ZombiU

[Zechs Merquise]

I've been playing this a bit more today. And it's OK. I don't really like the unforgiving nature of it that much. I like taking my time, but the attacking mechanic is merely 'OK' and some of the switching between the pad and the screen gets a little tedious.

 

Love the atmosphere though.

 

Everytime I die I just delete my save game and start again though. I can't be arsed with a new character and the last way I died was so irritating I almost want to throw the towel in as it bordered on unfair.

 

The game my grow on me, but it's certainly not grabbed me as I'd have hoped as I just hate the starting as a new character everytime you die. I fail to see why you can't just start at your old save point, it adds NOTHING!

[Retro_Link]

Everytime I die I just delete my save game and start again though. I can't be arsed with a new character and the last way I died was so irritating I almost want to throw the towel in as it bordered on unfair.

What if you're 10hrs in?

[Mokong]

Everytime I die I just delete my save game and start again though. I can't be arsed with a new character

 

Why don't you just play on Survivor mode so?

 

and the last way I died was so irritating I almost want to throw the towel in as it bordered on unfair.

 

Oh do tell what happened? I had a few stupid deaths on my 1st play on Normal...like climbing a ladder only to then walk backwards off the top and dropping to me death (there was a surprise zombie up there, made me panic *facepalm*)

 

 

I fail to see why you can't just start at your old save point, it adds NOTHING!

 

Because getting to restart from your previous save makes too easy. There's no punishment for dying (losing equipment, stats and of course new character). If there's no punishment for being wreckless or making mistakes it would take out alot of the atmosphere and tension from the game if the player knew they would just reload from their last save/checkpoint. And this is a game that enjoys making you pay for making silly mistakes make no doubt about that!

 

The game wants to try to create a "real world" zombie situation. If zombies rose from the dead tomorrow and you got bite you would die/become a zombie. Can't reload and save, that is it, game over. That is what the game is going for...while still being a game.

 

Normal mode is of course somewhat forgiving in that it of course gives you another character and you have a chance to get your lost equipment back.

I think it is very much like reloading from your last save only you have lost your equipment.

 

Survival mode is of course not forgiving at all. You can get very nervous if you are far into the game coming up to hard parts knowing if you die that is it, no returns no reloads.

 

But if that is the way you are playing on Normal then just skip normal and play on Survivor.

[Zechs Merquise]

Oh do tell what happened? I had a few stupid deaths on my 1st play on Normal...like climbing a ladder only to then walk backwards off the top and dropping to me death (there was a surprise zombie up there, made me panic *facepalm*)

 

It was after the supermarket when your base gets rushed, I didn't know what to do, was I to run or just fight? I lost it, I died. A bit annoying.

 

See, I love the atmosphere. I loved getting to the supermarket and I loved locking it down. I scanned every area, I mapped it out and looted it all discovering secrets along the way. I did it all in a methodical fashion - taking my time, defeating the Zombies with the bat not the gun. Then BAM, just after that it was all for nothing.

 

I love the methodical gameplay and it being proper survival horror. I would just prefer it if you had to do each 'level' from start to finish in one 'perfect' run and then you saved and you were safe at that point until you'd done the whole next 'level'.

 

I love the graphical effects too, it really does feel liike playing 28 days later. So it's not all bad, just jarring that you switch characters. I felt so much tension keeping that first one alive until the end of the supermarket, then just to lose him, I felt deflated.

 

Then I felt nothing for the second, and it was almost as if I was playing as 'disposable people'. She died straight away too, because I wasn't arsed about her.

 

I just don't think they got it right changing your character, your attachment and the tension of keeping one alive is what makes the game feel special and once I lose that character I just feel abit 'meh' about the whole thing. All that effort for nothing.

 

Whereas I'd like it a lot more if there were check points or things I was working toward in order to keep a character 'safe'. Then there would be a sense of goals and accomplishment and relief when you got to those points.

 

As it is I do like it, I just feel it's slightly flawed. I love the fact you don't get an assault rifle and face off against hordes of endless Zombies. But I wish there was more connection to the character(s) you play and they weren't just an endless series of disposable 'skins'.

[Mokong]

It was after the supermarket when your base gets rushed, I didn't know what to do, was I to run or just fight? I lost it, I died. A bit annoying.

 

Ah sure most people die there first time. That part is designed to try to make you panic. By that point you "think" you've got the hang of the game, you've made it to the supermarket and back and (maybe?) survived. You're back at the one place in the game where you think you are 100% safe.

 

Then what happens? Horde attack on your safe house! How many zombies are there? You don't know! Where are they coming from...apparently EVERYWHERE.

