Gamertell Review: Age of Zombies on PSP, PS3
by at March 10, 2010 9:25 am
Sections: 2D, Action, Consoles, Developers, Exclusives, Game-Companies, Genres, Handhelds, Originals, PS3, PSP & PSPgo, Publishers, Reviews, Shooter
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The minis games offer a strange new, and unifying, experience for PS3 and PSP owners. They’re small, affordable, almost casual games that can be played and enjoyed, regardless of what system you own. It’s an interesting concept, and one that other companies (*cough*Nintendo*cough*) should look into as well.
One of the latest releases a zombie shooter called Age of Zombies, which tasks players with relentlessly shooting down as many zombies as possible to save the past and future from the undead menace.
Saving the past, present and future from zombies!
Age of Zombies begins with our zombie slaughtering hero, Barry Steakfries, bursting into a lab owned by Professor Brains. Professor Brains has developed not only a time travel device, but also a plague that turns people into zombies. He’s infected a batch of them, and sent them into different eras, like the Stone Age or the Future. It’s up to Barry to do some time traveling to exterminate them all, and after matter-of-factly dispatching Professor Brains, he does.
Basically, you’re looking down on Barry and controlling his every action. You press PSP’s four face buttons, X, O, square and triangle, to shoot in the four different directions or diagonally or press the R button to shoot in the direction you’re looking. Barry is confined to a small area in each level, and must run around exterminating zombies until the gauge on the left is depleted, showing there are no more in that area. Occasionally, secondary weapons like grenades or mines will appear (which you can use with the L button) or a different, temporary gun will appear to help you wipe out all the zombies.
Just keep shooting and moving!
One of the reasons that Age of Zombies is quite appealing is its hero, Barry Steakfries. Barry is obnoxious, foulmouthed, extremely violent and quite possibly unbalanced, but at the same time is just so loveable. Whether he’s waxing nostalgic about getting to own a zombie caveman as a pet, or shutting a living King Tut look-a-like (who wasn’t a zombie, by the way), you can’t help but like him and root for him.
Of course, the reason that he’s loveable is because he’s so funny. There’s not much story to speak of, even the opening story segment lasts a few moments and there’s just a teeny bit of banter before and after each time period’s three stages. But there are plenty of one liners that Barry spouts off, and more often then not they’ll make you, at the very least, smile.
Unfortunately, Barry’s personality and smart mouth aren’t enough to disguise Age of Zombies failings. It’s really a pretty easy game, as long as you button mash, keep shooting and never stop moving. The only time you really start worrying is when a rather large number of zombies (let’s say 30-40) appear on screen, as then it’s easy to get distracted while running for a better weapon or secondary weapon and then get surrounded. But even if you are surrounded, it’s no big deal. You start each time period world’s three stages with three lives, and if you die you just reappear somewhere in the vicinity and pick up where you left off. Plus, while it is funny, the script alone isn’t enough to get you to replay three or four times.
Not much replay value, but fun while it lasts.
Age of Zombies does have quite a few things going for it. It’s definitely funny, it looks great and it’s quite affordable. Plus, you’ll probably get two or three hours of gameplay out of it, which isn’t bad considering it’s only a mini and costs $4.99. Unfortunately, once you beat the game there’s really no reason to go back. It isn’t terribly challenging, unless you make a wrong move and get yourself cornered by a massive herd of zombies. And even if you do, you start each level with plenty of lives and there are always extra, special weapons being dropped onto the playing field. I’d say if you have an extra $5 to waste and you need a brief, funny distraction, then go for it. If you’re not big on violence, vulgarity or games where you can button-mash to win, then keep browsing.
Site [Age of Zombies]
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