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ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE REVIEW Posted by PlayDevil.com Staff on Dec 29, 2009 14:18 (Dec 29, 2009 14:18) |
Written by: Mark
 Introduction:
It seems that a massive amount of XBLA games released in this day and age are twin stick shooters and this is no surprise as the formula is now tried and tested and proves a success in the majority of releases.
Now Japanese developer 'Konami' has entered the fray with their latest XBLA game and have utilised this control system combined with zombies which it seems has been the console enemy of choice in 2009.
Taking this into consideration surely "Zombie Apocalypse" will be a game which proves to be a hit.
Gameplay:
Upon starting the game similarities are instantly recognisable between Zombie Apocalypse and the retro classic Smash TV. By this I refer to the fact that each level takes place on a single screen with at times ridiculous amounts of enemies on screen at any one time. The major difference is that the main story in Zombie Apocalypse is broken down into fifty five days in which your player has to survive attacks and each of these takes place in seven different environments.
The actual game plays rather well and features some pretty good interactive environments along with weapon upgrades all of which can be used to inflict more vicious and for the most part enjoyable attacks on the enemy.
 In addition to the usual weapons at your disposal the player is equipped with a chainsaw as standard and this can be used to slice and dice the zombies or carry out the riskier yet more enjoyable executions. If things are getting tricky which undoubtedly they will you also have zombie bait which can be thrown across the environment to buy some breathing space and take the heat out of the more trickier situation. It is when using this bait you begin to see that the game sets out to not take itself too seriously as this comes in the form of a talking teddy bear. Whilst this may sound strange it does add a nice amount of humour and proves a nice distraction all be it for a minor moment from the intense action.
Although the action is constant I have to say that it can become repetitive fairly quickly which is a shame really as the game certainly throws up a tough challenge. It appears that Zombie Apocalypse has gone for the low risk side of the twin stick genre and despite the inclusion of the chainsaws, zombie bait and over the top violence and gore it just falls short of being a great game in the vain of Geometry Wars 2 or Rocket Riot which in my opinion are still the two best twin stick shooters available.
Graphics & Sound:
You can instantly tell that the game is an XBLA release with it’s graphical presentation. This is not to say that things are bad, far from it, as the characters are nicely animated with the zombies looking good if unspectacular. The playing environments are well designed with plenty of options for interaction which can only be a good thing.
 The in game sounds are pretty well done and add a sense of excitement and intensity although they rarely give any feeling of tension. Taking into consideration the cost of the game then I will say that for a budget release things have been done well although perhaps could have been done a little better particularly in comparison with many other recent XBLA releases.
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