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Zombie Apocalypse Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Zombie Apocalypse Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Left 4 Arcade

Playing off the phenomenal success of Valve’s Left 4 Dead, Nihilistic and Konami created a multiplayer shmup that’s wholly reminiscent of that title. While the level of complexity and intensity can’t come close to what’s on offer in Valve’s offering, Zombie Apocalypse is an arcade gem that will garner a loyal fan following. That being said, the game is woefully repetitive – the tedium that enters after an hour or so ends up tainting the overall experience. Still, the solid graphics, precise controls and feel, varied enemies and weapons, and co-op component make this game a keeper in spite of its shortcomings.

Zombie Apocalypse screenshot

Like a multitude of other arcade shmups currently available, the game is presented from a third-person, isometric perspective, and you control your selected survivor by running around with the left stick and unleashing gunfire with the right stick. Unlike some other arcade shmups out there, Zombie Apocalypse controls very precisely. Whether your executing devil-spawn with your chainsaw, unleashing a wall of lead from a mini-gun, or shaking off clinging zombies, the game just feels right.

Gameplay in Zombie Apocalypse consists of accruing high scores by wading through wave after shambling wave of brain-hungry zombies. Whether playing alone or with up to three other friends, players will accrue points by stringing kills together, saving uninfected survivors, and killing in style. If you take out enough of the rotting corpses, you’ll eventually pass to the next level, or day, as is the case in Zombie Apocalypse. Each day presents slightly different challenges such as throwing an unusual amount of zombies at you or having you save lots of uninfected. Regardless of what you have to deal with, killing your way to the next day with the most points possible is the only strategy you’ll have to worry about. This game is all about getting high scores, and there are several ways to boost your point tally.

Points are awarded for individual kills. Some zombie types (more on that later) are worth more than others, as they are more of a challenge to put down. If you string five kills together, you’ll add one point to your point multiplier. Get this multiplier up to high double digits and you’ll be racking up major points for every kill regardless of zombie type. If you’d like to get that multiplier up even quicker, you can perform an execution kill with your chainsaw by isolating a zombie and holding down on the left trigger. Every zombie that you kill in this way will award you with three points to the multiplier tally. While this is super rewarding, it is also quite risky, because letting zombies get that close to you leaves you vulnerable – I can’t tell you how many time I bit the dust because of greed. Worst of all, if you die, your multiplier goes back down to zero.

Zombie Apocalypse screenshot

In order to further mix things up, Zombie Apocalypse puts a big emphasis on using the environment around you. Sure, shooting through dead meat walls will give you points, but blasting a zombie into a jet turbine, a helo’s rotor, a scrap metal thresher, or simply igniting explosive barrels at just the right moment is stylish. As such, you’ll be awarded big points for using the environment to your advantage. Also, keeping uninfected survivors alive long enough so that a chopper can come and rescue them will give you big points. Successfully doing so will give a C4-loaded teddy bear known as Teddy Bear Bait. Throwing these explosive bears will give you a bit of breathing room, as zombies will flock to the little, pink, Teddy Ruxpin-like toy, eventually ending in a gore-strewn splat. If you can hold on to bears, using them very judiciously, each new bear that is dropped will give you a 100,000 point bonus. What’s more, if you managed to not get grabbed by zombies, or if you never died that day, you’ll be awarded with even more nice bonuses. Putting all these point-accruing techniques together and getting your name up on the leaderboard is definitely the game’s biggest attraction.

At the end of each day you’ll be treated to the results screen. The results screen keeps track of your zombie-killing prowess by measuring stats such as total kills, hazard kills, limbs removed, rescues, and bonuses. In this way, it is very easy to see which player is top dog, giving the game some competitive pop in addition to its cooperative bent. While the game is fun and challenging alone, playing with friends on the couch or online is where the title truly shines. Playing with other humans keeps things fresh, longer. If you try to marathon your way through the game alone, you’ll likely get burnt out.

