ZombiU - Wii U

A Bad Start For New Wii U IP

2012-11-18T16:36:00Z

When the Wii released back in 2006, Ubisoft delivered a new IP called Red Steel on launch day. The game aimed to highlight the console’s motion controls with first-person shooting and gunplay. Unfortunately, the sloppy aiming and slashing instead foreshadowed how much the FPS genre would struggle on the console. Ubisoft is back again with a new game that shoehorns in all the bells and whistles of Nintendo’s latest console. Instead of an exciting showcase of the Wii U’s interesting new technology, ZombiU demonstrates just how bad survival horror can get.

The goal of the game is to navigate London’s underground subway system to access various parts of the city, forage for supplies, and survive the walking dead. You scan the environment for ammo, health, and other goodies by holding the GamePad in front of the screen and moving it around. This gimmick is cute for the first hour or so, but holding up your arms after entering every new room quickly becomes a nuisance. You manage your inventory using the GamePad’s touchscreen in real time. The idea of forcing players to quickly juggle supplies while zombies close in is novel, but the increased tension only highlights the clunkiness involved with sliding around tiny icons.

Because ZombiU takes place in the U.K. and Shaun of the Dead exists, your fallback melee weapon is a cricket bat. Where other first-person zombie games like Dead Island and Left 4 Dead 2 have proven that weighty, satisfying close-quarters combat is possible, ZombiU is the exception. Ammo is scarce, so I hope you like the idea of batting idiot zombies in the head almost a dozen times before they drop. Combat requires players to ready their weapon by holding one shoulder button then pressing the other. This makes sense for shouldering firearms, but the agonizingly slow bat swings give combat an awkward, unsatisfying rhythm. I know conserving ammo is important during a zombie apocalypse, but after hours of mind-numbing melee combat I was burning through precious rounds just to avoid using my bat.

Zombies don’t care if you’re struggling with awful controls, so expect to get eaten many times early on. The penalty for death is to spawn as a new survivor in your safe house and track down your previous, freshly zombified character to reclaim your gear. The concept is interesting, but results in a lack of commitment to any single character and an abundance of tedious backtracking.

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Retreading familiar territory wouldn’t be so painful if ZombiU’s presentation wasn’t such an assault on the senses. You spend most of your time squinting through the darkness with a glorified penlight, a problem exacerbated by a lackluster lighting system that makes everything look blurry. A dirty camera lens effect makes your TV screen appear filthy and frequently obscures your view. The repetitive sewer environments make it too easy to get lost. The useless quest tracker and confusing map system make navigating the boring environments even worse. All these things culminate to make one of the worst-looking launch games for the Wii U.

ZombiU doesn’t feature online multiplayer, but two players can engage in competitive local play. The asymmetrical gameplay involves one player, the King of Zombies, placing undead around a map with the GamePad while another battles them using a Pro Controller or Wii remote/nunchuck combo. Dropping zombies into the map using the GamePad’s touchscreen is easy, and watching your horde swarm your enemy is sadistically satisfying. Being on the receiving end of a zombie barrage is unbearable with the Wii remote/nunchuck, so only bother if you’re picking up a Pro Controller.

Gamers eager for a new experience tailored to the Wii U likely have their eyes on ZombiU. It shows off nearly every feature of Nintendo’s new hardware, but the sum of these parts is a horrifying Frankenstein’s Monster. Good zombie games are a dime a dozen these days, and I can’t recommend ZombiU above them despite being the only undead shooter on the Wii U.

For more Wii U reviews and information, visit our Wii U hub.

ZombiU: London Has A Zombie Problem

2012-10-12T19:41:00Z

Ubisoft released new gameplay footage of ZombiU, it's upcoming Wii U survival-horror title for the console's launch this November. Players head to the Tower of London as they try to escape the outbreak.

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"Hell Is Just Around The Corner" In Latest ZombiU Dev Diary

2012-10-03T14:21:00Z

This latest developer diary for the ZombiU game doesn't just show the game's geographical inspiration – London, but it also explores some of the game's characters and the man who foresaw the zombie apocalypse centuries ago.

The events of ZombiU are fictionalized around the apocalyptic visions of real-life 16th century mathematician, astrologer, and occultist John Dee. In the game, Dee's Black Prophecy appears to have come true, and a stalwart band of survivors are helping the character as they search for the same cure Dee sought centuries ago.

