ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP – ROAD TRIP / DEVELOPER: HIGH VOLTAGE SOFTWARE / PUBLISHER: GAMEMILL ENTERTAINMENT / PLATFORM: PC, PS4 (REVIEWED), SWITCH, XBOX ONE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Movie tie-in games are a certainty when a big studio production hits cinemas so it’s to no surprise that Zombieland has received the game adaptation treatment with this twin-stick tongue-in-cheek zombie slaying thrill ride. But the question is: does it earn the title of Zombie Kill of the Week or is this a simple cash grab? It’s time to nut up, shut up and find out.
Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip takes place between the events of the first film and its sequel allowing fans of the film universe to discover how Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichit and Little Rock made it all the way to the White House – and this is easily the games strongest component. The gameplay which is similar to that of Dead Nation, puts players in control of their favourite characters with up to four player co-op in both Campaign and Horde mode. Both modes feature drop-in/drop-out meaning that you can hit the road alone or with buddies without losing progress.
The campaign itself features ten missions with the total playtime amounting to roughly four hours with a new game + option available to continue earning skill points to make your characters strongest against the undead horde. Each mission is also fully voice acted by a cast who largely accomplish nailing the voice and conetations of their big screen counterpart (we had to do a double take as Little Rocks’ VO was pretty much aot on that we thought it was Abigail Breslin herself!). The dialogue between the characters invokes the true spirit and comedy of the movie, so major kudos must be given for the writing staff for managing to keep that continuity.
The game features an array of weapons; both firearm and melee; and special moves for players to utilise and each weapon has a unique feel to it especially when fighting against special infected, in which the game features a variety of zombies for you to tackle.
The Horde mode (along with general replay ability) is the games biggest downfall. After surviving waves of the undead and completing special objectives, there is little to no replay value apart from the aforementioned skill upgrades – and the most shocking part is because this is a licensed IP, the retail price is upwards of £30 for a game that even novice players can complete in around 6 hours.
Even though the gameplay is sharp, responsive and fun and the campaign has fantastic dialogue that captures the spirit of the film it is based on, once the campaign of Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is over there is little else to occupy your time or attention which is crazy considering its current price tag. Fans of the films will still get a kick from the game however we recommend waiting for a price drop.
