- Delivers classic zombie horde formula
- Good value and enjoyable experience
- Strong visuals and atmospheric horror
- Multiplayer functionality is broken and dead
- Repetitive, unengaging core gameplay loop
- Suffers from critical technical problems
Emotions
Players felt satisfied by the game's ability to deliver a classic Call of Duty Zombies-like experience, often surpassing modern CoD offerings in terms of gameplay, atmosphere, and ethical monetization. Enjoyment stemmed from engaging co-op, solid gunplay, well-designed maps with secrets, and the game's overall value for money. The combination of challenging gameplay, good content, and developer dedication also contributed to a gratifying experience, whether playing solo or with friends.
Players expressed disappointment due to the game's low player count, making co-op difficult or impossible, and a perceived lack of polish in gameplay, animations, and graphics. Many felt the game did not live up to comparisons with classic CoD Zombies, suffering from repetitive content, boring boss fights, and an unengaging solo experience. Technical issues, poor value at full price, and a sense of developer abandonment further contributed to negative sentiments.
Frustration arose primarily from numerous technical issues such as game-breaking bugs, frequent crashes, persistent lag, and poor optimization, especially in multiplayer. Players also struggled with clunky movement, unclear objectives, unbalanced difficulty, and ineffective gameplay systems. The lack of a robust matchmaking system and issues like mouse acceleration further exacerbated the frustrating experience.
Excitement was driven by the game's success in evoking nostalgia for classic Call of Duty Zombies while offering a fresh, innovative take on the genre. Players anticipated new content, appreciated the intense and chaotic combat, and were thrilled by the game's rich Lovecraftian atmosphere and varied enemies. The high quality, fun co-op, and comparison to superior CoD Zombies experiences contributed to a strong positive outlook.
Players found enjoyment in the game's fundamental fun gameplay, especially when played with friends, and its engaging story progression and Easter eggs. The overall concept, challenging content, and well-designed mechanics like special weapons and character progression loops added to a positive experience. Despite minor flaws, many reviewers continued to have a good time with the game.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 61% · Negative 39%. Score: 39 / 100
Positives:
- The game is widely praised for successfully capturing and improving upon the classic Call of Duty Zombies formula, offering round-based action, objective-based missions, and unique twists that surpass recent CoD entries. Many players find it fills a void left by modern zombie modes and offers a fresh, engaging experience reminiscent of older CoD Zombies and Killing Floor.
- Players frequently express high satisfaction with the game's overall quality and content, especially considering its affordable price point. It's often described as a hidden gem, offering a fun, relaxing, and entertaining experience that provides significant content for its cost, making it a worthwhile purchase.
- The game shines particularly in cooperative play, with many players highlighting it as a main advantage. Playing with friends enhances the fun significantly, fostering engaging communication and making it a great title for social gaming sessions, though it's also noted as enjoyable solo.
- The game receives high marks for its beautiful and intriguing art style, which often compensates for any technical limitations and contributes to cohesive visuals. Players frequently note the palpable passion of the developers reflected in the meticulous setting, artistic choices, and unique aesthetic.
- Reviewers commend the game's maps for their size, detailed design, and engaging storylines or quests that keep players invested. The inclusion of free, diverse maps with changing scenery and replayability is a significant positive, providing a clear sense of purpose beyond endless rounds.
Negatives:
- The game suffers from a critically low player count, making matchmaking difficult or impossible, especially for a title designed for co-op. Multiplayer is further hindered by severe lag, disconnections, poor netcode, and a host-migration system that causes progress loss when the host leaves. The absence of in-game voice or text chat exacerbates communication problems in co-op.
- Players find the core gameplay loop quickly becomes repetitive and boring, particularly during solo play which is often described as tedious and punishing due to poor scaling and objective design. There is a perceived lack of content, map variety, and meaningful progression, making the game feel not worth its price.
- Many players report severe technical issues including poor optimization, frequent crashes, game-breaking bugs, and overall low visual fidelity with janky animations. These problems make the game feel unfinished and often unplayable, leading to lost progress and significant frustration.
- Player movement is frequently described as clunky and floaty, with constant issues of getting stuck on environmental objects, corners, and even enemies. This creates frustration and disrupts gameplay, particularly during combat or navigation.
