I’m not exactly well-versed in theSniper Elitegames, but I am familiar with theNazi Zombie Armyspin-off. Taking a lot of cues from Valve’sLeft 4 Dead, this diversion from sniping living Nazi soldiers added a more focused campaign to the proceedings while allowing players to team up and shoot some undead. They were fine enough, but never really showstoppers in their own right.
The two available titles received a dramatic overhaul inZombie Army Trilogy, which capped off the series nearly four years ago. With that chapter ofSniper Eliteclosed, it didn’t seem likely that a new sequel would be in the works. I suppose now is the time to strike again, as Rebellionannounced shortly before E3thatZombie Army 4would be taking us back to WWII to fight undead Hitler and his regime.
While not a huge evolution over what has previously been available, I do have to admit thatZombie Army 4is a pretty good time.
Without much in the way of story explanation, I was given the reins of a PC to try out this new slice of Nazi zombie slaying. Much like the previous entries,Zombie Army 4allows you to select one of four characters that represent different classes. I went with the overall basic, machine-gun-focused guy since I didn’t want to think too much about anything.
you may customize all manner of items from your clothing, to your guns, and even your perks. I get the feeling thatZombie Army 4is a little loose on the definition of class since it appears as if you can tweak the various attributes to your liking. My guy, for instance, had a perk that would allow him to revive himself when downed by scoring a kill. That perk could be applied to whichever character, so it wasn’t specific to my generic grunt man.
The various guns are more just playstyle choices than anything too intense. In intense situations, I don’t like dealing with bolt-action rifles, so I opted for a semi-automatic one to ease my mind a bit. I also have a penchant for the StG 44, so I took that as my assault rifle for when the hordes got thick. The class screen isn’t unlike something you’d find inCall of Dutymultiplayer, just that it has a WWII tinge to it.
From there, a cutscene played that set up the story for this new installment. The dialogue and acting weren’t bad, but I really wanted to see how everything played more than figure out why I was playing it. After skipping it, I started off in a small encampment that was getting overrun by zombies. Controlling just like any other third-person shooter,Zombie Army 4felt pretty good. There is a certain heft to your character that makes turning feel sluggish, but it also grounds you in the world Rebellion has created.
Your character will have special moves available to them, which is where the class selection really comes into play. My character had a basic shovel bash attack that could take out a whole group if he got surrounded, but it was set to a cooldown to reduce spamming. Along with that, he had a power-up that would add electricity to his shots and even chain across enemies to thin out groups with ease. These are all mechanics that don’t reinvent the wheel, but at least give you a reason to think more tactically in combat. you’re able to set up scenarios where you run to an ammo box but do so to allow zombies to crowd near you. Rip out that special melee and you’re good to go.
After fending off a few waves, the game proceeded through some railyards and a small town. It all felt appropriately WWII, looking almost as if it was in Italy. The setting won’t wow you with how original it is, but that also isn’t the point.Zombie Army 4is a refinement of what came before and a continuation for fans who want another taste of Rebellion’s unique brand of shooting.
While not as realistic asSniper Elite, the general act of pointing a gun and shooting it feels weighty inZombie Army 4. When I first took out my sniper, I missed my shot because I wasn’t prepared for how heavy the rifle would feel. You won’t need to account for wind, but you also can’t expect to be zipping around from target to target like nothing. About the only weapon that does allow that is a pistol due to its small size.
It’s certainly different from what Valve started all those years ago, if a bit derivative. Still, in the absence of a newLeft 4 Deadand withWorld War Zshowing that people are craving this type of experience,Zombie Army 4is primed to take the zombie market by storm. Zombies have never fully gone out of style and with comparatively few experiences available, Rebellion could have released anything and gotten away with it.
Thankfully, that isn’t the case. As I said, I’m not blown away by what I played, butZombie Army 4is pretty good. It doesn’t revolutionize shooting or zombies, but it gives you what you’d expect and does it with more polish than before. It has full co-op support, includes a full-length campaign, and allows you to shoot zombie Hitler. I’m not sure what else you really need to have a good time.
