Zombie Army 4: Dead War Review

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Fast Facts

Title: Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Developer: Rebellion
Publisher: Rebellion
Website: https://zombiearmy.com/en
Genre: Action, Adventure, Shooter
Platform: Xbox
Age Rating: PEGI 18
Release Date: 04/02/2020
Price: £35.99 – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this title.

Zombie shooters have been around for a long time, we think of Left for Dead and in Call of Duty in most cases. However, Rebellion has crafted an unstoppable force in the Zombie Army series.

Back in 2015, I fell in love with Zombie Army Trilogy bringing the first three games into one bundle that gave me moments in both single-player and Co-op. I really won’t forget the slow-motion ball shots, high-intensity scenarios where I would have dozens of zombies surrounding me with only six bullets of my handgun left, but feeling the immense satisfaction of beating the stage with no deaths.

From this point onwards I became a fan of the craft and the presentation of Rebellion games and played the Sniper Elite series and then also Strange Brigade but the void in my heart waiting for the 4th instalment of Zombie Army remained.

So here we are in 2020 with Zombie Army 4: Dead War. I’ve been excited to get my hands on this, and it certainly does not disappoint. For those that survived the story of the last trilogy, you will know that Zombie Hitler was sent to the depths of hell and like all facts of life, it doesn’t end there. Up comes the hordes of Zombies to reak havoc and destruction to Earth yet again. Tasked to rid this planet of Hitler and the Undead is the Brigade of heroes, all of which have unique personalities and traits.

For those that played Sniper Elite, we have the character Karl Fairbourne that you will know and love with his, machete finisher by pressing the right stick and later in the game can switch to a knuckle duster. Adding special moves borrowing from Strange Brigade certainly helps in these massive maps in single player.

Getting from point A to point B in each of the campaign maps will bring heartache, frustration and most importantly satisfaction, as all of the set pieces are crafted to make you think about which weapon to use and to decide on which point to use your power-up. Do you hold off until the last wave of zombies before triggering the special, taking a massive risk of little weapon ammo or use it early frantically running around and then spray the bullets? I found multiple approaches that made me think about the way I approached the endgame, especially in the first mission of Milan.

Who knew catching a train would be as hard as a busy Euston Station with cancellations and seas of people running with no space left. Dead War has nine missions that all different and will challenge the most seasoned gamer. I had spent over 10 hours beating it on normal, and that is without spending the time to collect additional notes, collectables or seeing any of the many secrets it has to offer of which I will be quickly replaying shortly.

As with any game Rebellion produces, the level of accuracy in visual fidelity is clear to see. The maps have so much detail from buildings and weather density; it is a sight to behold. After sitting playing for a long time, it is easy to forget that you are playing a video game and not being apart of a real-life encounter. It’s not just the visual effects too, the sounds of zombies and the detail of the weapons that stand out.

Accurate sniper shots and the groans of a Zombie when you injure or fatally wound one give more satisfaction than a straight forward kill on any other generic shooter. Kill cams are immensely rewarding, and they do enforce the level of immersion after a well-timed shot factoring in the wind levels and the precise aim to take an eye socket crushing a poor zombies head in.

Photo Mode is welcome in Zomby Army 4: Dead War. Pinpointing the exact moment of a kill shot and keeping it stored to brag is always fun, the addition of filters keeps you playing around for days and weeks alone.

A lot of the fun and longevity can be found in the Multiplayer mode of the game. Horde mode is as enjoyable as previous entries with as many modifiers to keep it fresh. What I found refreshing while playing with random people is the willingness to work as a team and not just all out for themselves. I made a few good friends. I know I will come back to when future content comes, and that is another crucial part of Zombie Army 4.

The post content that is available within the season pass will keep you playing for many more hours, three new maps, four-character packs and nine new weapons are certainly something I will look forward to over the next few months.

Overall Zombie Army 4: Dead War is an absolute blast and has kept me glued to my TV for more hours into the night than I expected to, with additions of weekly challenges that unlock new skins and perks and a very lengthy campaign I highly rate this as Rebellions most exceptional effort so far.

Rapid Reviews Rating

You can purchase Zombie Army 4: Dead War from the following stores.
Xbox PS4 Epic Store