- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Publisher: nDreams
- Developer: Paw Print Games
- Number of Players: 1-4
If there was any genre more tired than the 2D side scrolling beat-em-up, it certainly has to be zombies. When a game comes along combining these two disparate things it certainly raises an eyebrow. Can slapping on a very British coat of paint make a difference?
Gameplay:
Bloody Zombies is a 2D side scrolling beat-em up. You can play it solo or couch co-op for up to four players. Taking place in England after an apocalypse you (and your friends if you have them) set out in typical 2D action to use your fists, kicks, and so on to beat your way through to safety.
There are four characters to choose from but there is absolutely no difference between them. They are all cut from the “cool”, gnarly, punk dudes school of design that a very few people considered cool in the 80’s. All four have the same stock moveset and while there are power ups to pick up that will give you temporary access to more moves, they don’t last and it’s right back to button mashing. There is plenty to do and find but there isn’t much enthusiasm in doing so. There is also the fact that the characters move like slugs. They are very slow moving and that can cause problems when trying to work your way through a crowd of the undead. The dash mitigates that to a point but I sure wish you could move faster.
The game certainly does not have anything outrageously wrong with it and if you have three friends to play with it can be a somewhat amusing time waster for an afternoon or two. That being said, there are certainly much better games in this genre out there and many of them, especially the Neo Geo ones, are readily available on the Switch.
There is also an online mode for multiplayer but I was never able to successfully find a game. Hopefully the online player numbers pick up in the future because playing by yourself gets old quick and the zombies like to show up in gangs, thus making it much harder single-player.
Controls:
Controls are very easy to pick up and roll with. Left Stick moves you around. Y is light attack, X is heavy attack, B is jump, ZL is dodge, A picks things up and double tapping left stick does a dash. You can also do jump kicks and there are several possible combos you can use to deliver a beating on all the various forms of zombies.
Graphics:
As far as the graphics go, there is a lot to like. The characters animate well and while they’re kind of cliché, the zombies all look pretty cool and boss design is pretty well done. Blood constantly splatters when the beat downs occur and everything has a suitable apocalyptic look and feel to it.
Music/Sound:
The sound mostly consists of zombie groans and the sound of punches and kicks but those sounds are well done and pull you into the action. The music is peppy, yet intense which is good for setting the ambiance, but it can get on your nerves after a while. There isn’t much variety in the tunes I’m afraid.
Summary:
Bloody Zombies certainly isn’t a bad game, but it sure isn’t much better than merely good. Games of this type are a dime a dozen and there are much better examples readily available and most of them are cheaper to boot. If you are really into zombies it can be worth a look, but I’m sure you can do better.
Pros:
- Nice cel-shaded graphics
- Fun with friends
Cons:
- Kind of a slog single player
- Very repetitive
- Brings nothing new to genre
Rating: C
Disclaimer: A digital copy of the game was provided by nDreams for review purposes.