Editor's Note: Over 9000 Zombies! has transitioned from Early Access to full release on February 25, 2015 on Steam. Our Early Access review can be found here, highlighting many of the game's features and general gameplay mechanics.
Since Over 9000 Zombies! left Early Access status, I returned to the game to see what all had changed. I'm truly glad I did, as Loren Lemcke has gone through and made a truly fun twin-stick shooter. During my initial time with the game, I experienced some issues with the difficulty of the game, lack of readily available maps, and issues with online gameplay. The full version of the game fixes many of these issues, turning it into a truly solid game.
The difficulty seems to have been cranked down in favor of creating a more enjoyable experience for players. While I enjoyed the challenge of the Early Access version, I actually managed to reach double digit days (Day 10, for those curious) without dying from the massive hordes of the undead. Along the way, I encountered new enemies as well, including a zombified Thomas Jefferson and some other creatures. Who know "Mr. I-Wrote-The-Declaration-Of-Independence" himself was such a badass zombie to take down? This was all done on a larger variety of maps from the get-go, meaning I didn't have to go straight to the Steam Workshop to see some additional zombie killing décor.
I also managed to experience a larger variety of the weapons in the game, even managing to make it to a plasma gun. The different guns follow certain unlockable paths, and they're completely worth it. This is even truer when facing some of the more difficult monsters in the game..
With the full version update bringing much of the game's charm to the forefront, I was truly impressed by the overall changes and progression of the game. It's got the markings of a great co-op title and for fans of twin-stick shooters and massive zombie killing, this is a must. Throwing in the additional controller support (which is fantastic) and this game becomes something anyone can pick up, play, and certainly enjoy.
Note: Over 9000 Zombies! was reviewed on PC. A digital copy of the game was provided by the publisher/developer.