- Many players feel the game is a cheap and blatant copy of Call of Duty Zombies, borrowing mechanics without understanding what made the original appealing. It is often seen as a less polished, less fun version that fails to establish its own unique identity.
Gameplay:
- The game's core loop strongly resembles Call of Duty Zombies, featuring round-based horde survival, points for kills, buying perks, and opening doors. Players will find familiar mechanics from games like Black Ops, with additional elements reminiscent of Killing Floor.
- Each of the 6 maps features puzzles and objectives that progress the story, such as collecting items, activating objects, or defending zones. Map areas are unlocked by spending in-game currency, leading to exploration and eventual boss fights.
- The game offers 5 difficulty modes, allowing players to scale the challenge from casual to very hard. Players can choose between following story objectives or an endurance-style play, available in Quick Match, Private, or Solo modes.
- Weapons can be upgraded multiple times at dedicated stations, with costs increasing significantly for higher tiers. The 'Pack-a-Punch' mechanic, familiar from CoD Zombies, allows weapons to be upgraded up to 5 times for increased damage and special effects.
- A perk system allows players to acquire and upgrade up to 7 perks (e.g., health, reload speed) that provide passive abilities. Perk effects strengthen over time, and upgrades carry over between runs, contributing to persistent character progression.
Performance:
- Many players experience severe frame rate drops, stuttering, and frequent crashes, particularly at higher settings or on non-60Hz monitors. While some report smooth performance, others with high-end PCs face issues, indicating poor optimization and inconsistent stability across various hardware configurations. Loading times, however, are generally not an issue.
- Multiplayer co-op specifically suffers from jarring lag, microstutters, and visual glitches for both enemies and teammates. There's also reported latency in killing monsters, indicating a poor co-op experience distinct from general server stability.
- Players frequently report shots not registering, significant delays in hit detection, server disconnections, and data loss. This leads to frustrating and unplayable online experiences, especially for those with weaker connections. While some regions (e.g., US East, Japan) report fewer issues, many still point to the game's network code rather than their own internet.
- Players experience issues like keyboard inputs being ignored after alt-tabbing. The game also forces mouse acceleration/smoothing by default and exhibits negative acceleration at lower turning speeds, leading to uncomfortable and inconsistent aiming controls.
- Some minor bugs are reported, such as players getting occasionally trapped in terrain or specific enemy projectile oddities. Additionally, animations can appear choppy, detracting from the visual quality and fluidity of the game.
Recommendations:
- Many players strongly recommend the game, especially if you are a fan of classic Call of Duty Zombies, praising it as a good alternative or homage. It's often highlighted as more enjoyable when played with friends and is frequently recommended when on sale.
- A significant number of players expressed strong negative sentiment, refunding the game or advising others not to buy it. This often stems from a lack of polish, unaddressed crashing issues, or a general feeling that the game is not worth the current asking price.
- Several players strongly suggest that Black Ops 3, particularly its custom zombies maps, offers a superior and more polished experience. They often advise against comparing this game to classic CoD Zombies or playing BO3 instead for better gunplay and more content.
- A consistent point across reviews is that the game is best purchased at a discount. Many reviewers feel it offers good value only when on sale, suggesting it might not be worth the full price.
- Players note that the game currently lacks polish, particularly in solo play, and can be frustrating due to various issues. There are calls for developers to address networking problems, fix freezes, and implement a balancing pass, suggesting the game needs more development time.
Miscellaneous:
- Players consistently request significant content additions, including new maps, weapons, game modes, and perks. Crucially, there's a strong desire for community-driven content via mod support or a Steam Workshop to enhance longevity and player engagement.
- Many players acknowledge the game's significant potential despite its current state, often describing it as mediocre or 'janky.' They believe that with continued updates, bug fixes, and refinements, the game could become a truly engaging and polished experience.
- A predominant theme is the game's clear inspiration from Call of Duty Zombies, often labeled as a 'budget' or 'standalone' competitor. This comparison sets player expectations and suggests a path for further development by leveraging familiar round-based mechanics.
- While many players purchased the game at a significantly discounted price, appreciating its value at that cost, others find its current full price too high for the amount of content and polish offered. A lower price point is suggested to potentially broaden the player base.
- The game is seen as much more enjoyable when played with friends, with solo play diminishing the experience. Concerns exist about a potentially small or inactive public player base, which makes finding online matches difficult without a pre-made group.
