky to stay in step with the realism they're going for. All weapons have unique animations that define their attack style, power, and range. For instance, a pitchfork is all about keeping distance from enemies, and it's more precision-based with its strikes. Hatchets are close-range weapons, and they have a wider arc to make it easier to land strikes. In keeping with the growth found in survival games, the more you use a particular weapon, the better the protagonist will be at using it.

Given my limited demo time, I spent most of my session collecting resources – particularly finding food, as the lone survivor was mostly famished throughout my playthrough. Once I gathered spring water and tons of apples to consume, I made my way into a tucked storage area in a back alley of a village square. After using my pitchfork to dispatch three zombies that followed along, I lifted three crates to block an opening and hid in the corner. The sun was going down, and I huddled near a fire lit in the corner of the room, still holding my pitchfork. I heard more zombies outside the home; they likely heard me moving in the building or were trailing behind me on the way over. Just as I was preparing to eat leftover chicken on a nearby counter, the demo ended.

That's what I ended up liking most about God Save Birmingham: it really captured the tone of a compelling survival horror game, where every escape has a story behind it.

That's what I ended up liking most about God Save Birmingham: it really captured the tone of a compelling survival horror game, where every escape has a story behind it. It's still in its early stages, certainly, and the developers are steadily getting a firmer handle on their vision for a medieval-era zombie apocalypse. Recently, the team announced that co-op play will be available in the full game, which unfortunately wasn't playable in the PAX West demo. Still, it's a great addition to come, and having a buddy along with your adventures can really make this survival horror experience feel a bit less isolating.

The developers at Ocean Drive Studios, Inc. have a great concept here, there’s no question. While I found the early builds somewhat uninteresting in execution, the latest build offers a better tone and a reason to feel more invested in this survival story. Hopefully, with more time and more feedback from new players jumping into the early playtests, God Save Birmingham's open-world survival horror experience will steadily become one that's worth keeping an eye on.

While you're here, check out these recent previews of other big upcoming games we've checked out recently!

Alessandro Fillari is a longtime games media professional. Talk video games with him on BlueSky at @afillari.bsky.social.