PSN Review – Zombie Apocalypse
There is no doubt that zombie games are fun, hence the major rise in the release of titles dealing with our undead friends over the years. Zombie Apocalypse is a dual-stick shooter that was developed by Nihilistic Software and published by Konami. The game has been compared countless times to a PSN favorite, Burn, Zombie, Burn!. While they are both zombie titles that use both analog sticks, and each are a blast to play, Zombie Apocalypse has a grittier feel.
The premise of the title is simple: a zombie outbreak has occurred, and it is your job to stop it with your choice of weapon. When starting a new game, you will be given the choice of four different characters. This is all a matter of personal choice, since they don’t really provide any real benefits over one another.
You will begin on Day 1 and progress through each individual day as you survive. There are a total of 55 days to go through, not including the other modes within the game. As you accomplish certain things throughout the game, it will unlock extra modes in the game such as Chainsaws Only and Blackout(darker screen). One drawback to the title is that after 7 days, you will begin revisiting maps, but this time with new enemies. While not a huge deal, it gets a little bland having only 7 maps to playthrough. The positive thing is that the different enemies that you will encounter keep the experience fresh because you never know what is coming.
The title is a dual stick arcade style shooter through and through; simply use the left stick to move and the right stick to shoot; a simple yet effective design. Killing five zombies without dying will add a multiplier to your combo, but if your character dies, then your combo resets and starts back at 0.
The game features a total of 10 weapons, including a C4 stuffed teddy bear that acts like zombie bait, which is great for getting that combo up quickly. The weapon drops in the level are random, but to earn a C4 teddy bear, you must defend a survivor until they drop a flare and their rescue arrives. The environment can be used to take out zombies as well; exploding barrels, firecrackers, and spinning helicopter blades all can be used to take out your flesh eating enemies.
Gaining more lives can be accomplished by simply scoring more points. This sounds easier than it is though, especially when you have a hundred or so zombies coming at you. But if a zombie does happen to get a hold of your character, simply move the left thumbstick rapidly, and your character will shake them off, a tactic which works until you are overwhelmed or attacked by a larger zombie.
You must constantly keep your eyes peeled when playing the game, and it gets pretty hectic at times. Some of the other enemies include knife wielding grandmas, which are one hit kills when they hit you with their throwing knives, puking zombies which will slow you down when having to walk through their glow in the dark vomit, and agile zombies that will simply shift around the bullets you are shooting at them.
The multiplayer is where the title really shines. There is both local and online multiplayer available to you, so the choice is up to you. There are up to four players allowed in a multiplayer match. You will be able to work together to progress through the game, taking out zombie after zombie, and the title will keep track of each of the players’ scores separately so they can be compared after each round.
While zombie games are a dime a dozen, this one is a worth a purchase to add to your PSN library. With the amount of fun you will have within the multiplayer, it will keep you entertained for hours. The gritty and dark nature to the title is a warm welcome that adds a bit of realism to the mix, considering that the only other zombie shooter on the PSN for the PS3 is Burn, Zombie, Burn! which takes a more comical approach to the genre.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
A great dual stick shooter that will keep you entertained for hours Dark and gritty look of the title is a definite plus Only has 7 maps that will begin to repeat |
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8 Responses to “PSN Review – Zombie Apocalypse”
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November 19th, 2009 at 10:34 AM
I dont know. I hated this game compared to a game like Burn Zombie Burn. The gameplay in this is just way to repetitive and not fun to me.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
@Nyghtcraler
thats how feel..
November 19th, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Are you guys editing this review when Dead Nation comes out and you realize that this game is actually a piece of crap?
Just saying….
I found the demo to be lack luster at best, and had nothing to it that interested me in the slightest.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:50 PM
i actually found the demo to be fun and it had something that Burn Zombie Burn should have had, online.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:09 PM
why so much hate for zombie apocalyspe? I bought this and burn zombie burn and i think their both awesome games, the envioment kills and a better list of trophies gives this an edge of BZB.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Can’t you kill zombies by knocking them into a jet turbine on one of the levels?
11/19/2009 at 9:57 PM
Yes, yes you can.
November 19th, 2009 at 5:57 PM
the demo was enough for me
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Nice, i love muliplayer games, and this sounds excellent for an easy, no brain gaming session