Review by Nitereaver
First off, lets keep in mind that I am a Zombie movie/game fan. So
when I heard about this game it went on my pre-order list at Gamecrazy.
Although the demo got some heat for being repetative, it really didnt
show the actuall game. Here's a quick review (although I have yet to
complete the game)
Gameplay: The basics of this game are simple
really. Your a journalist dropped in a mall to get the scoop on whats
going on. You have 72 hours until your ride comes back for you, so how
you spend your time is up to you. Now the core gameplay is hack and
slash. This might turn some people off, but it really doesnt get to
repetative. Alot of times, I didnt even bother killing zombies, just
ran around them to complete the mission I was on. This brings me to the
next part of the gameplay. While you can basically do whatever you
want, you run into survivors that add to the storyline. There are a few
storylines that run through the game and you can choose to uncover what
is going on, or you can just try to survive. Trying to survive is
actually pretty hard. When night rolls around you tend to run into huge
groups of zombies before you know what hit you. They also seem to be
more vicious at night. If you choose to do the missions, the game keeps
track of them as they are set on timers, and must be completed in a
certain amount of time. To make things easier, if you choose to do a
mission an arrow will lead you to the location (think crazy taxi).
Easier should be used lightly though, as alot of the missions are
escort missions, where you dont only have to protect yourself, but one
or more survivors as you guide them back to the safe point. Now, you
might think, how hard can that be, Mall's are not the big...well this
one IS. I still havent visited every area in the mall yet, and there is
an outside area as well. Another main aspect of the game, is your
proffession. Your a journalist, and therefore you have a camera with
you at all times. As you take pictures (and dispatch zombies/do
missions) you earn experience. You actually go up in levels as you
play, which opens up new attacks and moves, as well as raising up your
capacity for items, and amount of health you have. Dispatching zombies
can be an entertaining romp. As almost everything that isnt nailed down
can be used as a weapon. Not everything SHOULD be used, as things like
Nerf Blasters dont do anything but annoy the zombies..and make you
laugh. Some items, such as food and magazines are benificial items. Eat
the food, gain health, read (hold) a magainze, and depending on what it
is you get a special benefit. This game is basically a rip off of Dawn
of the Dead, but being a zombie movie fan, that is awesome to be able
to play through it.
Graphics: For the most part the graphics are good
but not outstanding. A little cleaner than the original Xbox could do,
but the main thing this game pushes is the amount of zombies on screen
at one time..with no slow-down. The cutscenes could have been done
better, but they work to move the story along.
Sound:
uuuuUUUUuuuuhhhhhhhh......mmmmmmmmmMMMMmmmm.....and all the other
Zombie sounds come out in beautiful dolby digital surround. You can
tell if there are some behind you just from the sound. The voice-overs
are done ok, although nothing to brag about. You also get the ambiant
mall music/advertisements during "mall hours".
Control: This can be a mixed bag. Your character
controls ok, but some of the items you use to dispatch the zombies can
be difficult to use. Aiming in 1st person is a pain too. Taking
pictures can be a pain when your in a desperate situation. I keep
hitting the camera button (L trigger) to pull up my 1st person
aim..often making me zombie chow. The problems with the controller is
probably just me, but the item use is just clumsy programming.
Final thought: This game is a must buy for every
Living Dead fan, even with its minor control issues. Being in a mall
surrounded by the living dead, being able to use whatever you want to
fight your way through them is just plain cool. Give it a rent if your
not that big of a zombie fan, but enjoy action games. If your not into
hack/slash games, there is still stuff in here for you, but be sure to
rent it first
- Gameplay: 8.5 / 10
- Graphics: 8 / 10
- Sound: 8 / 10
- Control: 7.5 / 10