Night of the Dead REVIEW: Zombie Apocalypse Meets DIY Home Improvement
Imagine if Home Alone and The Walking Dead had a baby, and that baby was raised by a bunch of ex-Minecraft addicts. That's "Night of the Dead" in a nutshell. It's a game where the main pastime is setting up elaborate death traps for zombies while trying not to lose your mind or your life. Spoiler alert: you might lose both.
Base Building and Survival
The survival and base-building mechanics in this game are like crack for anyone who loves to tinker and build. Setting up your fortress and arming it with traps that would make Kevin McCallister proud is the real draw here. Every night, you get to watch zombies throw themselves at your defenses like they're auditioning for the role of cannon fodder in the next big action movie. It’s like a twisted version of tower defense, except the towers are your carefully crafted death machines, and the creeps are brain-hungry zombies.
The Learning Curve from Hell
Now, let’s talk about the learning curve—it's steeper than your mom's expectations. The tutorials are about as helpful as a chocolate teapot, leaving you to figure out crucial game mechanics on your own. Prepare for a lot of trial and error, and by trial, I mean dying repeatedly, and by error, I mean smashing your keyboard when yet another horde wrecks your base because you forgot to reinforce one tiny corner.
Performance Issues and Visuals
If you're rocking anything less than a high-end gaming rig, you might as well be trying to run this game on a toaster. Performance issues abound, and the frame drops can turn intense zombie battles into frustrating slide shows. The graphics are decent enough—nothing to write home about, but they get the job done. The world feels appropriately grim and foreboding, like an old, abandoned theme park that’s been overrun by the undead.
Combat: Hit or Miss (Literally)
Combat is a mixed bag. Early on, you'll be swinging melee weapons because ammo is scarcer than a vegetarian at a BBQ. The melee system is janky, with hit detection that sometimes feels like it's running on Windows 95. Ranged weapons are a better bet, but good luck finding enough ammo to keep the hordes at bay. Boss fights are a special kind of hell, with enemies that teleport and spam attacks like they're playing an FPS on easy mode.
Bugs and Annoyances
Oh, the bugs. They range from mildly annoying to game-breaking. Sound issues make it impossible to tell if that zombie moan is coming from the next room or the next continent. Light bleeds through walls like they're made of tissue paper, and some areas cause performance to tank harder than a lead balloon. But hey, the devs are actively working on updates, so there’s hope that these issues will be sorted out eventually.
Final Thoughts
"Night of the Dead" is like that one friend who’s a bit rough around the edges but is a blast to hang out with once you get past their quirks. The base-building and survival aspects are top-notch, offering a deep and engaging experience for those who can handle the game's eccentricities. The learning curve and technical issues might be a turn-off for some, but if you’re up for the challenge and don’t mind a bit of jank, it’s a hell of a ride.
Final Score: 7/10
If you’re looking for a survival game that combines the stress of managing resources with the thrill of nightly zombie assaults, this is your jam. Just be prepared for a bumpy ride and keep a stress ball handy. You’re going to need it.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn’t impact our review in any way.