by L.L.Ortiz

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: April 27, 2008

I love the smell of zombies in the morning. Especially when they're roasting at the end of my flame thrower. ZOMBIE SHOOTER lets you experience this and much, much more all in an easy to play, nice looking, and most of all fun little game.

The controls are straight forward and easy to learn. Aiming and shooting is as simple as pointing your mouse at the nearest undead brain eater, clicking and 'Bam!' he's another red spot on the floor. These red spots pile up quickly too. The mini-gun is especially effective at mowing down hordes of zombies, rats, and rabid dogs leaving behind nothing but a steaming pile of carnage. Awesome.

The weapons deserve some special mention for their uniqueness. From pistols to plasma cannons, all the game's armaments seem to serve a purpose depending on the situation. One of my personal favorites is the disc launcher. A single disc will slice through a row of enemies
like a hot Ginsu knife through jell-o. Perfect for clearing out hallways. All the weapons are capable of being upgraded and you can purchase new ones in between levels.

The levels lend themselves nicely to the gameplay. From dark, narrow hallways illuminated only by your flashlight, to wide open killing fields, there is enough variety to keep it interesting. Also, be aware that certain walls can be shot away to reveal hidden rooms filled with health, ammo, and weapons. The top down view of the game makes it easy to navigate through the levels and plan your route which comes in handy if you need to run away quickly.

The graphics aren't anything extraordinary but are clean, colorful, and well designed. They convey a creepy atmosphere, especially on the darkened levels. Power-ups, health, and ammo stand out and sparkle like beacons of hope (which they are) and interface points are easy to find. There is no holding back when it comes to blood and guts in ZOMBIE SHOOTER. After a massive firefight, the floor looks like a spaghetti sauce factory after an earthquake. Blasting zombies in the face with my shotgun removes the top layer of flesh to reveal a skeleton which will keep coming at you. The cyborg zombie soldiers (did I forget to mention them?) will attack you with their entrails after you blow off the top half of their bodies.

All this carnage is underscored with a driving soundtrack that starts off nicely but does get a little repetetive. The sounds are very clean and you can even hear bullet casings clinking on the ground. The scurrying of the rats was particularly unnerving.

Overall, for what it is, ZOMBIE SHOOTER is an engrossing and endlessly entertaining game. The difficulty level rises steadily as the game progresses so it keeps it challenging. Simple, fun, and messy. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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