ZOMBIE ARMY 4: DEAD WAR
By
1946 the Allies have
and
his Plan Z. But
after
throwing the
infamous
’tache into Hell at the
end of
Zombie Trilogy, things
aren’t
as quiet as they should be.
Playing the
Milan level of
Zombie Army 4,
a direct sequel
to the cult
classic undead shooter
that lifted
the core gameplay from
Sniper Elite
V2, then added
four-player
co-op and the titular
zombie army,
it’s clear the world
isn’t back to
normal. The zombie
Nazis have
reanimated and the
spectre of a
returning undead
Hitler hangs
over Europe.
Shooting feels
great in this
sequel, and it’s
clear Rebellion has
honed this aspect of the game,
while learning
what did and didn’t
work from its
recent co-op
shooter
Strange Brigade. The level
we play is
more linear and lacks
the puzzles
and switches of the
dev’s recent
shooter. The idea is
simpler:
survive and fight through
the undead
army.
FLESH
NEW HEROES
While the
characters are skins
with no
abilities, and include
returning
heroes Boris and Karl,
who are joined
by new female
fighters Jun
and Shola, it’s in the
weapons where
the game shows
its creative
prowess. Guns can be
enhanced with
upgrades earned by
achieving
goals in the game, or XP
gained for
linked kills and good
shots. These include explosive
and
electrical
rounds, larger magazines,
and improved
handling. In the
thick of the
action, and after
building
kills, we activate ‘weapon
assist’, which
enables us to fire an
explosive
shot. These assists
affect each
gun differently; the
revolver
enables us to tag multiple
dead in a
flurry of shots.
The game moves
at a fast pace,
and the Milan
level is designed to
offer a
variety of ways to play as a
four-person
group. Going solo we
discover there’s
a deepening
urgency to the
action. A creeping
dread takes
hold as we empty our
sniper rifle,
then our Thompson
machine gun.
Fighting for our life
with a pistol,
Zombie Army 4
becomes a battle for survival.