 

As I said the game is made to not want you to be safe. It wants you to die and will do what it can to try to make that happen. That's what the game really is.... it's you verus the game.

 

If you panic at that stage of course you're likely to die. If you keep a bit of a calm head you might survive. You may have "locked down" and checked every corner of the Supermarket... but did you do the same outside your safe house? The area you fight the horde in is actually got more room that it seems. you can put some distance between you and zombies with a good dash around the area. get them to group together. There's a handy trick I learned I'll call the "crawl space"... there's a bit where you can crawl under...zombies following you will crawl under too... while they are crawling under the fence while on the ground if you ready your bat you'll get the "finish it" prompt...One Hit Kill.

 

Also use of flares and molotovs is highly recommended...but I bet you were tryin to save those :wink: I know I was 1st time

 

I love the methodical gameplay and it being proper survival horror. I would just prefer it if you had to do each 'level' from start to finish in one 'perfect' run and then you saved and you were safe at that point until you'd done the whole next 'level'.

 

But as I said you are never meant to feel safe. Again if it were a real Zombie outbreak, would you ever be able to feel "safe"?

What the game wants you to understand is that you are NEVER safe Especially when you think you are.

 

Whereas I'd like it a lot more if there were check points or things I was working toward in order to keep a character 'safe'. Then there would be a sense of goals and accomplishment and relief when you got to those points.

 

Goal1: Survive longer and get a higher score with new character than you had with the previous. :wink:

 

Goal2: Complete game without losing "this current" survivor....if you can....mwhahahahahaha

 

I do agree though that you don't ever get any attachment to the characters. They are all pretty much the same. I guess some of that is also meant to make it more like the character is "you" even though the character changes when you die.

 

Part of the appeal (or reasoning of why the devs did it) of losing the characters (on normal mode) though is finding your previous character as a zombie and "putting him/her down" so you can get their stuff (or even better when you find a friends or randoms "zombie" and loot their stuff...if they have any)

 

Would have been nice if each characters occupation actually gave them differing skills somehow. Like if you were a cop, you'd automatically have an increase in some weapons skills for example.

[Kav]

@Zechs Merquise you're amazing! Hahaha

[Zechs Merquise]

Ah sure most people die there first time. That part is designed to try to make you panic. By that point you "think" you've got the hang of the game, you've made it to the supermarket and back and (maybe?) survived. You're back at the one place in the game where you think you are 100% safe.

 

I understand that! But after all that effort and stress and tension, you just lose your character and it's like 'Hey, here's another'. I find it jarring and rather pointless. I makes the game feel pointless as you're not on a journey of surivial, you're being supplied with endless people and if they die - so what?

 

As I said, I just find it weird, but otherwise I like what they've done. The atmosphere and pacing is great. Feels like proper survival horror - except when you don't survive you get a new character and you don't give a shit about any of them...

 

@Zechs Merquise you're amazing! Hahaha

 

I do my best

[Mokong]

I understand that! But after all that effort and stress and tension, you just lose your character and it's like 'Hey, here's another'. I find it jarring and rather pointless. I makes the game feel pointless as you're not on a journey of surivial, you're being supplied with endless people and if they die - so what?

 

Ok well if your issue is that the game gives you a different character then why not just play Survivor Mode?

 

I only played Normal mode through once and actually just started a new game on Survivor mode (all this chatting here made me crave some zombie action...started teh file before the MK league).

 

Even though I know I have to do it in one life (cuz it Survivor mode) I do miss the idea of finding my previous character as a zombie.

 

You still get friend and random peoples zombies in Survivor mode though so that is still cool. But you don't get any notifications like you do in Normal when one enters your game. Though that does make it all the more exciting when you do stumble across one.

 

 

As I said in Normal mode the "new characters" is a way for that mode to be a bit forgiving. Its like, "hey you made a mistake and I (the game) raped you for it... your character is dead and a zombie now but hey I won't be too hard on ya here's a new character now go find teh last guy and get your stuff back".

 

Where as on Survivor mode its more. "Hey you were so close to the end of teh game but you made this tiny error and I decided to butt frak you to the point of bleeding and leave you a crying mess on teh floor while I piss on you. Now go back to the start and try again bitch"

 

 

Or think of it this way, the story isn't about the characters it's about the situation/experience. If that makes sense

[Zechs Merquise]

I've now got to Buckingham Palace and I'm on my third survivor. The more I play it, the more enjoy it. I love games where you have to be stealthy and patient and exploration is rewarded.

