Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone is a sequel to the original Zombie Apocalypse that debuted on Xbox Live. Granted, Never Die Alone is still a shmup with the same formula as the original, but the game has definitely changed since it last appeared.
The first game took place on static maps where you had to kill waves of zombies. In Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone, you travel on expansive, urban-style maps with narrow streets and dark allies. The object is to escape from Halfauk island with the help of three other survivors. As you try to escape, the feeling of desperation constantly overwhelms you.
Unlike the original Zombie Apocalypse, you will find citizens that need your help to reach safety. For every citizen saved, you will receive a nice little score bonus. This feature was not in the first Zombie Apocalypse. As the name implies, Never Die Alone is not meant to be played alone. The single-player story mode allows you to control the survivors from the start. The L1 and R1 bumper buttons are used to switch between characters on the fly.
What goes great with zombies? Humor – and there’s plenty of it. Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone is just one of those games where the subject matter doesn’t take itself seriously. As a rule, I like my zombie movies/games to be serious, but in the case of Never Die Alone, I found myself laughing from beginning to the end.
I was initially shocked by the overwhelming amount of humor found in Zombie Apocalypse. At first glance, the main menu seems very serious until you launch the game. I am still laughing as I think about some of the crazy things that take place in the game.
One of the survivors you control is named ‘Jeremy’. Like most people you meet on the Internet or while playing a game online, Jeremy likes to yell ‘pwn’, ‘pwnage’, and ‘noob’ while blowing zombies into tiny bits. He even likes to brag and yell excessively.
Each of the survivors have their own unique catch phrases and this can wear on you after awhile. This is not necessarily bad, but after you hear it long enough, it can become repetitious fast.
Each character has his own pocket item and pawnage skill ability. The pwnage ability can be used when your pwnage gauge reaches max level. This is done by killing zombies. The quicker you kill zombies, the faster your gauge will fill. The unique special item is like a special item that can be used during combat. Some of the items include an exploding teddy bear and a radio that plays 1980‘s music. When the radio is playing, any zombies that are attacking will stop and start dancing. This is unexpected and has to be seen.
During combat, you can collect money and weapon parts that drop at random. The money is used to level up your characters after each chapter. As you play, your character’s stats will increase as you use your weapons and special abilities.
The single-player campaign can be played either offline or online with either friends or by hosting a public game. The only bad thing is, you have to play the campaign from the beginning, even if you defeated it offline. Both modes have their own saves, so one will not overwrite the other.
Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone is a fast-paced shoot’em up. There are ten chapters to fight your way through. Every chapter has a checklist of objectives that can be completed for additional bonuses. These objectives can range from clearing a stage/chapter in a set amount of time to saving stranded survivors.
Never Die Alone has a great single-player campaign, but the game is much better suited for online co-op play. Single-player is doable, but very hard to undertake on your own. Besides, online co-op adds a certain element to the game that is lacking in the offline mode.
The graphics in Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone are very similar to Dead Nation. Everything has a dark, cold feeling to it (as you would expect). There are various zombie and boss mobs to kill, adding to the variety.
The music is eery and sets the mood with slow rock tunes, a staple of zombie movies. In fact, some of the music sounds like it came right out of 28 Days Later or even Night of The Living Dead. The zombies sound their part with plenty of moans and groans. The boss encounters add to the levity as they burp up big, green gas clouds on you while you’re attacking them. Never Die Alone is a big improvement over the original. It has more features and larger environments that have plenty of objects to destroy. (i.e. barrels, cars, etc.).
The single-player campaign has about five hours of actual gameplay, give or take. The online experience takes about two to three hours with a full group of players.
Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone is an outstanding shooter that relies heavily on action and humor. It’s a little different than the original Zombie Apocalypse, but it’s nothing that you can’t get use too. Never Die Alone is just as good as the first game; you will not be disappointed. Plus, with a price tag of $9.99US, this is one zombie shooter you shouldn’t miss out on.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Konami Digital Entertainment
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment:
ESRB: M (Mature)
Price: $9.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Dark, urban environments with great shading and lighting. | |
| Sound | |
| The music sets the pace for the action . | |
| Gameplay | |
| Fast action and solid gameplay that is just as good as the original. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Never Die Alone is proof that not all Zombie games have to be serious; it breaks all the rules and does it very well. | |
