Launched as a spin-off to Rebellion’s “Sniper Elite” series, the British co-op action game focuses more on bloody firefights instead of tactical finesse. In the campaign’s varied areas of use and Zombie Army 4’s lavish Horde mode, we not only kill thousands of Nazi zombies alone, but alternatively also with up to three teammates.
I can already tell you that the game kept me busy for quite a few hours, but is it worth your time? Here is my Zombie Army 4: Dead War review for PlayStation 4!
ZOMBIE GORE GALORE
The game revolves around a group of mercenaries in the aftermath of the Second World War and as a successor to the previous game. In the previous game, they threw Hitler into the deepest gaps of hell. Unfortunately, this did not help, because the world is still flooded with hordes and hordes of zombies.
A small group of veterans has taken on the thankless task of fighting against these mindless people in Zombie Army 4. Anyway, this is pretty much the plot. But let’s be honest, we need not know more.
You will be quickly introduced with the basic techniques and core elements of the game, and you will soon notice that you are pumping huge amounts of zombies with lead. Life can be that simple, if you know what I mean. The way this game does this is accompanied by a lot of blood, flying limbs, and wonderfully over the top as usual.
The introduction and storyline that are told in the interim during the missions (nine in total) are probably equal to an average film. But this is luckily not a huge problem, because as soon as you play, you notice that the entire world is full of details like when you head into a kitchen, you’ll see a stove with a zombie head filled pan boiling soup.
The game has received a lot of love from Rebellion, and the makers seem to know how to make gaming genuinely fun. They introduce the characters without too much depth and acting is otherwise above average. That is not bad either, because this is all functional. It is about the gunplay and fortunately not necessarily about the gameplay.
IS IT SNIPER ELITE?
It is clear that the game was made by Rebellion and therefore borrows a lot from Sniper Elite. It is exactly the same game engine. And above where I mentioned that the gunplay is above gameplay, I have to add a small note to it. You play the game in the third person. This requires a little getting used to when you play FPS games in particular.
In this case, the camera movements are not perfect, far from it even. It feels rushed, with the speed of turning the camera feeling somewhat limited. And because you play in the third person, you do not always have a nice overview. Fortunately, Zombie Army 4 helps to show the direction where attacks come from.
However, if you have played the previous games or Sniper Elite alone, you’ll recognize that the core and mechanics are the same. It is still solid and satisfying. Furthermore, the game has similarities to many modern shooters. This way you can unlock perks and improve your character. You can even upgrade your weapons, among other things.
This varies from damage, unique upgrades, more bullets, and so on. Your character can also provide you with your own face and you can change a lot of content for everything in Zombie Army 4. Especially in co-op online you have a real unique identity.
How About the Structure?
The levels are big and lively. There are places you can visit if the zombie madness gets too much. These are called Safe Houses. Here you can provide yourself with ammunition, health or make your weapons or character better. Every level is packed with collectibles that really make it worthwhile to explore every corner and alley.
Despite the outdated visuals, it is a great pleasure to walk through and relax after the hundreds of slaughtered zombies. Zombie Army 4: Dead Army, in that respect, provides balance in speed of gameplay. But again, it is visually outdated. This is especially visible in randomly placed objects and certain textures that do not always look sharp.
On the PlayStation 4, fire is also very moderate and is reminiscent of the previous generation of consoles. Facial animations are limited and therefore you have rather flat characters. By the way, if you have an Xbox One X or PlayStation 4 Pro, you can choose between Quality or Performance modes.
In terms of soundtrack, I must say that it is atmospheric. Music and sound effects are above average and sound tight. These sounds received much more attention than the previous games and the fleshy effects of shattering zombies are wonderful. Dialogues are somewhat flat, but there is a lot of dialogue for a change.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MULTIPLAYER
Zombie Army 4: Dead War proved it’s much more fun playing with multiple players at the same time. This is by far the best element of the entire game. But, take note that the game is far from easy, you sometimes have to come up with some tactics. Although not much, but it requires some thinking rather than just shooting.
Make choices that you can focus on and preferably have a balanced team to ensure that you can go very far. Both the missions of the single-player and the Horde mode (this is where zombies approach you in waves) can be played with your friends. Matchmaking usually goes smoothly and quickly you will have a team together.
You will find that the hectic pace of the game is quickly present, but fortunately it remains primarily focused on a shooting festival, rather than in-depth tactics. In that respect it reminded me a lot of Destiny on PlayStation 4. And that is a compliment.
The great thing is that you can do all the missions together online, but unfortunately this is a game where local co-op does not exist. In the year 2020, I find this actually just plain sad with a game like this, where fun is paramount. How cool would it not have been if you can play Zombie Army 4: Dead War with your friends on the couch? Anyway, so be it.
Furthermore, when you are dead, you can watch the zombies walk around until you reach the next spawn point. So you have something to look forward to, as opposed to aimless waiting and holding your PlayStation 4 controller for something to happen.
Have you tried Zombie Army 4: Dead Army, or any of the other Zombie Army games? What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Are you having a zombie craze and want more zombie games? Check out our reviews for Zombie City Defense 2, Dead Rising 4, and Dying Light: The Following.
