PC lands free taster of open-world zombie adventure that feels like a co-op The Last of Us

Steam Next Fest is well and truly underway - and it’s home to a new open-world zombie adventure that’s oozing with The Last of Us appeal.

The Last of Us is strictly a single-player franchise outside of the original entry’s Factions mode and the cancelled multiplayer spin-off that’ll never see the light of day.

Admittedly, it’s the right move; single-player storytelling is what the franchise does best.

That being said, it would be awesome to be able to team up with a buddy in The Last of Us Part II’s No Return mode.

While that will likely never happen, you do get a sense of what a co-op take on The Last of Us might look like in the upcoming Steam offering Never Be Alone.

Play through Never Be Alone’s opening 10 missions for free

Developed by indie developers Jonas Jensen and Wes Larkin, the title is scheduled to launch on December 8 but has a free demo available to sample now as part of Steam Next Fest.

Never Be Alone is playable both solo and via co-op and is set 10 years after the outbreak of a zombie virus.

It very much borrows that The Last of Us aesthetic of nature reclaiming man-made structures although here, hyperealism is switched out for almost Minecraft-esque polygonal graphics.

The player character awakens from a coma inside a safe zone but supplies in this sanctuary are limited.

Beast Studios

To earn your place, you’re tasked with venturing beyond the safe zone’s walls, looting supplies as you explore, look for clues about your past, and face off against both infected and fellow survivors.

It’s teased that the “world reacts to what you do” with missions, conversations, and outcomes all changing depending on “your actions, the weather, the time of day, and the people you save - or fail to save”.

The Steam Next Fest demo grants you access to the opening 10 missions of Never Be Alone and you may want to play through the demo a couple of times.

That’s because there are eight different ways events can play out with two potential major outcomes, so there’s the freedom to try things a different way.

When the game launches in early access on December 8, it’ll have three islands available for players to explore with this demo set on just one.

There’s a fully-voiced story-driven campaign - and that co-op mode we mentioned? There’s no fixed player limit. Developers note that it depends on the host computer and internet connection.

“Whether you play alone, as a duo, or with a larger group, cooperation can mean the difference between making it home and becoming another body beside the road,” it’s teased.

You can play via first and third-person perspectives, so it really feels like the game has been crafted in a way that it’s appealing to a wide variety of preferences.

READ MORE: The Last of Us Part 2 intense first-person mode feels like an 'entirely different game'

Players can clearly see the game’s potential even if there’s a few kinks to iron out

The reception to the demo has been mixed, but this is an early demo of a game that’s yet to land in early access, so you can understand why a couple of performance issues are being highlighted.

Clearly, though, the bones of something promising are here.

“I had fun playing the demo and can feel its potential. I can't wait to see what is to come in December's EA. For me, it's particularly nice to see a zombie sandbox game getting a story on top of it, and I'm looking forward to finding more about this apocalypse and our character,” wrote one player.

Another added: “Been eyeballing this game for a while, potential seems very high.”

It shouldn’t take you much more than an hour to play through this one, so check it out if you fancy before Steam Next Fest draws to a close on Monday, October 26.