World War Z lays out a roadmap full of speedy zombies
Zombie games just refuse to die.
World War Z doesn't have an original bone in its body, but I think that's okay, because it's a shameless Left 4 Dead tribute in a world that's been waiting for a sequel for a decade now. As with its primary inspiration, Saber Interactive have some big free updates planned for the game, including new missions, difficulty levels, game modes and features. I admit that I'm a little surprised at how successful the game has been, considering how little interest people seemed to have in the lead-up to launch, but it's good to see the studio committing to a protracted zombie siege.
Updates for the game begin in May, with a new mission set in Tokyo. A very nice environment, but it was the shortest of the campaigns, so I'm glad to see it growing a little. Alongside the new mission, there'll be a new special zombie type which can spit virus-goo at people, and resurrect itself if you don't pour some extra lead into its body. Updates continue through June with a sixth difficulty level which rewards bonus cosmetics as well as something "unique" for those who beat it. This'll probably be off-limits for new players for a while, thanks to the game's Payday/Killing Floor-esque progression.
Updates start to get a little vague in July, but they've got a Weekly Challenge mode coming, plus more cosmetics to dress up your zombie-hunters with. Not dated yet, but Saber are also working on a wave-based horde survival mode, private multiplayer lobbies and mid-match class switching for PvP. There are also a few PC version quality-of-life fixes on the way, including an FOV slider and adjustable LODs, presumably to make more distant zombies look less like background props.
While initially plagued by some bugs, World War Z has reportedly sold over 320,000 copies on the Epic Games Store, which is a fine start for a co-op shooter. If the thought of shooting literal mountains of zombies tickles your fancy, it costs £32/€35/$35, and is published by Focus Home Interactive.