 

The atmosphere in this game is brilliant - up there with the likes of Silent Hill Shattered Memories and RE: Remake. It's magnificent. The sense of isolation and constantly being on your toes is really unique.

 

I've still got one major gripes with the game though. The first thing is the deaths. I've been super careful and really shouldn't have died. I constantly 'ping' the area, and check everything out before sneaking up on any Zombies and bashing their heads in.

 

However the two times I've died it's been down to Zombies 'appearing' behind me in previous 'pinged' and cleared areas. The first I had cleared an area and was sneaking up on a Zombie only to find TWO had appeared behind me. The second time was exactly the same. Cheap deaths where you've cleared a spot only for the developers to have an enemy spawn in to get you is annoying and cheapens the experience.

 

Overall though, it's a great experience and I think the 'professional reviewers' who gave the game a 4.5 obviously had an axe to grind with either Ubisoft or Nintendo, because even if you don't like the game, you couldn't claim it was broken.

 

I also smashed the skull in of a friend today ha! It's the first friend who's corpse I've looted, felt good

[RedShell]

the two times I've died it's been down to Zombies 'appearing' behind me in previous 'pinged' and cleared areas. The first I had cleared an area and was sneaking up on a Zombie only to find TWO had appeared behind me. The second time was exactly the same. Cheap deaths where you've cleared a spot only for the developers to have an enemy spawn in to get you is annoying and cheapens the experience.

The radar doesn't pick up stationary Zombies, so pretty sure those 2 deaths would have been caused by Zombies that were always there but obscured by the darkness.

I never experienced any zombies just appearing, but you never know with this game.

[Mokong]

I also smashed the skull in of a friend today ha! It's the first friend who's corpse I've looted, felt good

 

Haha, who was it, anyone from here?

 

I've started up a new game on Survivor mode, I just finished the Palace last night. I also found a Zechs zombie outside my safe house, I put it out of its misery

 

The radar doesn't pick up stationary Zombies, so pretty sure those 2 deaths would have been caused by Zombies that were always there but obscured by the darkness.

I never experienced any zombies just appearing, but you never know with this game.

 

Yeah this is likely what happened. Any zombies lying on the ground that appear to be dead won't give you a red dot ping until they start moving. And usually they only start moving when you get close. SO you may have walked past it without knowing.

 

Generally I bash the head off any zombie I see on the ground just in case.

 

Also the ping only works if you are on the same level as the zombie.

Like the ping only pings out in a 2D horizontal plane.

 

So if for example you were at the top of some steps and pinged before going down, it actually wouldn't pick up any movement even if there was a zombie at the bottom of the steps.

 

There's also the odd "scripted" zombie attack.... where going forward might trigger a few zombies to suddenly crawl over wall or something.... remember what I said.... Never assume you are ever safe....because you never are :awesome:

[somme]

What they said. ^ If you'd perhaps turned around, (although yes, you may not have thought you had to) you may have seen them crawling over a wall. Or under a wall. Or out of a hole. They could be anywhere!!

 

I think I died about 11 times before finishing the game the first time. And never thought I died cheaply. I died a couple of times through stupidity, (thinking I could perhaps run through a wall of fire - you can't) but never experienced a cheap death where I couldn't have gotten out of it. The next time I played through I barely died at all.

[Zechs Merquise]

I've now made it to the man hole at Brick Lane Flats. I feel pretty bad though, I totally looted Stankind's Zombie, and it had loads of loot!

 

I'm enjoying the game more and more, it really is tense and awesome. I find myself exploring every inch of a room, smashing the heads in of any infected I find that appear 'dead' and making sure I loot every damn thing - which means several trips back to the safe house to drop off the goodies.

 

I also got into a spot of bother at height where I couldn't tell how many Zombies were beneath me, so I used a flare for the first time, they came out of hiding, I picked one off with the silenced pistol, dropped down and bashed the other one's head in, brilliant!

 

It's a game where you genuinely can approach situations using your arsenal just as you wish. I tend to lure Zombies away into safe areas and dispose of them with the bat, but I've seen many approaches.

 

Back to the issue of my deaths - I understand that stationary ones do not show up, but if you scan an area first you can tell where they are. My first death was by the cargo crates. I had checked everywhere and two came from out of bounds and got me, I felt that was cheap. The second burst out of a load of boxes and I hadn't picked him up on the scanner, so not as bad as the first.

 

I have got the scanner upgrade now though, so it basically makes the whole game just like Aliens but with Zombies! It's a really nevrous moment when you're moving around and it's all calm then you pick up two red dots, your mood just changes.

