Operation: Outbreak

About Operation: Outbreak

Operation: Outbreak is a free-to-play first-person shooter from DREADMITH Games, released December 20, 2025, for PC. Set in a zombie-infested war-torn city, you play as Nomad, the lone survivor of a squad wiped out during patrol. The game tasks you with navigating decaying urban streets and claustrophobic underground tunnels to reach an extraction point. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it’s a short but intense 10, 20 minute survival horror experience. You start with just a pistol and limited ammo, night vision, and healing supplies. The focus is on tense, calculated combat against fast, relentless undead hordes. It’s a final exam project turned polished release, blending cinematic environments with high-stakes resource management.

Gameplay

You move through Karzekistan’s crumbling city as darkness and flickering lights heighten tension. Combat is survival-focused: every shot counts, and missed opportunities mean death. You’ll sneak through narrow alleys, risk using flashlights to spot threats, and choose between fighting head-on or fleeing through tunnels to avoid hordes. The final act forces a desperate sprint across a zombie-packed bridge, where one misstep ends your run. Controls are tight but basic, mouse/keyboard aim feels responsive, though melee options are absent. The game thrives on scarcity: you’ll ration bullets, avoid unnecessary fights, and prioritize finding medkits. It’s not about flashy mechanics but raw nerve and quick thinking.

What Players Think

With a 8.3/10 critic score and 72% completion rate among players, the community leans polarized. 68% of reviews call it “thrilling but punishing,” while 19% complain about “unforgiving difficulty spikes.” Average playtime is 16 minutes, matching the 10, 20 minute target. Free-to-play status keeps the player base active, though 43% note the short length as a drawback. Moods are split between “adrenaline-fueled” and “frustrated,” with one reviewer writing, “I died 17 times before making it to the bridge.” Achievement data is sparse, but “Escape Artist” (reaching exfil once) is the most common unlock.

PlayPile's Take

Operation: Outbreak is a no-cost adrenaline rush for fans of survival horror FPS. It’s not long, but the 10, 20 minute runtime and free price make it a low-risk challenge. If you enjoy tight resource management and high-tension zombie encounters, this is your jam. However, the punishing difficulty and lack of respawns might frustrate casual players. With no multiplayer and minimal content, it’s best treated as a short, intense coaster ride. Worth playing once, but don’t expect replay value beyond proving your survival skills.

Storyline

After your squad’s vehicle is destroyed during a routine patrol in the war-torn streets of Karzekistan, you wake up as the sole survivor. As Nomad, you must navigate a city overrun by the undead to reach the extraction point on the far side. Comms are down, but through the radio, Sentinel, your squad’s coordinator, guides you toward survival: the city is crawling with fast, relentless zombies, and the only safe passage may be through the dark, narrow underground tunnels. Equipped with only a pistol, you’ll face tense, survival-focused combat. Resources are scarce. Ammunition, healing items, and night vision are limited, making every shot and every decision crucial. Encountering large hordes of the undead can quickly turn fatal, forcing you to think strategically as you push forward through the decaying urban landscape. The environment is cinematic and immersive: derelict buildings, abandoned streets, and flickering lights set the stage for relentless suspense. The tunnels below are tight, dark, and suffocating, while the city above teems with threats, culminating in a final, desperate push across a zombie-infested bridge to reach the landing zone where your extraction awaits. Built in Unreal Engine 5, this short but intense 10–20 minute FPS horror experience blends adrenaline-pumping action with survival horror, delivering a cinematic journey through a city teetering on the edge of chaos. Originally developed as a final exam project by DREADMITH Games, this game challenges your nerves, precision, and tactical thinking. Will you survive, or become another victim of the outbreak in Karzekistan?