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God Save Birmingham Hands-On Coming to PAX West – Medieval Zombies With a Physics Twist

God Save Birmingham Hands-On Coming to PAX West – Medieval Zombies With a Physics Twist

G
GAIAAugust 18, 2025
4 min read
Gaming

Few things catch my eye faster than a survival game with a weird twist, and God Save Birmingham is definitely not your average zombie shooter. There’s something about “medieval British market town, but with zombies” that just hits different-a mix of Monty Python and Resident Evil, with a dash of physics-based chaos. The fact that Ocean Drive Studio is giving showgoers a hands-on at PAX West (Aug 29 to Sep 1, 2025) tells me they’re confident in what they’ve built. But does this zombie romp look like another flash-in-the-pan meme game, or does it have the teeth to bite through the swarm of survival titles crowding Steam?

  • Hands-on demo at PAX West could show if the physics-centric gameplay brings real novelty or just chaos.
  • Ocean Drive Studio’s pedigree is in tactical RPGs-can they stick the landing jumping genres?
  • The medieval Birmingham setting and historical detail hint at more than mindless zombie action.
  • “Wishlist on Steam” tells us this is a core PC experience with indie ambition.

From Tactical RPGs to Zombie Mayhem: Can Ocean Drive Pull This Off?

Here’s what piqued my curiosity: Ocean Drive Studio isn’t just pumping out another generic shooter here. Their first game, Lost Eidolons (a tactical RPG with Fire Emblem vibes), got a respectful nod from strategy fans, if not glory. Now, instead of playing it safe, they’re strip-mining English history for something pressure-cooked, bizarre, and-if done right—actually fresh.

The zombie genre has been resurrected more times than I can count, but what you almost never see is a serious effort at a historical setting. “Carefully reconstructed 14th-century Birmingham” is a bold promise. If the developers manage even half-decent authenticity—real architecture, period props, maybe plague-era black humour—it’ll give the survival gameplay more flavor than most.

Screenshot from God Save Birmingham
Screenshot from God Save Birmingham

Physics-Driven Mayhem, Not Just Headshots

Forget the usual arsenal of guns and molotovs. From the press blurb, God Save Birmingham is banking on physics for both tension and slapstick. Picture stacking market stalls and barrels to block a horde, or baiting shuffling corpses into falling over a pig trough—if the controls are tight, this could spark some seriously creative improvisation. On the flip side, too many “physics survival” games get bogged down in floaty action or repetitive sandbox tedium. Hands-on demos at shows like PAX are usually a solid test; if the booth is buzzing and players are actually laughing (or cursing) while things fall apart, that’s a strong sign the fundamentals are working.

I’m also watching to see if the “sole survivor” angle will ramp up the tension, or if it’ll just feel empty and bland over time. A lot rides on atmosphere—the medieval setting isn’t enough unless the game nails oppressive soundscapes and memorable details to draw players in. Without it, you’ve just got a physics toybox with a gimmick.

Screenshot from God Save Birmingham
Screenshot from God Save Birmingham

What Makes God Save Birmingham Worth Watching?

For all the zombie fatigue in gaming, the genre keeps moaning back to life because it can be a perfect playground for player-driven stories. If God Save Birmingham successfully blends historical immersion, emergent physics gameplay, and black comedy, it could cut through the pack. Think about the viral chaos of Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, but with higher stakes—or the desperate scrabble of Project Zomboid, but with medieval wattle-and-daub instead of modern strip malls.

The Steam-first approach (and the “Wishlist Now!” noise) says they’re targeting that indie-survival crowd who don’t mind a rough edge as long as the systems are strong. The fact that Kakao is backing this (publishers of Odin: Valhalla Rising, among others) hints at some real resources behind the weirdness, too—even if they’re still an unknown in Western survival circles.

Screenshot from God Save Birmingham
Screenshot from God Save Birmingham

Looking Ahead – Hype or Hidden Gem?

Will God Save Birmingham click with players, or will it get buried under genre heavyweights and meme fodder? The proof will be in the hands-on—PAX will separate the novelty seekers from those who stick around for the gameplay loop. If the physicality feels as good as promised and the world oozes enough personality, this could be the kind of surprise survival game worth rooting for. But if the physics don’t land or the historical twist gets old fast, expect a quick shuffle to the Steam graveyard.

TL;DR

God Save Birmingham is medieval zombies with a physics-powered core—more than a meme if the execution works, but it’s still all up for grabs. Fingers crossed the PAX hands-on proves Ocean Drive can do weird, brutal, and fun all at once.

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