Zombie Apocalypse screenshot

I really enjoyed the variety of weaponry in Zombie Apocalypse. As you advance through the game, new armament drops, which last only temporarily, become available to you. Rather than just sticking to the standard assault rifle, Zombie Apocalypse will give players a bunch of death-dealing toys with which to play. From grenade launchers to shotguns and flamethrowers, there are a lot of ways to make the walking dead even more dead. All of these weapons control uniquely, giving the game a bit more character.

The same is also true of the enemies in Zombie Apocalypse. There are a ton of different baddies with which you’ll have to deal, and they all have distinct characteristics. Shamblers are weak alone but tough in groups, and they get a lot tougher once they go radioactive. Pukers muck up the battlefield, slowing you down. Dodgers are good at avoiding your attacks, but they’re nothing a chainsaw can’t quickly take care of. Big Boys are bastards. They inevitably end up taking you down. That’s because they take a lot of hits before dying, and they can’t be shaken off if you let them get too close. Isolating them and timing a chainsaw execution does help to boost your multiplier though.

Zombie Apocalypse screenshot

Grannies are old hags that hurl kitchen knives at you. While they’re easy to dodge out in the open, getting caught near a crowd, close to a survivor, or in a puddle of puke can spell disaster. Sheriff zombies are a joke. Their shotgun blasts never get close enough to hurt you, and leading them into a crowd can have pretty funny results. Kamikaze zombies can be a real pain to deal with, as they come packing some serious TNT. It’s important to concentrate fire on them or lead them into a crowd of Shamblers, otherwise that’s all she wrote. Prom Queen zombies are perhaps the most annoying and disgusting because they make macabre projectiles out of their undead offspring. All in all, there’s a lot of interesting undead cannon fodder to blast through.

Graphically, the game is very solid. The action is well depicted and the gory animations are unnervingly satisfying. The available locations are all distinct and enjoyable. However, there are only seven of them recycled through 55 days of action. Though they’re initially fun to look at, they end up getting boring due to their overuse. Similarly, the aural presentation is solid, though it suffers from being repetitive as well. Menu music features an eerie piano melody that seems as if it were plucked right out of a quality horror film. The sparse voice work is very funny, but the end of level celebrations and even the taunts of the Teddy Bear Bait end up getting old. The sound effects buck the trend, however, as the groans, splats, and hollow thuds all fuel your bloodlust nicely.

Zombie Apocalypse is a noble effort to bring the Left 4 Dead phenomenon to a straightforward arcade shooter. Pretty much everything is done right, but it still can’t manage to transcend the mundane conventions of its genre. As such, expect to tire of this game after a few hours. Nevertheless, the co-op multiplayer experience, well-implemented theme, and arcade price means it’s a nice bit of valuable fun to pull out when your buddies come calling.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.6 Graphics
The gore-filled visuals and quality character design are enjoyable. This game needed a lot more environments, though – seven just doesn’t cut it. 4.5 Control
The no-frills, arcade shooter controls are even better than most, as weapons feel remarkably precise and unique from each other. 3.6 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The menu theme is great, and the sound effects fuel the action. Unfortunately, the humorous voice work gets repetitive. 3.5 Play Value
Despite its fun theme and engaging cooperative multiplayer action, 55 levels of zombie shooting becomes yawn-inducing. Still, the game’s production was well done, and the bargain price means you’ll find enough value. 3.5 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Killer Environments – Use the environmental hazards to crush, burn, slice, or cause many other types of destruction on the zombie masses.
  • Trigger-mortis – 11 devastating weapons are at your disposal to blow the heads of the living dead or when your trigger finger is tired use the chainsaw to eviscerate them in a more up close and personal manner.
  • 55 Days Later – Survive 55 days of battles across 7 environments and you will be rewarded with not becoming a brainless zombie.
  • Slaughter Zombies as a Team – Play with 4 players locally or via the internet and work as a team to rescue survivors and put down as many brain eaters as you can while competing for high scores.
  • More Zombie Modes – Re-live the apocalypse with 7 challenging unlockable game modes.

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