Been playing Zombi U lately. I really love this game. The atmosphere is amazing; the city looks completely ravaged and desolate. While it's not a technical marvel (character models definitely look last-gen), it does look pretty amazing, especially in really dark areas. The sense of dread and tension is wonderful, as you never know if there's a zombie right around the corner or out of the cone of your flashlight, and zombies can one-shot kill you in this game if you're unprepared. The sound is also great, with fantastic ambiance and effective use of music and sounds, like the far off zombie noises.
And it does the best job of utilizing the Wii U gamepad than anything else I've tried. It's extremely immersive. The gamepad functions as your map, inventory, scanner (physically hold up and move around the pad to scan your surroundings); it used for inputting numbers into keypads, lock picking and other tactile functions. Your guide through the game speaks to you directly through the speakers on the gamepad, which makes it feel like an actual communications device. When you're using your touchscreen, the game does not pause. You better be sure you're in a safe place because you can't see when you're looking in your backpack, and a zombie can sneak right up on you.
Some reviewers have complained about the gameplay being a bit repetitive, but it doesn't bother me at all. Others have said it's too slow. That's what I enjoy about it. You're not Rambo, you're everyday people put in this scenario and you're trying your best to stay alive. Death has consequence, as you lose all of your accumulated gear and stat upgrades. A great feature is when you die, your character comes back as a zombie. You're 'reborn' as a new character that has to track down your previous zombified character and kill them to reclaim your stuff. So cool!
Your main weapon through the game is a cricket bat that you whack zombies with and you later get additional guns, flares, etc. There's often more than one way to approach a zombie or group of zombies. My only complaint is that the world feels a bit small and forced. I'd preferred to have a bit more freedom to roam and explore rather than the rigid path the game pushes you through, but that being said I would LOVE to see a sequel to this game. It's fun, creative and genuinely scary without relying much on jump scares.
