ZombiU

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ZombiU
Cover art
European box art
Developer(s) Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Director(s) Jean Philippe Caro
Florent Sacré
Producer(s) Guillaume Brunier
Artist(s) Florent Sacré
Writer(s) Antony Johnston
Gabrielle Shrager
Composer(s) Cris Velasco
Platform(s) Wii U
Release date(s)
  • NA 02012-11-18November 18, 2012[1]
  • EU 02012-11-30November 30, 2012
  • AUS 02012-11-30November 30, 2012[2]
  • JP 02012-12-08December 8, 2012
Genre(s) First-person shooter, Survival horror
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Media/distribution Wii U Optical Disc, Digital download

ZombiU (formerly known as Killer Freaks from Outer Space) is a first-person survival horror video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier for the Wii U video game console. The game is a launch game for the Wii U console, first released in North America on November 18, 2012.[2] The player can assume the roles of various survivors during the game. It would also be packaged with the Wii U ZombiU bundle; along with the Wii U Pro Controller, the special ZombiU art book, the downloadable Nintendo Land, and the contents from the Wii U Deluxe Set.[3]

Contents

Gameplay [edit]

ZombiU is a first-person survival horror game set in London, in which the player assumes the role of a random survivor in a zombie apocalypse. The player collects various items and weapons, used to fight and kill zombies, that are located or looted from different areas. If the player's character is killed by a zombie, which can occur with a single bite, the character will permanently die and the player will then take the role of another random survivor. The previous character will become a zombie, whom the player must kill in order to reclaim his original inventory. If the player has Miiverse enabled, it is possible that other players' characters will also appear as zombies carrying the items they had collected. The player can also tag clues and hints onto walls that other players can see when they're on their own adventure.

The game's controls extensively use the features of the Wii U GamePad. During normal play the touchscreen is used to manage the player's inventory and displays a mini-map of the immediate area, which shows the player's location and nearby items. The touchscreen is also used for context-sensitive actions, such as barricading doors or hacking combination locks. The Wii U GamePad gyroscope, which allows the controller to sense its rotation and tilt in three-dimensional space, is also utilized: while viewing the touchscreen the player may move the controller around in space to focus on and scan different areas of the area in order to find items. While performing any of these actions, the perspective on the television switches to a fixed third-person view, showing the player character and the surrounding area. In this state, the player is vulnerable to attack and must watch both the Wii U GamePad touchscreen and the television screen in order to avoid potential harm.

Plot [edit]

400 years ago, John Dee creates an apocalyptic prophecy known as The Black Prophecy which will be fulfilled in 2012. "The Prepper", an "ex-army, no-nonsense" man sees this apocalypse coming and prepares, whilst a secret society known as the 'Ravens of Dee' researches his predictions to find a way to stop them from being realised. In November 2012, the Black Prophecy begins to be realised in the form of a zombie outbreak in London, England. Survivors hide in the Prepper's bunker, with one, the player, being chosen to confront the zombies, supported by Raven leader Sondra. Meanwhile, one of the Queen's doctors, Dr. Knight, searches for the fabled panacea under Buckingham Palace.[4]

Reception [edit]

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 77.22%[5]
Metacritic 77/100[6]
Review scores
Publication Score
1UP.com C+[7]
Edge 7/10[8]
Eurogamer 9/10[9]
G4 4/5 stars[10]
Game Informer 5/10[11]
GameSpot 4.5/10[12]
IGN 6.3/10[13]
Official Nintendo Magazine 92%
Joystiq 4.5/5 stars[14]
Giant Bomb 4/5 stars[15]

The game received generally positive reviews. It has a total of 77 out of 100 on Metacritic.[16]

Eurogamer gave ZombiU a 9/10, commenting "ZombiU isn't the obligatory FPS launch title, but an original twist on the genre that has no console equivalent. It's not quite a revolution, lacking the scope and variety of mechanics to compete with high watermarks like Half-Life 2. But that should take nothing away from Ubisoft's achievement, and the success or otherwise of ZombiU could be defining for Wii U."[17] Edge gave ZombiU a 7/10, describing it as "a title that will infuse impulse buyers, early adopters and Nintendo diehards with relief and appreciation for the novel gameplay that Wii U can and will continue to provide."[18] Giant Bomb gave ZombiU a 4/5 claiming that "It's a smart, scary, incredibly difficult action game" and is "an experience that rewards patience and punishes arrogance."[19]

In contrast, IGN gave ZombiU a 6.3/10, citing a clunky control scheme and annoying melee combat.[20] GameSpot gave ZombiU its lowest score with a 4.5/10, commenting "ZombiU is a game trapped in the wrong genre...ZombiU could have been an enjoyable action game, but instead it is a poor entry in the survival horror genre."[21] Game Informer gave ZombiU a 5/10, stating that the game was sloppy and poorly executed.[22]

See also [edit]

  • Zombi, a 1986 Ubisoft game with a similar name and a similar gameplay mechanic where player character is turned into a zombie upon death

References [edit]

  1. ^ Bakalar, Jeff (2012-09-13). "The closest thing we've got to a Nintendo Wii U launch list | Crave - CNET". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  2. ^ a b "Select – Our pick of all the latest Nintendo News". Official Nintendo Magazine (Nintendo) (48): 6–7. 2012. ISSN 1836-4276. 
  3. ^ George, Richard. "ZombiU Invades Wii U Deluxe Set". 
  4. ^ "ZombiU Developer Diary 2 – "London: City of Blood and Fire"; Ubisoft;". youtube.com. 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2012-10-02. 
  5. ^ "ZombiU for Wii U". GameRankings. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  6. ^ "ZombiU (Wii U)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  7. ^ "ZombiU Review: Testing the Wii U Waters". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2012-11-20. 
  8. ^ "ZombiU review". Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  9. ^ Stanton, Rich (2012-11-18). "ZombiU Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  10. ^ "ZombiU Review for WiiU". Retrieved 2013-1-7. 
  11. ^ "ZombiU - A Bad Start for New Wii U IP". Game Informer. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  12. ^ "ZombiU Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  13. ^ "ZombiU Review". IGN. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  14. ^ "ZombiU Review: Anarchy in the U.K.". Joystiq. Retrieved 2012-11-19. 
  15. ^ "ZombiU Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2012-11-20. 
  16. ^ "ZombiU Critic Reviews for Wii U". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  17. ^ Stanton, Rich (2012-11-18). "ZombiU review • Reviews • Wii U •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  18. ^ "ZombiU review". Edge Online. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  19. ^ Reviewed by Patrick Klepek on Nov. 20, 2012 (2012-11-20). "ZombiU Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  20. ^ Greg Miller 18 Nov 2012 (2012-11-18). "ZombiU Review". IGN. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  21. ^ November 18, 2012 9:00AM PST (2012-11-18). "ZombiU Review". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 
  22. ^ "A Bad Start For New Wii U IP - ZombiU - Wii U". www.GameInformer.com. 2012-11-18. Retrieved 2012-11-26. 

External links [edit]

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