World War Z sprints towards an April 16th launch
Take your pick: 'Zoombies' or 'Rundead'?
Just when we thought it was safe, the tide of zombie games returns with renewed ferocity. At least with World War Z, now confirmed for an April 16th launch with a lower-than-average price, looks like Saber Interactive are doing something a bit different. Loosely tied to the Brad Pitt movie and even more loosely to Max Brooks's original book, it's a class-based, mostly co-op shooter. Four players square up against literal tides of hyperactive undead - the kind that form (in)human ladders to climb buildings that players would normally think themselves safe in. Below, a release date trailer.
On top of the usual corpse-shooting fun with friends, Saber recently unveiled a collection of competitive multiplayer modes. Pretty standard four-on-four stuff, except for the zombies being an ever-present threat to both teams. Even in the standard co-op missions it looks like there's a bit more depth than your average swarm 'em up. Explosives are order of the day, especially when it comes to breaking down piles of zombies forming to reach your high vantage points, and each of the six classes seems to have some crowd control options. The medic can even chemically 'cloak' themselves, letting them rush in to bail out a teammate safely.
My only real concern with the game is that once you've figured out workable strategies for each mission, it might lack the unpredictability of Left 4 Dead and its more varied zombie types. The game does have a dynamic spawn system and the occasional special enemy (like heavies in riot armour and the occasional one that'll leap from the crowd) but there's no outlandish mutants to explode here. Still, I can appreciate the idea of fighting a literal tide of death - if it works in strategy games like Creeper World, then why not in a shooter?
World War Z launches April 16th and will be exclusive to the Epic Store on PC. It'll cost £35.99/€39.99/$40. You can find its store page here and its official site here. Focus Home Interactive are publishing.