Into the Dead 2 Review
Title: Into the Dead 2
Developer: PikPok
Publisher: Versus Evil
Website: https://versusevil.com/intothedead2/
Genre: Action, Arcade, Other
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Age Rating: PEGI 18
Release Date: 25/10/19
Price: £31.49 – Rapid Reviews were very kindly provided with a review code for this title.
Mo Money, Mo Problems
The age-old debate of value for money continues to wage on, with no sign of a definitive conclusion being found. If you are willing to pay £4 for a coffee, or £15 to watch a 2-hour film at the cinema, how can one define what’s a reasonable price for a game? Whatever your thoughts on the matter, Into the Dead 2 offers yet another reason to discuss it…
First released on iOS and Android, Into the Dead 2 was a freemium title where in-app purchases were rife. Attempting to dodge the micro-transaction bullet this time around, PikPok and VersusEvil have released the game in its entirety on the Nintendo Switch at a recommended retail price of £31.49.
Runnin’ through the 6 with my woes
Billed as a zombie-killing auto-runner, it’s mobile origins are apparent from the off. Taking on the role of James, you are tasked with making your way from one checkpoint to the next, all the while dodging or shooting the hordes of undead that stumble around before you. At the end of each level, there is a rather awkward and poorly voiced conversation between yourself and your sister via radio. This serves to advance the uninteresting story, which is further ridiculed by the act of running from one place to another without any real context.
At the start of each run, you need to organise your loadout. This often consists of sorting your two weapons and selecting your dog. The weapons are varied and well-designed, ensuring an element of strategy as you attempt to make it from one empty house to another. This strategy is further developed through the limited ammo available both before and during the level – deciding when to engage the enemies and when to dodge is key. You can upgrade your weapons via rewards earned in-game, although the pacing is off. It serves as a pertinent reminder that this was once a microtransaction model whereby paying for upgrades would have been an easier option.
The choice isn’t yours…
Putting the astonishingly high price point to one side, there is a bit of short-lived fun to be had here. The run-and-gun style of gameplay provides an instant gratification as you successfully blow a zombies head off, but it doesn’t last long. The restrictive nature of each run, with James on a predetermined route, that you can only ever veer left and right from, means that the element of choice that so many gamers crave is severely limited.
To its credit, Into the Dead 2 does include a lot: 60 story missions, 25 weapons, 8 dogs, 36 side missions, an arcade mode, and 3 different endings. This does provide some much-needed variety, however, all of this is not enough to mask the lack of enjoyment and restrictive gameplay of your playthrough.
Visually, Into the Dead 2 is serviceable without ever winning any awards. It fails to try anything new and its fast-paced running style means it doesn’t need to be much more than it is. The same goes for the audio, which does well to create an eerie atmosphere with punchy gun noise and the usual moans and groans of the undead. It is all too predictable and unfortunately fails to deliver on any early promise that this game had.
Money isn’t everything, but time is, and it would be wise to spend both on a more meaningful, enjoyable and creative gaming experience. Into the Dead 2 is better suited to a quick 10-minute mobile fix, and even then it wouldn’t be recommended.
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase Into the Dead 2 from the Nintendo eShop on the following link, https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Into-the-Dead-2-1631320.html
