Zombie-Flavored Fun

Anyone who knows me knows I make a lot of zombie-themed wisecracks.  Zombies as a fictional plot device are surprisingly dynamic and they also make great filler/fodder in survival/thriller/horror genres because they quite frankly fill the place up faster than you can say "FUBAR a la mode."  And recent events aside, there's that certain je ne sais pas about our little zed friends that makes them interesting or even fun.
At the start, though, I was terrified of the idea of the shamblers (I think that was brought on by watching The Evil Dead as my first horror movie and the sleepless couple nights that followed).  Over the years, I've grown through the initial terror factor and now enjoy some aspects of the theme, like in the Resident Evil movie series, Zombieland (to date, my favorite zed movie) and some zed web games.  And the latter-most is where today's blog is going to focus.

It's mostly in the last few years that I saw any zed games.  Regrettably, I haven't been able to play any of the RE games.  I have, however, been able to get some exposure to ZA-themed web games, each with several underlying similarities spiced with their own takes.  Today, I want to introduce you quickly to a few that came to mind immediately, source 'em so you can check 'em out later at your inconvenience and apply an overall VWP grading (with as few spoilers as possible).  Note that I won't be as detailed in this post for each game, and this is for a few reasons.


Let's start with Sarah Northway's Rebuild games.

I have to admit a certain addiction to the Rebuild games and anxiously await a third in the series (even if it's unplanned).  It's a good zed survival game to come back to, even if I'm bored of the genre.
The main differences between the two is artwork, Victory Conditions and user interface.  Generally speaking Rebuild 2 is better, but I'd still recommend the first Rebuild before moving forward to the next.  Rebuild 2 also features something new over the first: a randomly-generated avatar for your character.

Both feature you as the leader and manager of a group of survivors versus the horde of zed in a city of your preference (size, difficulty and even the name).  You have to take back the city one or two blocks at a time, scavenge for and produce food for your survivors, recruit more survivors, defend against zed attacks and pursue at least one of a few "Victory Conditions" that mark your successful survival in this area and will allow you to continue conquest elsewhere.

Overall, I like to use the Rebuild games as a basis for comparison.  You have to stay aware of everything, from resources to relative danger levels to your fort and in missions.  It keeps the danger and consequences of poor management close as you can lose territory and survivors, even when the chances are low.  You can train your different survivors in all the various skills from Building to Research, making them specialize or master as much as you want, further improving the survival skills and the rate at which you take the area back.  And toward the endgame, it provides a variety of ways to win instead of simply trying to outlast endless hordes of zed.

For the Rebuild series in general, I give it a 4.3/5.0.


Next up is a look into Digital Chocolate's Zombie Lane, located on Facebook.

Simplistic and fun, Zombie Lane starts off with getting to customize your character quite nicely followed by a lightning-riddled intro into what's obviously a zed outbreak (not sure if it's a contained outbreak or the apocalypse).  Presently, you are on your own until you come across Rent-A-Cop Rob who gives you a tutorial of the basics.  After that, you essentially have to grind your way to the top, completing numerous missions that will bring your family (you, your "spouse" and dog) all back together to survive the literally unending horde of zed and maybe scratch out something sustainable.
A plus is that this is one game where you can leave it alone for a year and your survivors won't be starving.  True, your fences may be torn down and overrun, but you won't be caught hungry, thirsty or turned to the Way of the Zed yourself.

Unfortunately, like a lot of social games on Facebook, you need at least 50 neighbors to get access to a ton of the game's content.  And if you're not exactly the social butterfly like me, you're SOL.  Also, the energy system, while grounded in some semblance of reality, is a very palpable and irritating hindrance to progress.  A final failing point is the entire lack of a point to continue in this game; I see no point to ever log into it again except to say "Zombies, begone!" and let off my daily salvo of 20 shotgun blasts only to come back later and see my progress undone completely.  There's zero endgame content and no inclination to proceed to whatever maximum level there may be.

Not gonna waste any more time on this one.  If you like it for its simplicity, cute graphics, pick-up-and-drop-ability and whatever aspects you find enjoyable about it, please don't let me wreck it for ya.  However, it leaves me craving much much more.

