As someone who actually hails from Birmingham, UK, finding out there was a medieval zombie survival game set in my hometown was morbidly fascinating. Naturally, I had to check it out at Gamescom to see if there was actually anything from Birmingham in the game or if it was an unusual marketing ploy.
Playing a janky beta build under the watchful eyes of the developers while grappling with a mouse and keyboard (the real horror for my console gamer brain) was enough to scare me before I even saw my first zombie. But despite fumbling through the controls, trying to figure out how to equip an axe, and getting quickly humbled by the undead Brummies, I left genuinely looking forward to seeing more.
Surviving 14-century Brum
Developed in Unreal Engine 5, God Save Birmingham leans heavily into the deep, hardcore survival mechanics popularized by Project Zomboid. During my hands-on time, I quickly learned that fighting off the infected isn’t just about mindless button-mashing. You’ve got to manage a web of stats and status effects while keeping a close eye on your hunger, thirst, fatigue, and many, many injuries.
I stumbled getting to grips with the combat in places, but that was mostly down to my lack of keyboard skills. Armed with some medieval tools, you can target an enemy’s head for a crushing blow or take out their knees to topple them over. Items in the environment can be moved to block gaps, or a chair can be tossed as an improvised shield. I went from stumbling past box crates to hurling them at my enemies.
Of course, weapons wear down fast, doors take time to smash through (as the devs kindly guided me away from spending too long trying to break through a boarded-up window), and if you aren’t careful, you’ll find yourself battered, bruised, and desperately searching for shelter before night falls and Birmingham gets more horrifying.
A historically accurate apocalypse?
(Image credit: Ocean Drive Studio)
Now to the real reason I really wanted to attend this demo: I simply wanted to ask the team why on earth they had chosen Birmingham, of all the towns in the UK, to set their game?
The answer was simpler than I expected: not just that Birmingham already looks post-apocalyptic, but that when they were looking for a setting, it fit the bill. One that was manageable for their team size but possessed a rich enough medieval history to build upon. They settled on the humble Birmingham while sifting through extensive social research and historical materials published by the Birmingham Museum.
So contrary to my previous assumptions, it isn’t just called Birmingham for the hell of it; the team told me that they are striving for genuine historical authenticity and faithfulness to 14th-century Birmingham.
While they take some creative liberties here and there to ensure smoother gameplay flow, the city’s layout, architecture, and major infrastructure are meticulously researched using floor plans and historical data from the museum. In fact, if you manage to survive long enough in the build, you can actually track down work-in-progress landmarks like the historic Bull Ring and the iconic St Martin’s Church standing tall over the medieval streets.
I did not manage to last that long, which is more reason for me to actually play and see for myself when the game launches.
Offering my services for the purpose of historical preservation
God Save Birmingham is targeting an initial PC Early Access launch on Steam in 2027, with console ports being evaluated down the line. The most recent update and build on display has also added co-op mode so you can hack and slash at the dead with friends.
One small disappointment was that, while the dialogue is currently text-based, there was no Brummie accent in the game. The developers know where to find me if they want to cast a local. (I even do a pretty convincing Brummie zombie impression after a few pints).
Jokes aside, I look forward to playing it at my own pace, preferably with a controller in hand rather than sweating under a press-booth spotlight. I can’t wait to dive back in, test out the survival loops and take a semi-historically accurate tour of my hometown as it goes completely to hell.
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