Originally released on Xbox 360, PC, PS3, and other consoles, Zombie Driver is a top down vehicular action title that almost plays like one of the original Grand Theft Auto games. Now, Zombie Driver: Immortal Edition, is the latest “best of” version, even more so than the Zombie Driver HD version originally released on PC. This final compilation includes the upgraded HD visuals along with all the DLC in one package.
Zombie Driver is made by the same team that produced the sleeper hit X-Morph Defense and there are a lot of similarities between these two titles even though gameplay is vastly different. This is mostly due to the fact that Zombie Driver has been ported to the Schmetterling engine, the same engine that powers X-Morph Defense. What does this mean and why should you care? Well, even though there can literally be hundreds of zombies on screen at once, the game never drops in frame rate and remains buttery smooth throughout. In fact, even though the original Zombie Driver released over a decade ago, it plays like a modern HD title. Seriously, this game plays super smooth and is total eye candy. Charging through packs of walking dead with your taxi cab feels so darn good thanks to this fluid and detailed engine.
Even if this action driver wasn’t technically impressive, there is still much to enjoy thanks to the ridiculous action, multiple game modes, and wealth of unlockables. Much like X-Morph Defense, there is a lot to do and keep the player engaged for hours.
There are three main modes of play. The story mode guides the player from one stage to the next, switching objectives constantly. The player might be tasked with escorting passengers through a zombie horde but then might need to take down a gross mutant zombie boss the next. The numerous mission types ensures the players rarely sees repetition even though the name of the game is always killing zombies. Thanks must go out to the devs for including such variety as they could have easily reskinned a bunch of missions to pad the experience but they instead crafted unique experiences from beginning to end. Then, Race mode plays like a Mario Kart clone complete with weapon usage against AI bots. However, I personally got the biggest enjoyment factor of the survival mode where the goal is to stay alive for as long as possible while taking down as many zombies as you can. No matter which mode is played, entertainment is sure to follow and gameplay is constantly fast paced and oh so smooth.
Even though there is a lot to like, there are some flaws which have carried over as a product of their time. The voice acting, for example is awful and the rain sound effect sound like static. Accelerating, then braking hard to throw the vehicle into reverse, causes the camera to freak out. The font is way too small for an HD game, a problem many developers completely ignore and there are some moments of difficulty swing too, like when suddenly facing a tough boss battle that will take several attempts to take down.
If you have not played Zombie Driver before, there is no question this is the best version. Just keep in mind, this re-re-release will carry a higher price. At the time of review, Zombie Driver, the original Xbox 360 Arcade version, is currently on sale for about $2, so you can check that out if you wanted to dip your toe instead of diving in. However, this Immortal Edition is basically going to be released on all current platforms including Nintendo Switch so it will be easily accessible to experience on the console of your choice. There is a lot of quality content in this final build and the ridiculously smooth frame rate makes running through throngs of zombies a satisfying experiences that never gets old. It isn’t a perfect game but it can easily provide hours of stupid, mindless fun.
Also available on pretty much everything.
SCORE: 7.5/10
Also Try: Renegade Ops (Xbox 360)
Don’t Forget About: Racing Gears Advance (GBA)
Wait For It: Super Sprint 3
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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