For Zombie Lane, a very dismal 1.7/5.0.


Next we have an interesting and die-hard one: Creator/Developer Neil Yates' Dead Frontier.

I have to say that I found Dead Frontier to be rather impressive when I first stumbled upon it.  And to this day it holds a place (okay, a few small outposts) in my heart.

After initial character customization which includes even your choice of profession (careful on your choice, as it can have a tremendous bearing on your game experience) you begin in the fictional city of Fairview, epicenter of the zed outbreak.  While I won't delve into it too far here, I will definitely say that the background story for Dead Frontier has had a noticeable amount of thought put into it so that one can pick up on it and run with it comfortably enough.  I know that's not so important to some, but I like a good (or at least convincing) story.  Neil Yates has done so here ladies and germs, and for that I give him kudos.

Throughout the game you customize and control your survivor (just as a hint, these are both priority in this game!).  Leveling up can come slow at times, but carries the consistent reward of self-improvement and can be hastened by doing missions for the outpost you call home (and there's a few to choose from).  Surviving on the outside of the outposts is where it gets really fun.  Not only do you have to contend with a highly impressive variety of zed, but you will have to scavenge or trade for everything from vanity gear to armor, food and medical supplies.  It can seem staggering, but you're never truly alone unless you opt for it.  Friends, clan members and even passers-by can team together, multiplying chances of survival and progress.  You can also try to solo your way to greatness or go on a PvP spree both in and out of the outposts.  Bear in mind, though, that while dying in this game isn't permanent, it really leaves ya hurting.  Believe me, I know this aspect well...

Now while I haven't given a very thorough overview here of Dead Frontier (there's really a LOT more to be discovered in-game), I should probably wrap it up for now.

For Dead Frontier, an almost indomitable 4.8/5.0.


And now for one that I think may end up developing a cult following in the near future, if not a recognition that could begin to shake the Resident Evil world a titch: Con Artist Games' The Last Stand series, most notably their latest achievement TLS: Dead Zone (still under development at the time of this post, but available for playing).

I'll be quick to admit that their first two games (TLS and TLS2) completely threw me.  They were the first games I played with this flavor of managing people and resources against the zed hordes and I wasn't quite able to manage the way I needed to succeed.  In spite of that, I think they were both well conceived and worth at least a single play.

It wasn't until their third game, TLS: Union City, that I was a bit more in my element.  And while the storyline maintains consistency, it takes you on another survivor's journey through different circumstances and rewards you a bit differently.  It also takes the story a few steps further that one should play through to better appreciate.  Story aside, our favorite Con Artists made a general improvement on the TLS world's look and feel, including more direct control over your survivor.

Most recently, their fourth game in the lineup, TLS: Dead Zone, has taken the name and story even further.  Wanting to avoid too many spoilers, you are in charge of a small group of survivors (currently up to 10 individuals, including your customizable character, with the 9 NPC survivors having one of 5 fixed classes available to them) set in the fictional Union City almost a full year out from the first signs of the mysterious infection that later swept the area and left devastation in its wake.  You and your band of survivors command a small compound, using it as both home and base of operations.  As your character and compound evolve, you gain more survivors and access to more areas that can be raided for increasingly precious resources.  With the addition of a crafting system in Dead Zone, you can give your small army a vital edge in surviving not only the raiding missions, but also the zed hordes that can and will regularly attack you and other groups of survivors that feel like going a-pillagin' your neighborhood.  Despite the PvP option being available, one can also opt to help friends, enemies and frenemies alike by visiting their compounds and shaving a few minutes off of the time it takes to build up their compound.

While it's probably obvious that TLS:UC and TLS:DZ are my favorites in the TLS line, I feel it'd be an injustice to sell the others short.  The TLS games (like Rebuild and Dead Frontier) have a good grasp on the survival aspect of the [presently] fictional ZA.

For The Last Stand games in general, a tentative 4.9/5.0.


I suppose I should call that enough review for now, folks.  I hope that this has been at least slightly informative.  If you feel otherwise, let me know what I missed.  After all, this was quite a short review of multiple games.  If nothing else, poke around in one or two of them.

Try not to get your face eaten off.  :)