In 2012, a new console launched worldwide that kick started the next generation of gaming. Nintendo released the WiiU, their first HD game console with upgraded HD graphics comparable to the current generation of consoles, a new tablet styled control pad, and integration with legacy Wii remote controllers, games, and accessories. The launch lineup wasn’t the strongest with a lot of ports of older games that we’ve all played before, but a couple of original titles stood out among the crowd and ZombiU was one of them. ZombiU is a first person survival horror title by Ubisoft that is Nintendo’s call to hardcore gamers. The game has been extremely polarizing among gamers and critics alike, but I absolutely loved it and I will tell you why.
ZombiU feels like Demon Souls and Dark Souls in a way. The game is very difficult and punishes you for trying to not play by it’s rules. That isn’t to say the game is frustrating though since the game indeed gives you the tools in order to succeed... if you know how to use them properly and can think fast on your feet. Ubisoft created probably the most realistic zombie survival game out on the market today and playing ZombiU is extremely intense. I remember the first time I heard zombies scream in the fog of the night, I squirmed in my seat thanks to the awesome audio design the developers brought to the table. Every inch you move may be your last, so ZombiU requires players to think fast and use their resources sparingly in order to survive it’s grueling world. I have yet to play a survival horror game released in the past five years or so that actually feels like surviving is a focus of the game. WiiU gamepad integration works really well by using the gamepad's touchscreen as a map, inventory management, and environmental scanner that allows the player to look at the screen and use the gamepad's gyroscope to seek out hidden items and clues within the game's environment.
The greatest part of ZombiU is how the game handles deaths. I can tell Ubisoft intended for gamers to die quite often while playing ZombiU, so the game has online leaderboards and modes set up to see who can survive the longest without losing a survivor. When the player does lose a survivor, there are no extra lives or continues; once you are dead it is game over. However, any progress the player made into the game does indeed save to where you can continue your quest by spawning a new survivor (who happens to be a totally different person with a different profession, age, race, and sex) to pick up where you left off.
If you do lose a survivor, all of the items and equipment you collected along the way is lost as well, but if you can find your old, zombified self roaming around where you perished as a new survivor, you can kill the failed survivor and steal back all of your gear. If the player dies a second time attempting to kill the survivor’s predecessor, that dead survivor along with all of his or her gear is lost forever and transferred to another player’s game via online game server where another player has the opportunity to kill your failure and take your gear (it even tells the player your Nintendo ID name and how long you lasted). These features associated with the survivors and the online system are really awesome and make ZombiU an unforgettable experience. The MiiVerse (WiiU integrated online message board system) activity associated with this game also boosts the game’s appeal by allowing players to pause the game, post screenshots of areas they are stuck in, and getting advice from the community when needed.
Sure ZombiU has some flaws and some of them are not as easy to give a pass to as others, but none of them ruin the amazing experience you will gain by playing this game. The melee combat can be a bit clunky, controls are a little stiff, the framerate a little jerky, and the graphics not up to par with what you would expect from an HD console. That being said, ZombiU still holds the record for being one of the most intense, frightening, and memorable horror games to come out in recent memory. This is why ZombiU is my #7 game of 2012.
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