Arcade brawlers are nothing new, but developer nDreams is creating something unique with the upcoming title Bloody Zombies. London has been overrun by the undead, and it’s up to you and three more players, for a maximum for four, to take back the infested city streets. The effort is, indeed, bloody as the title suggests, and you can easily spend hours hacking, kicking, and chopping zombies in a multitude of attack combos. In other words, Bloody Zombies is a lot of fun, and that fun is only heightened by the game’s supplemental VR experience.
Four unlikely survivors must band together to fight hordes of zombies in a free-form combat system. Though these characters are a diverse bunch in terms of appearance, their fighting styles are relatively the same, so there’s not that hassle of switching players and having to adapt to an entirely new style of fighting. As you progress through the levels, the combat system can be upgraded, allowing for even more creative ways to fight and create a combo chain of attacks. In my hands-on time with Bloody Zombies at E3 2017, I was impressed with how well nDreams used the space on the screen. Despite all of the action happening, not to mention moving through the level with three other characters surrounding your own, it never felt overcrowded or cluttered.
The various levels in Bloody Zombies have an incredible depth to them. Players can find nooks and crannies in the background to explore, something which gives the game an additional boost in its replay value since it’s near-impossible to find them all the first time around. Put on the VR headset, and the experience changes entirely. The characters are enhanced close up and the new perspective offers new ways to defeat enemies and get out of dangerous situations effectively. In my experience with it on PSVR, one look up and to the left showed me a spinning wheel with spikes in it. After my initial amazement at the new perspective, I was able to warn the players to my right before the wheel made its way onto the viewing screen. The VR experience offers players an additional layer of excitement and unpredictability and is integrated well into the gameplay happening on the screen.
Bloody Zombies will be sure to delight the hardcore fans of arcade-style brawlers, but it will also do a fine job getting a few more intrigued, especially with the enhancements that the VR brings. The game will release later this year for PS4, PC, Xbox One, PS VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive.