 

So far, whilst I wouldn't say this game was a '10 out of 10' it's certainly at the least an 8 and far better than what a lot of people have said. I honestly don't know what other reviewers wanted. It's survival horror, it's not L4D!

[Mokong]

I also got into a spot of bother at height where I couldn't tell how many Zombies were beneath me, so I used a flare for the first time, they came out of hiding, I picked one off with the silenced pistol, dropped down and bashed the other one's head in, brilliant!

 

Was that in the room with the scafolding and fire?

I imagine did you try to use the keypad and that's when you "had to" leg it up the ladder. That part caught me totally off guard.

 

Also when I first went up that ladder there was a zombie waiting at the top which is what caused me to panic and fall off and die After my various replays I learned that zombie changes position, he can sometimes be at the top or sometimes on the ground.

 

I have got the scanner upgrade now though, so it basically makes the whole game just like Aliens but with Zombies! It's a really nevrous moment when you're moving around and it's all calm then you pick up two red dots, your mood just changes.

 

Indeed you'd think have the auto ping would make things a bit easier but it jut increases the tension.

[Blade]

Im just outside Bucks palace where ive enjoyed battering @\-Dem0\- with a cricket bat and then nicking his items.

[Zechs Merquise]

I have just done the nursery, and it's probably one of the scariest bits in any game I've ever played. This game just gets better - and the more time you spend exploring and poking around, the more you find and the better equiped you become.

 

I am now utterly dumb founded by the poor reviews some sites gave this game.

[Mokong]

What did you think of the bit after the nursery on the way back to the sfae house/petrol station? Panic much? haha

 

Oh and did you try to scan or loot the "boss" in the nursery?

[RedShell]

Oh and did you try to scan or loot the "boss" in the nursery?

You like asking that question, don't you?

I'm pretty sure 99% of players do scan/loot it, as the Prepper instructs you to.

[Londragon]

My son has finally gone back to school after a long Cihnese winter vacation, coincides with Chinese New Year and not Christmas (so not that long). So, now my vacation, in a way, starts. Freedom in the early morning, children have to be in school at 7am here, to clean and stuff, has allowed me to restart the campaign and I've just finished the first Zombie horde raid against the safe house. Starting to distrust the Prepper, 'safe' house my arse. Who the fuck let them in?

The thing I learnt was to keep on moving and let the zombies follow you until it's time to bash them in.

 

Just did the walk to Buckingham, and returned to save via the shortcut.

 

Really enjoying this and am off to play it now for a couple of hours this morning.

 

Just finished another session, and apart from dying twice it went quite well. So, on my 3rd survivor now. First death was after sucessfully taking down @Zechs Merquise zombie, in Victoria, just finished looting, stood up to find another zombie right on top of me. Kind of half-paniced and died. Then, went to reclaim my goods thinking it was just one zombie, but of course there is the killer and my infected, couldn't handle 2 in such a close confined area (in the haulage container area). Died. Later got to the Raven safe house, whilst taking down @Phube along the way. Love the gun emplacement.

[Mokong]

You like asking that question, don't you?

I'm pretty sure 99% of players do scan/loot it, as the Prepper instructs you to.

 

But not everyone mentions it... I wanna see people post reactions

[Zechs Merquise]

But not everyone mentions it... I wanna see people post reactions

 

I shit myself lol

 

How's that?

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

But not everyone mentions it... I wanna see people post reactions

 

I had to youtube this after you asked me and I wondered what I missed, and it turns out I did miss something scary!

 

...her in the nusery basement, she fell forward and died on her front, face down. I heard the prepper say about scanning her but I was already doing it, got a shriek but that was it. Youtube'ing it, I realise that I missed her last breath and the awful howl. Not my fault the shotgun blew the shit out of her

 

[nekunando]

The sooner ZombiU drops below £20, the sooner I'll be able to experience the game as you guys have I have a £25 GAME gift card that I pretty much have earmarked for it but with no GAME stores within 30 miles of me, it's difficult to know when, or how, I will use it..

[Fierce_LiNk]

This is the one WiiU game right now that I want the most. Really craving Zombie action. PROPER Zombie action.

[Mokong]

This is the one WiiU game right now that I want the most. Really craving Zombie action. PROPER Zombie action.

 

Then whats stopping you Flinky...GO GEETT EEEETTTT

 

The sooner ZombiU drops below £20, the sooner I'll be able to experience the game as you guys have I have a £25 GAME gift card that I pretty much have earmarked for it but with no GAME stores within 30 miles of me, it's difficult to know when, or how, I will use it..

 

Gift card doesn't work online?