Zombies!!

Zombies are everywhere are they not ? almost seems that every game developer wants to have a crack at the zombie genre in some way or another. This post will be discussing a few different zombie games and why I either like or hate them, maybe both.

The first games come under the mixed genre of Zombie/RPGs. Two genres that in my opinion do not belong together as when I am fighting the hordes of the undead I couldn't care less about my STRENGTH RATING!. Dead Island would be an example of a RPG zombie game that on a gameplay level failed in almost every section. The characters moved in a way that was about as fluid as a Cyberman on Doctor Who and attacked in a way that was half as lethal. Attacking in that game wasn't annoying at first but coupled with the sluggish movement I found that it was best not to bother. What this game did do well was create a unique tropical environment that I haven't seen in another video game. When I played it I thought to myself "This is a nice beach.... why is that zombie in a straight jacket... and why is he so tall?"

Dead Rising is another video game that merges Zombies and RPGs together but this is my example of when it is done well. Movement and combat is simple and fluid with every game having a different environment to roam around in. These games don't have the added element of multiple characters with each specializing in certain areas like Dead Island, you could use pretty much any weapon effectively.  Boss battles are one of my favorite aspects of this game as they are difficult not because the controls are sluggish but the bosses themselves are difficult. Each one is different and remember-able, a clown in the first dead rising springs to mind as he chases the player through the children s section of the mall juggling chainsaws, something so random it makes the player ask wtf ?

The next genre is First Person Shooters with the obvious franchise springing to mind being Left4Dead. L4D is one of the most enjoyable zombie games I have played for its level of over the top violence, team emphasis and the large amounts of zombies. In regards to over the top violence L4D sports a range of weapons that usually wouldn't be seem ripping gaping holes through torsos. Against the zombies of L4D however the player is able to take away limbs, heads, tear holes through chests and so on with the simplest of guns. Team work is a real aspect of L4Ds gameplay whether its with a human being or the games AI the player will need someone to help him. As for the large amounts of zombies to deal with its always fun to blast through large hordes isn't ? for the slightly more bloodthirsty my recommendation would be the Katana, just equip that and have at it.

Zombies in comic book format like the walking dead for example are different to other genres. In the walking dead by telltale games an emphasis is based more on story and character development than shooting guns. The player taking taking control of a man called Lee Everett must make decisions to solve all the problems the plot throws at you. These decisions decide how characters react to you later on in the show and have some sort of affect to the story as well. The interface is a classic point and click interface that requires the player to click on parts of the screen for the character to react which is basic but does force the player to really keep an eye out to solve problems.

State Of Decay is the last zombie game that I will be talking about. State Of Decay is an open world survival game with survival not being in the sense of Resident Evil but in the sense of collecting supplies. The player takes control of multiple characters and control over a base where the survivors stay. This games takes aspects of multiple genres and throws them together to form a small masterpiece that is both entertaining and provides hours of gaming. In story terms its less entertaining but for me that was one of the good points because its not about finding the person behind the virus or fighting evil corporations its accepting what has happened and finding a way to live