Game Review: Zombie Apocalypse
Stars and Stripes
Oct 23, 2009
Most real Americans can't get enough of zombies.
Whenever we're not watching Woody Harrelson serenade a brain-eating ghoul on the banjo, we're blasting away at them with our own digital shotguns.
Those who don't understand our fascination can play "Animal Crossing" or "Wii Fit." "Zombie Apocalypse" is for the rest of us.
The M-rated shooter was developed by Nihilistic for Konami and is available for download on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation network for about $10.
It's basically a mindless throwback to an earlier era of video gaming. You and up to three friends are presented with a top-down view of a map that's filled with different kinds of zombies. It's your job to grab weapons and shoot, cut or blast your way to survival. An occasional survivor will pop up screaming for help and offer an award of bonus points.
In the basic game, you try to survive through 55 days of assaults. Some foes are your typical shambling brain-eaters. Some dance. Others carry shotguns or dynamite.
The game controls are simple, one knob controls where you run and one controls where you shoot. Buttons will activate your chainsaw.
This simplicity, as well as a limited variety of maps, makes for some pretty dull gaming if you're a loner. However, if you have friends join you online or - even better - on the same screen, you'll love it.
The graphics - which seem to owe a lot to the popular "Left 4 Dead' - are good for a downloadable game. However, they are extremely gruesome. For example, rocket launchers are guaranteed to send body parts flying far and wide.
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Copyright 2009 by Stars and Stripes
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