Zombie Vikings was developed and published by Zoink Games. It was released on December 7th, 2015 for $19.99 and is on sale (Steam) until December 14th for $15.99. A press review copy was provided for The Hidden Levels.
Zombie Vikings is a side scrolling hack em’ up four player co-op with incredible story and a few unique and fun mechanics. The art is done in an incredibly thematic hand painted style and it’s really quite a beautiful game in terms of aesthetics. The game play is similar to Castle Crashers and other side scrolling hack and slash types of games. You are able to gain money and buy upgraded weapons or runes after you find them in the game world.
What I enjoyed:
Drawn together – The art and style in this game is fantastic and beautiful. There is a rare occasion when I will stop and admire every aspect of the art in a game and this is one of those. Every character is extremely detailed and has a magical whimsical feel. The backgrounds and environments are incredibly detailed and include tons of really wonderful scenes. I am really pleased that this level of painterly quality is displayed throughout the game.
Zombie speak – Generally speaking, zombies groan and moan, and are boring to talk with due to their lack of personality. These zombies are not lacking in wit or character, and their voices are just incredible. The voice acting in the game is really superb and the story shines due to amazing personas displayed by each individual character. The villains are also extremely witty and funny adding a deep sense of humor to the game and story.
Keeping it simple – I like that the combat and unique mechanics of using different pets or body parts for various purposes. The game really shines once you get used to this aspect. Throwing a talking head at your enemies has never been so fun. The control scheme is not overly complicated but I do suggest using a controller as it seems this game was designed to be extremely controller friendly. I found the controls to be crisp and responsive, which is important in this type of experience.
What I disliked:
Switcheroo – I really enjoy this game so it is hard to find many flaws. One suggestion I may have is that when you aren’t playing co-op you have the option to switch between the characters. The levels seem short enough and designed to be played multiple times so this really is not a necessity just a minor concern during the game. The game is very well done so it becomes difficult to find flaws vs suggested improvements.
Short story – The game itself is not short, but the description about who these zombie vikings are and why they are talking to Odin is brief at best. I quickly found myself invested in their quest, but initially I did wonder what in the world was going on, and why we were helping Odin get his eye back. The story itself is fantastic and fills in the gaps well, so this is again, a minor concern.
Zombie Vikings is fun with one player, and insanely fun with four. I suggest grabbing your friends, grabbing a weapon and a zombie, and heading out on this adventure. These silly zombies will have you chuckling, and their villain counterparts aren’t witless either. The level of humor and attention to artistic detail in both visuals and story is beyond that of many retail titles, this is a gem of a game and I would venture to guess mine won’t be the only highly appreciative and shining review of this super fun co-op game.
Score: Buy it now
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