Zombie Army 4: Dead War Review: A dish best served in co-op

With a few unearthly moans, a dash of claustrophobia and a listing in the Epic Store, Rebellion Developments' fourth installment of their undead franchise lumbers in with Zombie Army 4: Dead War. 

So what's it about? Killing Nazi zombies, of course, the title is pretty self-explanatory. But what about the concept? Has it seen any dramatic overhauls from before? Essentially, no. The newest member in Rebellion's Sniper Elite spin-off is pretty much business as usual, but there's still a lot to discuss. 

For the most part, I'm having mixed emotions about this game. On one hand, it's been years since I actually enjoyed a zombie title for its survivalist aspect, rather than chasing Easter eggs or trying to find out how to recreate the Staff of Whatchamacallit all the time (looking at you, Call of Duty). But then again, there's only so much that the classic "fight till you drop" formula can offer players.  

Still, let's not put the cart before the horse. One thing at a time.

What can we expect?

Like most zombie shooters, both the Campaign and Horde (basically survival) modes feature solo and co-op playability. There is also the Weekly Event, which usually features one of the Campaign missions with special conditions (and rewards!) attached to it, but outside of that, it's essentially the same.

Speaking of which, the Campaign is similar to its counterpart in Left 4 Dead 2, although I felt it was rather disappointing in terms of plot and the variety of objectives. It's a stark contrast to Horde, which is classic, clean and tidy, making it a pretty decent gem for traditional survivalists. Granted, the latter does have one or two small flaws too, but hey, nobody (and no game) is perfect.  

Meanwhile, the character and weapon customisation systems are considerably extensive, even if they are rather generic. It's the usual "equip depending on your style" gig that most games offer, so there's not really much to write home about. The taunts can be pretty entertaining though.

It's not Lord of the Rings

Now, I hate to start on a bad note, but the campaign in Dead War is exactly like the title: dead. Not only is the plot cliche to the point of being unbearably straightforward, but the missions aren't exactly innovative either. To be fair, I am running the game solo, and as such I can't account for any weird antics that might ensue in co-op situations. As far as possible, play with a friend, so you don't just have your character's repeated dialogue and the incessant moans of the undead for company.

Anyway, throughout the story, or whatever passes for it, you're either chasing after some dude, saving someone's bacon from a zombie encirclement or fetching stuff to fix a broken...something. Those themes are just reshuffled and repeatedly pasted all over the entire campaign, and it's slightly upsetting because I felt they could have done so much more with it. So, don't expect a world or plot as enrapturing as Tolkien's, because you're not going to get one. 

Admittedly, they do still deserve some credit in terms of how expansive the world is, and I think map size is the only thing the Campaign can boast over Horde mode. As a member of the Resistance, you travel all across Europe fighting off the undead, and I liked how they made each level stay in "character" with the place it's based off. For example, the Venice level has zombies emerging from the water and attacking from the rooftops while you make your way through the canals, and some of them even have corrosive breath to boot.

Additionally, there are numerous collectibles to be found in the overworld, which will upgrade your weapon, give you more health, and so on. Personally, I didn't really bother with them - I found no drive to do so after being tasked to collect fuel cans for like the billionth time, and no amount of health is going to save you if you can't aim for nuts. No offense. Once again - grab a friend. 

Unfortunately, that's pretty much all that Campaign has to offer (in solo, at least), and beyond collecting every single pickup and achievement, or playing through with self-imposed conditions, there isn't much replayability to be had here. 

What about the action, though?

Be patient; we're getting there. Despite a mediocre Campaign, Dead War still has some things going for it, and that's in the zombie-killing itself. You've got the usual medley of slow-motion killcams from the game's Sniper Elite roots, which as always is extremely satisfying to watch and listen to, but the best part about Dead War is probably the variety of undead they have on the menu.

Not only are there more types than in other titles I've seen, but they're more interesting to fight, too - we've got everything from undead tanks (no, I don't get how that works, either) and near-immortal Commanders to zombie sharks, making the combat slightly more tactical and intelligent (if I may) than your average undead escapade. 

Coincidentally, it's in the Horde mode that these features really shine through, and that's our next topic.

Good old-fashioned zombie survival

Ah, the Horde mode. Dead War's main attraction, and it's biggest area for replayability. Ditching large Call of Duty: Zombies sized maps for smaller, more cramped ones, there's a certain finesse in how Rebellion draws out the claustrophobia by sticking you in a small area with a bunch of zombies. Especially when some of them spit acid, summon more zombies and wield Gatling guns.

Unlike its counterpart from Treyarch, Dead War's "doors" are gated according to the wave, meaning they'll only open after a player reaches a certain round. They're also fewer in number, and the maps only have around three main zones on average. Additionally, players can only regenerate health via takedowns (which require a certain number of kills to charge up) and resupply ammo through ammo caches, although takedowns will refund you a few shells in a pinch too. 

I rather like these touches because it forces players into situations without the "get out of jail free" option of "buying" a door to escape, then waiting to regenerate. It's a lot more challenging that way. But Rebellion understands that games can get quite unplayable if you're just stuck to a single room, and so they've provided some allowance in the form of two other zones for you to slip in and out of, while making sure that the feeling of claustrophobia is still somewhat present. To add on, the ammo cache will shift every so often, so you can't just camp in one spot and tank it out - ha!

However, as I mentioned at the start, there are some parts that Rebellion might not have thought through all the way. One of it is with regard to how weapons are provided to the player, and this is an aspect in which I feel Call of Duty did better. Having no Mystery Box is fine, but supplying random weapons based on the wave count might be overdoing it. Indeed, I'm not sure how the developers expect you to take down a bunch of Armored Giants with just a revolver, but running back and forth to the ammo cache ten times a round can get a little tiresome. Hey, I'm up for a challenge any day, but even I have my limits!

Well, you could still argue that it's all for the sake of preserving that "traditional formula". Fair enough, so let's leave this last bit up to personal preference. Nevertheless, it doesn't change the fact that Horde mode is pretty well done for the most part, which is what's really important.

What's the overall verdict, then?

After some thought, Zombie Army 4: Dead War only gets a passing grade from me, because it is just that: decent. It might have scored poorly in Campaign, but it somewhat compensates for it in actual gameplay. Essentially, you can still enjoy it for the Sniper Elite-styled approach and the satisfying crunch of undead skulls from your bullets (or your friends').

Unfortunately, it still feels like that "fill-in-the-blank" game you'd play once or twice a week with your pals. It's not bad, but neither is it showstopping. Sure, you might enjoy it more if you like traditional zombie survival games, chasing high scores or hunting for collectibles, but by and large, I don't think it has much to offer beyond the status quo, except maybe zombie sharks and undead tanks. Those are cool. 

In a nutshell, you could consider it an updated, third-person Left 4 Dead 2, and like the former, co-op is probably the best way to enjoy it.

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