Zombie Party Needs Bite | Geek Node Archive

Developer Peach Pie Productions
Publisher Peach Pie Productions
Distributor Black Shell Media
Where we got our copy Black Shell Media
Game modes Multiplayer
Players From 1-4
Reviewed on PC

Where to buy http

Sparrowhawk

Published May 26, 2017

It’s not easy being alone at the party. Especially if the rest of the guests are zombies, or as the case may be ninja starfish. Zombie Party, a top-down twin-stick shooter by Peach Pie Productions, is likely to make you say some strange things. “Is your bone gun shooting fire eyeballs?” “I’m gonna set the sea on fire. “Eat my rainbows!”

Zombie Party offers a core mode where you blast through waves of zombies, and other arena themed enemies. You smash your way through with a wild variety of guns, ranging from the classic AK-47s and Uzis to the ludicrous. Bearzooka. Rainbow-laser cannons. By the late game, you’re lighting the floor up in rainbows like a Pride Parade. And then once you’re through the seven areas, you loop back around onto hard mode. To freshen it up, there are a few other modes too. You can get your dungeon delve on, or go head-to-head with friends in Deathmatch.

As with so many party games, and endless style high-score chasing games too, there’s a lot to unlock and customise. Each time you die, (or exit as there’s no saving), the loot you’ve got goes into a pool to unlock characters, pets, starting weapons, and the obligatory cosmetic hats. The unlockable characters have some nice little references and extra firepower. With these, you can usually make yourself stand out from your co-op companions. And if you’re on a controller, a tap of the analogue stick gives you a uniquely coloured ping to make sure you don’t get lost.

The arenas look pretty good, and in the core adventure mode, the enemies are very readable. I found the enemies and hazards in the dungeon mode a little harder to read. So I often found myself taking damage from unseen sources, or what seemed randomly exploding ground. Apart from that, though, the soundtracks compliment the settings nicely and on your first pass at the game, each environment feels interesting.

But the first problem is a general lack of depth. While there are a lot of differences in scale – more enemies, with more health, in faster waves, spawning more densely – that can only go so far. Most of the enemies just blindly follow you in huge hordes, like, well, zombies. Eventually, I’m blasting a laser rifle that shoots three homing sawblades that ricochet and explode. And if I run out of ammo, I have a shotgun that electrocutes and poisons and shoots skulls. Because of reasons. But the hordes of demons, ice elementals, and zombies just bunch up and don’t really do much until I kill them all. What the game really needs is some wider variety, some fundamentally different kinds of enemies to force some tactical choices. (If you want some more discussion on this, check out the Extra Credits episode on differences in scale and kind).

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There are really only four kinds of enemies, melee chasers, ranged shooters, speedy dasher things, and big slow shooters. You can’t fool us by slapping different skins on them. And even the bosses follow broadly similar patterns. They chase you and then stop to fire a spread of projectiles that can be easily jumped over. It’s not really a challenge, and after a few rounds, the core experience feels a bit more like a grind.

And it’s a sad cold day in hell when shooting a howitzer that fires exploding cats at disco skeletons isn’t actually fun enough . On paper, Zombie Party should be a no-brainer (I won’t apologise for my puns). I hate knocking a game on something as nebulous as ‘game feel’, but that’s really what it is. The game just doesn’t hold itself together – visuals are good, the soundtrack is fine, sound effects do their job. There’s lots of potential here, but it’s all a little lukewarm. It’s fun, for a while, but without much difference in kind, the game gets a little stale. It certainly wouldn’t be out of place if you have a bunch of couch co-op games already. And if you can hand the controller off when you’ve had your fill, then the game is a good one to pass some time.

It's not easy being alone at the party. Especially if the rest of the guests are zombies, or as the case may be ninja starfish. Zombie Party, a top-down twin-stick shooter by Peach Pie Productions, is likely to make you say some strange things. "Is your bone gun shooting fire eyeballs?" "I'm gonna set the sea on fire. "Eat my rainbows!" Zombie Party offers a core mode where you blast through waves of zombies, and other arena themed enemies. You smash your way through with a wild variety of guns, ranging from the classic AK-47s and Uzis to the ludicrous. Bearzooka. Rainbow-laser cannons. By the late game, you're lighting the floor up in rainbows like a Pride Parade. And then once you're through the seven areas, you loop back around onto hard mode. To freshen it up, there are a few other modes too. You can get your dungeon delve on, or go head-to-head with friends in Deathmatch. As with so many party games, and endless style high-score chasing games too, there's a lot to unlock and customise. Each time you die, (or exit as there's no saving), the loot you've got goes into a pool to unlock characters, pets, starting weapons, and the obligatory cosmetic hats. The unlockable characters have some nice little references and extra firepower. With these, you can usually make yourself stand out from your co-op companions. And if you're on a controller, a tap of the analogue stick gives you a uniquely coloured ping to make sure you don't get lost. The arenas look pretty good, and in the core adventure mode, the enemies are very readable. I found the enemies and hazards in the dungeon mode a little harder to read. So I often found myself taking damage from unseen sources, or what seemed randomly exploding ground. Apart from that, though, the soundtracks compliment the settings nicely and on your first pass at the game, each environment feels interesting. But the first problem is a general lack of depth. While there are a lot of differences in scale - more enemies, with more health, in faster waves, spawning more densely - that can only go so far. Most of the enemies just blindly follow you in huge hordes, like, well, zombies. Eventually, I'm blasting a laser rifle that shoots three homing sawblades that ricochet and explode. And if I run out of ammo, I have a shotgun that electrocutes and poisons and shoots skulls. Because of reasons. But the hordes of demons, ice elementals, and zombies just bunch up and don't really do much until I kill them all. What the game really needs is some wider variety, some fundamentally different kinds of enemies to force some tactical choices. (If you want some more discussion on this, check out the Extra Credits episode on differences in scale and kind). There are really only four kinds of enemies, melee chasers, ranged shooters, speedy dasher things, and big slow shooters. You can't fool us by slapping different skins on…

Video Game Review: Zombie Party Needs Bite

2017-05-26

Sparrowhawk

Total - 6.5

65 6.5

Zombie Party is a solid option to have in a library of multiplayer party games, but lacks the depth and variety to keep you playing for a long time. The enemies and modes get a bit samey, and eventually it turns into a grind that makes you want to put the controller down and do something totally different. Like most parties, it goes on too long.

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Sparrowhawk

Gaming Author at Geek Node

Brendan hides behind both LCD and DM screens from the lure of adult life. Perpetual student on hiatus and freelance writer of things. Indie game enthusiast. Maker of puns and cuddler of cats.