REVIEW : Ultimate Zombie Defense (PC)
Ultimate Zombie Defense (UZD) is a top-down tower defence / shooter combination set during a zombie apocalypse that can be played solo or cooperatively. Players take on the role of a member of whatever military force remains after the infected have taken over the globe, and are entrusted with holding out against the never-ending hordes of monsters coming their way.
UZD’s gameplay revolves around deploying defences against ever-increasing hordes advancing on the player’s position. The game works well in this regard, as fortifying a given position with progressively durable defences, turrets, traps, and utility stations is rewarding. Enemies cause substantially more damage to one’s barricades and equipment on higher difficulty levels, so smart money management and efficiency become priorities. Overall, the balance is good, however the first few waves could use a little more monetary gain.
By completing sessions and gaining XP, each of the four possible classes can be levelled separately. As a concept, playing in co-op and focusing each player on a distinct duty works well. The Engineer, for example, has more resistant defences, while the Specialist has enhanced efficacy with Sniper Rifles, and the Medic can deploy a unique healing station because to the diversity of talents. Overall, the majority of benefits prove to be worthwhile investments.
The most serious fault in UZD is the lack of depth in the overall game mechanics. There isn’t much else to do in each area besides kill adversaries and create defences, aside from holing up in the corner or spot of your choice. There are no exploration-inducing events or drops, no defence upgrades, and no active talents for each class. The gameplay paradigm may function on its own, but in the long run, both in single matches and in terms of overall advancement, it produces plain and unchanging results. Additionally, there are no new defences, weapons, maps, or anything else to unlock in the future.
After completing a match with it, each class levels up on its own. More experience is gained as the difficulty level rises, but it is not shared because each player’s kill counts just for them. Given that it takes around 20 levels to gain enough Skill Points to max out a character, and that after the first few level-ups it takes 3-4 runs to level up to wave 10+ on Hard – and many more as levels grow – the process eventually becomes a grind. There isn’t anything else to go along with it, and there isn’t any reward, thus the progression pacing is completely out of step with the breadth and content of the game.
Nobody would expect immaculate AAA quality from a low-budget indie like this one, but that is only true up to a point. Some design faults are not budget-related, such as the inability to give teammates money directly, needing to re-make the lobby every time a match ends (and personally invite everyone), or players strangely being able to pass through massive solid objects across all maps. Any defence that shoots downhill is penalised by the camera angle, as vision range is reduced in that direction. There is also no indication of what foes or bosses would appear in the next wave.
There’s little use in examining a map unless you’re looking for a decent spot to put up your defensive the first time you see it. There is nothing of worth or interest to speak about in the rest of the book. There is a reasonable variety of tools to fend off the zombie hordes, ranging from cheap but brittle wooden barricades to military-grade fortifications, turrets, and ground traps such as mines. Enemies can damage and destroy defences, although they can be restored between waves during the preparation period (three minutes). It’s frustrating that you can’t update your defences, which is a regular feature of similar games. The game is played in a top-down shooter mode, with players having the option of using character weaponry or fixed emplacements.. Some defences enable shooting past them, while others do not; the only way to know for sure is to test them. Certain weapons may fire at an angle that is too low, rendering them unable to penetrate even the weakest defences. In general, staying out in the open beyond the first few waves guarantees death, as attackers are usually faster than players and attack from all sides. Deployable ammo boxes can be used to replenish munitions, but they can also be used to deplete them. Character Development is done during a match in the form of picking weapon upgrades, purchasing weapons, and managing supplies through the Shop, or after a match is completed in the dedicated Skill Menu. Players can spend earned skill points (one each level up) to unlock new skills or upgrade existing ones to a higher level in the latter one. There are no active benefits to speak of, simply passive talents. The final perk of each tree is usually a “ultimate” effect, such as the Heavy’s “Berserker,”. An indie tower defence shooter with functional gameplay but a lack of complexity and global progression components. It’s a decent title, but that’s all it is. The game has no actual conclusion or goal because the waves are limitless and each match is independent.
