Saturday, December 29, 2012

ZombiU Review Summary and Trailer

ZombiU Box Art
 
 

A launch title for the Wii U, ZombiU is survival horror first person shooter developed by Ubisoft Montpellier. 

Plot:
A great plague has descended upon London, infecting the human race with a deadly disease. How long will you survive in the labyrinth of London streets and underground as the infected close in around you? As you Assume the roles of various survivors during the game, the horrifying remains of humanity shuffle through the streets, waiting to prey on your living flesh ...

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Gameplay:
A very steep learing curve, one bite sees you joining the undead, however in a neat twist you simply take on the role of another survivor, allowing you to return to kill your former self and collect your lost inventory.  During normal play the gamepad is used to manage inventory and display a map of the area. The touchscreen is used for barricading doors, hacking combination locks etc. Holding the pad screen parallel to your tv allows you to scan the immediate area, very nifty for those sniper shots... though you are left defenceless in this mode, which is where a spare eye on the tv comes in handy.

Reception:
Polar opposites from the  reviewers, a love or hate title, but with universal recommendations for survival horror fans.  Despite this the game scores a very favourable 77% on Metacritic

What the developers said
"ZombiU will send shivers of fear and excitement up and down your spine in equal measure: it's the perfect showcase for what the Wii U is all about."

Quote of the Bunch:
It is unforgiving and brutal, but in the best of ways that challenges players to carefully consider each step. Digital Spy

Reviews Summary
It's a fantastically tense horror experience
A weak link in the Wii U's launch lineup
High difficulty and asymmetrical gameplay ideas deliver an intense experience
Slow and methodical, designed to build tension rather than pump adrenaline
Fundamentally difficult, repetitive and boring.
Not so impressive graphics, lack of online multiplayer
The perfect Wii U launch game for adult gamers
Good ideas are sadly spoiled by poor action and an average technical execution
Fans disenchanted with Capcom's Resident Evil series will find much to love in ZombiU

Official Website

4 comments:

GamingAles said...

Wow such a mixed bag of quotes. I'm still tempted for a Wii U but not sure I can justify the expense :( Oh what to do!?!

Unknown said...

Mixed indeed, makes you wonder if the reviewers were playing the same title. Must try an instore demo, thinking that pad might not be as cosy in the hands s it looks.

Rogermoore said...

I got this game and I can say that many reviewers\editors did not understood the purpose of this game. It´s a survival game, not an ordinary FPS. Most criticism came from unprofessional editores that expect this to be something like Left4Dead or Call Of Duty, but it isn´t. The game is a little glitchy, it sure lacks some polishment on graphics and, in a few places, polygon collision, but it´s definetely a innovative game.

Unknown said...

Thanks Roger for taking the time to comment, appreciated :)
Though I've yet to sink my teeth into this title, I do get the sense, as you so eloquently put it, Zombie U is pretty unique.