For some, the combination of zombies and Vikings in one game will be sufficient proof of the high quality of a game. For others, the fact that the makers were also responsible for the surprise hit of last year ‘Stick It To The Man’ will be enough to sway them to the Nordic adventure. For those more discerning amongst you, however, let’s have a closer look at the Zombie Vikings release and what it entails, as well as whether it’s worth you opening your wallet for.
Set to release towards the end of this month, the story centres around Odin and his missing eye. It’s not just missing, however, it has been stolen by Loki, the brute. Unfortunately, all of his other god-mates are too busy partying to help him recover his ocular organ, the brutes. In the absence of his mates, therefore, there’s obviously only one option for the now blind as the proverbial bat Odin – he summons four fearsome zombie Vikings to assist him in his mission. Gunnborg, Seagurd, Hedgy and the fabulously named Caw-kaa will have to travel through some, frankly, strange worlds to not only retrieve The Eye, but also to make peace with their own vicious, Viking pasts. There are gingerbread swamps, a chance to travel through the intestines of a Midgaard serpent, and the opportunity to discover more about the zombies, such as why there’s a squid living in Seagurd’s stomach. Curious.
There are over 10 hours’ gameplay in this zombie romp, which includes 30 levels and a very high number of swords – 40, to be exact. This will no doubt delight many of you. The key with this game, however, is that it is specifically designed to be played with friends and, in the words of the developers themselves, ‘Friday night, pizza, a bunch of friends on a big comfy couch and a great game… being an old-school hack ‘n’ slash, Zombie Vikings fits the bill perfectly’. I’m sure you can choose another takeaway, too, if pizza doesn’t float your (long) boat.
This game sounds, quite simply, fun. The makers want you to rejoice in the fact that the players are already dead. For example, if your head is chopped off then your friends can use it as a vomiting weapon. Now, what’s not to love with that concept? Each player chooses one of the four zombie Vikings, which each have their own back-story (think back to that squid) and particular moves.
The makers, Zoink, have christened this genre of game a ‘story brawler’, and they’re clearly proud of creating games which are fun, crazy, collaborative, and containing a ton of content, detail and back-story. Given the success of ‘Stick It To The Man’, it is quite safe to assume that Zombie Vikings is going to be just as well done and, therefore, just as popular and successful. If you love Zombies and Vikings then it’s a no-brainer (ahem) and even if you don’t, the fun-factor alone should convince you to give this game a go. Ha det gøy!
Rating – 7.9 / 10
MaryAnn Davison is an old school gamer who is a qualified Archivist and information manager. She loves to write in her spare time.