#killallzombies
Title: #killallzombies
Developer: Beatshapers
Publisher: Beatshapers
Website: https://twitter.com/beatshapers?lang=en
Genre: Action, Shooter
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Audience: M for Mature
Release Date: Switch: 24/1/2019
Price: £17.99 – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this title.
What the Developers say
In the distant future; #KILLALLZOMBIES is thrusting civilians into a sport of survival were a ravenous zombie population is unleashed in the name of sports entertainment with television spectators voting upon how many zombies they want to uncage to make survival all the more harder for you to accomplish with the potential of a collective horde of over 1,000 zombies.
Introduction
Twin-stick shooters have always been a crowded genre, especially with zombies, but there have been some successful attempts, mainly with Dead Nation from Housemarque Games. Joining the ranks of the previously mentioned Dead Nation, a favourite of mine, is the twin-stick shooter #killallzombies, from developer Beatshapers. This was their first solo venture for PC and consoles, and now it is out for the Nintendo Switch. The question is, does #killallzombies do differently enough to separate itself from the almost constant barrage of shooters coming to the eShop weekly or is just mediocre at best?
Instead of following the competition, #killallzombies is about getting as high a score as possible and get to the top of the leaderboards, as opposed to other twin-stick shooters which focus mainly on just survival and getting to the end is the goal. There are three modes: Survival, Vault Defense, and Cooperative with Survival being a single-player experience and Cooperative allowing you to play with one other player in couch co-op.
Looks and Sounds
Visually, #killallzombies looks great with fluid animations and flourish in how the hexagons on the ground generate new obstacles to overcome. The character models are well done, and each weapon has a satisfying punch when fired. While the soundtrack might be corny, with its hardcore underpinnings, it still accompanies the action on screen well and keeps you amped up for wanting to chase those high scores. Sound effects are appropriate for the zombie horde, and weapons have an extra kick when being fired.
Gameplay and Replayability
The Survival mode is the made mode you’ll most likely spend the most time in and starts with you being given a choice of starting weapons. As you progress and get further, you eventually unlock more weapons to choose from. The weapons go from classic to unique, including a revolver, machine gun, crossbow, and of course a shotgun. Once your weapon is chosen, you start on the only map in the game which is made up of hexagon flooring.
The map is constantly changing, however; from vehicles being dropped in, turrets coming out of the ground, or even pitfalls being made, keep the map from getting old and things fresh. Although this makes every experience different, it does have a negative effect as well. I might be in the minority, but I felt that having all these obstacles ruined the whole actual threat of there being zombies. I felt as I was playing I wasn’t dying because of the horde of zombies coming at me, but rather the obstacles and perk selection. It would have been nice to have more customise options pertaining to what hazards were incorporated, but I guess that is the whole point of #killallzombies.
Controlling your character is easy and intuitive as a twin-stick shooter should be. I never once had the impression that I died because of the controls, with firing your weapon being as easy as just aiming in the direction you want to fire. You can also reload on your own time if the action dies down for a few seconds.
After kills a certain number of zombies you level up and can choose certain perks. The perks are unique and make #killallzombies more enjoyable. The Grim Reaper powerup makes you feel empowered, and even the nuclear explosion powerup is fun to mess with. Be careful though, because some perks are so obtuse that they may cause instant death if you don’t know what a certain one does.
The two other modes, Vault Defense and Cooperative, offer the same gameplay only with Vault Defense you’ll be defending one designated area while Cooperative is just what it sounds. It’s fun playing alongside a friend, although things are made harder since there are two of you playing, but you can revive one another if a player falls in combat. There is no online play which is a shame, and only two players can play at once, but it still adds to the experience.
Conclusion
Overall, #killallzombies is a fun and enjoyable twin-stick shooter that may be lacking in its simplicity, but that’s what makes it stand out. There’s something to be said about running around an arena, blood gushing everywhere from blasting zombies, earning powerups that may help or hinder your progress, which keeps this experience exhilarating and fun for short gameplay sessions when you need to let off some steam. £17.99 is a high price point for what is a shallower experience, but if it goes down in price, this is one zombie shooter that is worth checking out.
Rapid Reviews UK Rating
You can purchase #killallzombies on the Nintendo eShop at the following link, https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/-KILLALLZOMBIES-1496598.html
