Ah, zombies. I like zombie games, first we had plants versus zombies and now we have a more mature representation of the zombie demographic in digital format. What started out as an Unreal mod is now a full game purchasable through valve's steam distribution store and it is a lot of fun. The idea of the game is that you and five buddies must fight off wave after wave of blood thirsty zombies of various types. You have the regular shamblers that walk slowly towards you soaking up bullets alongside craftier incarnations all backed up by a super zombie every so often to stop you from getting too comfortable. It's a game of team organisation and bullet rationing. Let's have a look at some of the key points.
Graphics - This game is based on a slightly aging engine so this isn't going to exactly be cutting edge. Of course, this could also be viewed as a plus as it allows me to play it on my laptop. The zombies look really good and are distinctive as you you can see in the screenshot above. The super zombies are perfectly menacing with sinister grainy textures. The graphics in this game suit it perfectly. However, some of the zombies do look a little underdeveloped and I feel some of the models could be better had more work been put into them. All in all, it looks good but the graphics alone are not going to blow you away.
Sound - The sound is good, you have the zombie groans and sporadic death metal to get your pulse racing but of course in a game like this its the silence that can really get to you and that's in there too. All the characters are given corny British accents which gives it all a very b-movie feel. There could be more samples for variety but for what sound is here, it's excellent.
Game play - Game play consists of killing waves of zombies with gun shopping in between, you can also level up various "perks" which are kind of like classes in an RPG. So you are encouraged to, for example, heal team mates to level up your medic perk. The guts of it is zombie killing though and that is very very satisfying. Head shots are essential and you'll see plenty of brains flying about the place. You can also use the iron sights on your guns to line up shots so that gives it a nice semi realistic feel to it. Game play is solid and addictive and the maps are great.
The guys who will be tearing the flesh eating zombies off your back.
Weapons - There's a good selection of weapons here. Compared to left for dead, another zombie game where you only get to choose between two types of weapon, here you get a good collection of firearms. Hunting shotgun, ak-47, chainsaw, there's a lot to choose from and each is unique enough to make using it a different experience. I would have liked to see more of a progression with the weapons however, as it seems its not hard to be able to afford the best ones within only a few rounds. This of course changes with the difficulty level so it's not the end of the world.
Well, there's not too much more to say. The biggest question of course is how it stacks up to left for dead and I have to say, this is its own game. It's very very different with a very different feel. If you like zombie games, get them both. If you only get one, I'd say if money is at all an issue, get this one. It's definitely more bang for the buck and you won't be bothered by the griefers and whiny kids that plague left for dead.
This is a great game and ideal for an evening of zombie massacre.
80/100
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