Zombie Army 4: Dead War Review
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Publisher: Rebellion Developments
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Genre:
PEGI:
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Released earlier this month, Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the sequel to the Zombie Army Trilogy, which in turn is a spin-off of the Sniper Elite sharpshooter series. In Zombie Army 4: Dead War, you will continue your journey through the Nazi zombie-infested landscapes of 1946 Europe. Featuring a full co-op mode and all of the bullet-time, skull-exploding goodness that has become synonymous with the Sniper Elite universe, ZA4 looks to solidify itself as a serious contender in the zombie co-op genre. Will it succeed or will it simply come and go, as so many zombie shooters have done before it?
Same Old, Same Gold
Typically, most people dislike repetition. We are always looking for new experiences to try, new games to play, new technologies and opportunities around every corner. Generally speaking, only the most interesting and satisfying of repetitions are met with enjoyment – and killing zombies is one of the few things that makes this list. Regardless of how many times I watch a zombies skull explode in slow motion, I will never tire of throwing the bolt on my mosin and cracking them down, one at a time, with deadly precision.
This enjoyment is the backbone of the Sniper Elite series, as there are very few decisions to make, very little plot to follow and collectibles aside, very little to do except post up and gun down the undead with ruthless efficiency. The simple fact that these games can not only survive, but thrive on this one-dimensional aspect shows the power behind Rebellion‘s addictive weapon mechanics.
What is it about the simple act of popping heads off of zombies that is so repeatably entertaining? Perhaps the enemies themselves are the key? Zombies are human bodies, true, but by nature they are at arm’s length from humanity, and therefore people have a much easier time mangling them than if they were simply an opposing human force. Throw in the fact that these zombies were Nazis in life, one of human history’s most villainous groups, and suddenly you begin to feel quite heroic while in the midst of your merciless slaughter.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
The single best aspect of Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the co-op functionality. As other titles like Left 4 Dead have proven, there is plenty of room at the table for co-op zombie shooters that elicit heavy replayability. The folks over at Rebellion have taken note of this and built a co-op mode that actually makes you want to grab a friend and convince them to get a copy of the game – no doubt the biggest draw for developers to include this game mode.
With the right group of friends, staving off hordes of the undead becomes that much more enjoyable, and ZA4 offers plenty of ‘I got your back’ moments as zombies drop from the sky all around you. Whether it be working in perfect tandem or screaming obscenities at each other on Discord over whose fault it was that a whole group of zombies got behind you, prepare for a boatload of fun and laughter when booting this game up with the squad.
Getting Better All The Time
Zombie Army 4: Dead War has tweaked and improved the existing formula enough to be noticeably better while staying true enough to the series to keep the core fan base sated. While not exactly groundbreaking – ZA4 has no illusions that it needs to be groundbreaking. As per the old adage, if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it! Not often does a dev juggle this balance well enough to out-do its predecessors but I would dare say ZA4 has done just that.
You would think that, as the best title in the series, Zombie Army 4 would be an immediate recommendation, however I still feel the need to add an asterisk to this one. If this would be your first Zombie Army title – hands down pick it up and enjoy the mayhem. If you have already played the rest of the series and are on the fence – I highly recommend buying this with a friend and settling down for some wonderful co-op action.
To learn more about Zombie Army 4: Dead War, click here: zombiearmy.com