Bloody Zombies Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: October 11, 2017

The streets of London are infested with hordes of mutated zombies, and the only hope of salvation lies on the shoulders of four unique heroes. A throwback to arcade cooperative side-scrolling brawlers, Bloody Zombies sees players use their fists, feet, and anything they can salvage to overcome the odds and escape from the undead nightmare. Whether you're using a virtual reality (VR) headset or playing on a television, Bloody Zombies is a bloody brilliant experience.

Bloody Zombies employs a combat system using both standard attacks and energy-draining special moves. Supporting up to four players either locally, online, or any combination thereof, the game shines brightest in group play. It's also one of the rare games that allows traditional 2D gaming and VR headset users to play together. Playing solo, the levels feel unnecessarily long, as all enemies must be eliminated to progress. Tackling it alone feels more like a chore, draining the joy from the experience. However, adding even one additional player brightens the experience exponentially, especially when including someone using a VR headset.

VR players gain a clear strategic advantage, as the characters on screen literally pop before their eyes, creating an effect like viewing a highly detailed shoebox diorama with cardboard cutout characters. While the game looks sharp and stylized on a television, using a VR headset (supporting PSVR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift) elevates the experience to another level. VR users can see the entire level, allowing them to warn others about impending spike traps or distance to boss encounters.

Beyond health and energy pickups, you'll discover special move power-ups, coins for shops, and usable weapons. All skills are divided into four unique categories. While you can only equip one ability from each branch at a time, you can swiftly swap between skills at any moment. Three slots are for active abilities, while the fourth serves as a passive skill. These passive skills serve specific purposes, such as briefly stunning enemies after dodging or gaining attack bonuses through high combo counts.

Active skills are mapped to face buttons on the controller, activated either through shoulder buttons or directional commands. While the game defaults to the more advanced directional input setup, I opted for the simpler approach using L1 and face buttons on the PS4 controller. From powerful launchers that can knock multiple mutants airborne to devastating piledriver grapples, the skills offer impressive variety and can be swapped to match your playstyle. When low on energy, which skills consume, you can still beat zombies to a bloody pulp using basic attacks.

The combat system in Bloody Zombies remains accessible, allowing players to string together basic punches that send foes flying or execute kicks that launch enemies for indefinite juggling. Jump attacks open combo opportunities, though strategies must vary by enemy type. Some mutants counter your attacks with enlarged limbs that outrange your strikes, while others sport defensive spikes on their backs to thwart aerial assaults.

Weapons like swords, knives, and massive spiked sledgehammers make short work of mutants, providing valuable support until breaking after a set number of hits. Rolling serves as your only defensive skill and proves essential during boss battles to avoid both direct attacks and area-of-effect abilities. Given the typically overwhelming odds, you can execute a 360-degree maneuver that eliminates surrounding enemies at the cost of some health - a worthwhile trade when multiple attackers threaten to overwhelm you with rapid damage.

Simply Put

Bloody Zombies delivers an enjoyable old-school cooperative brawler with modern conveniences. VR players gain distinct advantages, viewing entire levels to spot secrets while experiencing the game's impressive depth. Players can build on each other's combos, juggling enemies for hundreds of hits - a satisfying element sorely missed when attempting to save London alone.