Video Game Preview: 'All Zombies Must Die!'
There is little that is more satisfying than killin' zombies. And since the dead haven't risen (yet), we are left to battle them in video games. A new one is hitting the market this fall: All Zombies Must Die! which goes beyond your typical gory shoot-em-up.
All Zombies Must Die! is a combo third-person shooter and RPG. Up to four players can battle co-op as you fight your way through Deadhill. Play as gamer Jack, his ex-girlfriend, a mad scientist, or an alien. The game makes its debut on PSN, Xbox Live, and Steam this fall, but we got a hands-on look at an early build of the game.
Lead game designer David Dow walked us through the build, which takes Jack and a couple soldiers through a military zone. If you are just looking for some killing, then by all means, go for it. The RPG elements are largely secondary, and there is more than enough zombies to kill. Kill a targeted number of zombies to move on to new zones. Some zones offer quests that, if completed, will turn the area into a base of operations where you can take a minute to catch your breath and strategize. Besides the quests, role-play elements include random drops can be combined with weapons to create a unique arsenal. For example, firewood mixed with your shotgun creates a gun that shoots flaming bullets.
There are six "base" zombies, four "mutant" zombies, and a variety of other status effects. Shock zombies shake and twitch. If they are near a crazy zombie (complete with straightjacket), this already fast zombie will speed up. You can even build combos for luring the wrong kinds of zombies together. The graphics in AZMD are cartoony rather than monstrous or gory, and you never really get close enough to enjoy a good look at the zombies (at least, not in the build I saw). You will get splatters and splashes, but it is more comedic, which fits into the "jokey" vibe the developers were going for. Alien Luxo learns English from building blocks, comic books, and eventually, The Big Lebowski. "We just wanted Luxo to have an excuse to say ‘dude' a lot," Dow admitted.
All Zombies Must Die! isn't even out yet, but Dow and his team already have downloadable content planned. Besides new levels, quests, and weapons, Dow and his team plan to introduce a "death match" mode. By default, friendly fire is on. If your buddy shoots you, it will take you into a death match mode, where you two can duke out your differences. "We also wanted to make a drinking game out of it," admits Dow. "Shoot so many zombies, take a drink. But let me be clear: this is just an idea. We have no drinking game in the works." You heard it kids: don't drink and kill zombies.