ZombiU is a Wii U launch-day game, and will hit on November 18.

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Also check out the first developer diary, here.

Check Out This Horrifying New ZombiU Trailer

2012-09-14T01:25:00Z

Ubisoft has released a new trailer for ZombiU that's a full three minutes long, giving us our best look to date at the game in action.

After watching the video, I have two thoughts: 1) It's nice to see Ubisoft at least trying to make good use of the Wii U's capabilities in a game that's aimed at a mature audience. 2) I didn't know the Wii U had "turn you into a zombie" functionality. Though I think that's only available on the $349.99 model.

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Surviving ZombiU's Outbreak With The Wii U

2012-08-24T19:53:00Z

In the midst of a zombie apocalypse in London, gamers must learn how to use the Wii U controller to survive.

In this developer diary, ZombiU producer Guillaume Brunier from Ubisoft Montpellier talks about the studio's old-school approach to horror (including perma-death) and how the Wii U's controller is an instrumental part of the experience.

ZombiU is expected to come out some time this year for the system. For more on the game, check out Tim's hands-on with the title.

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Stay tuned for the next developer diary, which will talk about London and the game's story.

See ZombiU In Action With Two Separate Trailers

2012-07-13T16:49:14Z

Ubisoft Montpellier has released a handful of screens and two new trailers for ZombiU showing straight-up gameplay.

You will see the lots of zombie shoving, shooting, and scanning using the Wii U's GamePad.

No word on a solid release date for the game (or the Wii U for that matter), but it's looking strong for December 2012.

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Single-Player Chewed Me Up And Spit Me Out

2012-06-06T18:28:00Z

Update: Trailer and screens added.

Nintendo has been trumpeting ZombiU as the new hardcore Wii U title to keep your eyes on. The premier Wii U title is a brand-new, blood-soaked FPS that shows off all the new tech of Nintendo’s brand new console. I spent some time with the single-player campaign, foraging for supplies and fighting off zombies in the punishing survival horror title.

The demo begins in a post-apocalyptic parking lot littered with smoldering vehicles and dead bodies. You lift and aim the Wii U controller to scan the environment for enemies, ammo, and other supplies. The controller’s built-in screen displays the environment, allowing you to move it around to hunt for goodies. You can also page through your inventory and equip weapons using the touchscreen. Interacting with the Wii U controller reminded me of using the DS’s touchscreen to manage inventories. It’s a familiar feeling and fits in well with the console experience.

A handful of zombies roam the ruined lot. Using the Wii U controller’s analog sticks to line up deadly headshots feels natural, whether you’re plucking away with pistol rounds, blasting off heads with a shotgun, or dialing in crossbow bolts. Certain weapons, such as the crossbow, can be lined up in a way similar to the scanning mechanism. Pulling off headshots using the controller’s motion control is satisfying, but isn’t very safe when a bunch of flesh-eaters are shambling your way. I never faced more than seven or eight zombies at once, leading me to believe ZombiU will feature far fewer onscreen enemies than games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Island.

What the zombies lack in numbers, they make up for in lethality. One hit from a zombie can kill you. Medkits are available and undead-neutralizing syringes can be used to instantly dispatch an enemy, but a direct attack will cut you down in no time. Succumbing to the infection doesn’t mean game over, though. Your character becomes a zombie when you die, and you then spawn as a new survivor in a safehouse who must track down and kill your former self to regain supplies. This twist keeps the game moving, and there’s something morbidly awesome about putting zombie-you out of its misery.

ZombiU packed a few other surprises as well. I fought a zombie that could disappear and teleport, keeping me guessing where it would materialize. I cornered myself by a locked door and fumbled with a lockpicking game on the controllers screen as zombies stumbled after me. I was even scanning the corpse of a fallen foe when its grisly face popped onto the Wii Us screen. Playing a horror game on a crowded show floor isn’t the best way to set the mood. However, ZombiU’s emphasis on survival and interacting with controller’s touchscreen while zombies encroach has me hopeful it’ll be much scarier once I get alone with the game. Keep your eyes on Game Informer for a look at ZombiU’s multiplayer mode.

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