ZombiU (WiiU) review

[JazzFunk]

Aaaaah, f*ck, I'll be getting a WiiU on my day off.....

[rmoxon]

I just realised that after a restart you sometimes see other players characters who've become zombies wandering about in this too. Which is quite helpful as if you are lucky they were carrying loads of stuff when they died.

Anyone know how this works exactly though? You don't steal the other players loot do you?

[BIG EDD]

Bugger can't wait to get cracking on this one machine stuck under the tv and I won't be able to play until Sunday night,damn you 12hr shifts

[Goemon]

Few hours into this, really enjoying it.

The use of the game pad is great, even with simple things like sorting your inventory. You start going through your backpack and you take your eyes off the game, which is actually a great paranoia technique! You're rooting through your pack and you suddenly hear a moan and your eyes are back on the tv like meerkat with a sign of danger!

It really is a good survival horror too. I'm eyeing zombies from the shadows and debating whether I should use some of my precious looted items or try and take them with the bat. The game really does make a it a more viable debate as you die soooooo fast if it goes wrong.

[MrMarbles]

I'm still utterly on the fence about getting this - I failed to get into Demon's Souls (and, as such, didn't buy Dark Souls) so those comparisons put me off a tad, but kind of like the overall sound of this (although wish it had some kind of co-op element to it).

During the times it encourages you to take your eyes off the screen to rifle through your backpack and the like, does the game cheat a little and spawn zombies into the area to ambush you, or does prudent play always keep you safe? Does cheesing it through areas work as a legitimate tactic? What's the story like? Are there any stand-out negatives to the game as a whole?

[rmoxon]

I'm still utterly on the fence about getting this - I failed to get into Demon's Souls (and, as such, didn't buy Dark Souls) so those comparisons put me off a tad, but kind of like the overall sound of this (although wish it had some kind of co-op element to it).

During the times it encourages you to take your eyes off the screen to rifle through your backpack and the like, does the game cheat a little and spawn zombies into the area to ambush you, or does prudent play always keep you safe? Does cheesing it through areas work as a legitimate tactic? What's the story like? Are there any stand-out negatives to the game as a whole?

The game rarely "cheats". Sometimes when you access keypads to open things like safes it may trigger a zombie attack, but these instances are quite rare. Whenever you do things like check your backpack you are safe as long as you have cleared the area of zombies, which is usually easy to know if you have done because the gamepad screen features a brilliant aliens style motion sensor.

The game really doesn't have much of a story, instead it focuses of atmosphere and it works really well, it has one of the best atmospheres in any game I have ever played. You will run into a few npc's that have their own stories, and find news paper clippings that give you some background info on the plot. But overall this is very much an old school game that lacks cinematic pretentions.

After extended play I have to say I can't find too many negatives with the game beyond the fact that movement is quite stiff and takes a while to get use too. This however seems to be intended by the developer as you are playing as characters who have no kind of weapons training, every time you die and start as a new character, you are told their name and their job, which is usually something like "school teacher" or "electrician". You aren't playing as super solders, so it makes sense that they don't control like one.

The game is very tough and that might put people off too, you can ease matters however by making sure you are online as you play, I think this is something that many reviewers who played the game early wont have realised. When other players die, their zombie can wander into your game and killing them will bag you any items that they had when they died. This is really handy, especially if you're like me and don't believe in using ammo sparingly.

You could also argue that the visuals are not as great as they could be, but they do their job well regardless of technical issues and again compliment the fantastic atmosphere that the game features.

[MrMarbles]

Thanks for the reply - you're definitely selling it to me, it sounds like a pretty unique experience which I feel obliged to try!

Still kind of in the dark with regard to the actual aim of the game and the overall structure of it - the EG review was pretty vague about this, suggesting backtracking and learning areas. Is this purely down to restarting from the previous safe room after death, or does the game's structure necessitate retreading old ground?

In a nutshell, is it ultimately an A-to-B linear story broken up into safe rooms that act as checkpoints?

[Kieran76]

Stupidly got one of my survivors killed right outside the safe house, I had to despatch him with the cricket bat, now his headless corpse is on the floor right outside the front door as a reminder of my cack handed playing skills.

[rmoxon]

Thanks for the reply - you're definitely selling it to me, it sounds like a pretty unique experience which I feel obliged to try!

Still kind of in the dark with regard to the actual aim of the game and the overall structure of it - the EG review was pretty vague about this, suggesting backtracking and learning areas. Is this purely down to restarting from the previous safe room after death, or does the game's structure necessitate retreading old ground?

In a nutshell, is it ultimately an A-to-B linear story broken up into safe rooms that act as checkpoints?

The game features a main safe room which acts as a central hub where you can access other areas of London by using man-holes as shortcuts. While other safe rooms dotted around the city act merely as a place to save your game and upgrade weapons, the main safe room is where your character spawns whenever you die.

There is very little backtracking in the game, and it's easy enough to get to previously visited areas through the shortcut system that even when a bit of backtracking is required it is never too long before you're in a new area again. I think the game is very well structured.

The game does have a linear central story that basically takes you from location to location, but you will want to revisit your main safe room often to store items and check CCTV cameras for supplies. You can revisit any areas you like if you wish to loot more items, but it is in no way required.

[MrMarbles]

Ahh, cheers - that clarifies things much more. Thanks again! I'm pretty persuaded as everyone seems to be enjoying it - the mixed critic reception raised alarm bells but I can't say I pay much attention to "professional" reviews any more.

[Brad]

Re: ZombiU (WiiU) review

You want me to tell you what I think of a game for free? No problem. You want to pay me? Sure. what do you want me to say?

Trust the reviews on here. It's the only safe way. I trust that ZombiU is a good game because everyone here who has played it says so. IGN can gtf.

[Goemon]

From what ive seen so far I personally won't consider it as difficult as dark souls. The comparisons I would make is that you have to take your time and play smart, if you don't then you're dead. Old school resi games were like this too.

[Kieran76]

From what ive seen so far I personally won't consider it as difficult as dark souls. The comparisons I would make is that you have to take your time and play smart, if you don't then you're dead. Old school resi games were like this too.

Indeed, to me this the perfect antidote to the awful Resi 6.

[originalbadboy]

Love it .. Best Zombie game in ages ... First survivor lasted about 45mins ... I then went through about 20 in the same amount of time!!

Reminds me of condemned which is a good thing. Rock hard though, which is why it got crap reviews.

Also this whole debate about using the Gamepad being a distraction may be true on some games but not on this. The way I see it is that its up to you when you use the Gamepad so its risk vs reward in a way.

[BIG EDD]

Love it .. Best Zombie game in ages ... First survivor lasted about 45mins ... I then went through about 20 in the same amount of time!!

Reminds me of condemned which is a good thing. Rock hard though, which is why it got crap reviews.

Also this whole debate about using the Gamepad being a distraction may be true on some games but not on this. The way I see it is that its up to you when you use the Gamepad so its risk vs reward in a way.

Same here tried my first playtime last night and I lasted over an hour with my first character and when I came out of the supermarket the intruder alarm got activated and I panicked ran down an alley and was joined by four zombies with no room to swing a catfollowed by the inevitable biting to death scene.Then woke up in the safe house with the prepper shouting there's a horde of zombies on your front door followed by about 9 deaths whilst trying to clear my defences
This game definitely is not for the faint hearted,it's tough,it's compelling but most of all ITS FUN