Developer: Gammera Nest
Publisher: Gammera Nest
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5
Tested on: PC
Valley of the Dead: MalnaZidos – Review
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but in the case of Valley of the Dead: MalnaZidos it is actually the opposite. In the first screens and gameplay trailers, this game looked really nice and it seemed it had a lot to offer, but once you start playing, you will notice the rather shoddy graphics and wonky controls. While the story is interesting and it’s clear the developers put in some effort, it feels like a lot of work has to be put in to make this a good game.
Story
The story of Valley of the Dead: MalnaZidos takes place during the Spanish Civil War. You play as a rebel faction leader who has to complete a mission so he does not have to go to jail. During the mission, you start to realize that nothing is as it seems and people who die come back in a more aggressive and feral form.
As it turns out, the Germans have created a new weapon that turns living people into zombies. This weapon is a mysterious blue gas, and it is deployed all over the Italian war grounds where the conflict takes place. You meet up with allied rebel forces and also meet others that would normally kill you on sight. Now, however, they are forced to fight alongside you for everyone’s survival.
The game is divided into various parts with each having two main chapters and two smaller side stories. These side stories play out during the main chapters, but you’ll be viewing things from the perspective of a different character. This is a great way to give the game a bit of replayability and to really tie together the events that take place during your adventure.
Graphics
Visually, at first glance, the game looks really nice, but when you really start playing it you will notice that the map feels empty, there are barely any enemies, and assets are frequently reused. The character animations are really stiff and the game just feels like a cheap bargain bin title. The developers did put some effort into creating the characters so they all have their unique identity, and some may be a subtle wink to other popular characters from other popular titles, but that is the only real positive thing we can say about the graphical quality.
Sound
In all honesty, it might be the sound design where this title truly shines. And, even then, we aren’t talking about the music, as the soundtrack sounds as if it comes from a free sound library, but it’s the voice acting that is truly amazing. The Spanish characters speak solely Spanish, whilst all other characters speak English with their own heavy accent. This gives the game a really nice authentic feel, and you might even learn a word or two from it.
Gameplay
Valley of the Dead: MalnaZidosis a survival and stealth game where your mission takes a dark turn when the dead rise from their graves. The mission changes from a silent infiltration objective to destroying the endless waves of zombies. Resources are limited, and you must make your bullets count, as fighting up close with the undead is a lost cause. When they grab you, you can shove them away when you pass a QTE, but this barely gives you enough time to get away. If this happens you can still kick them, but this feels heavily underpowered. Luckily, you will find plenty of ammo pickups, and most zombies are quite slow, so you can take a moment to aim for the head.
Aiming for the head can be harder than it looks, as the controls are a bit wonky and the game solely supports controller input. Aiming feels really loose and faster targets can pose to be a problem. Yet, somehow the game still feels playable, aside from the various invisible walls that try to stop you in your tracks. You won’t have to solely rely on your pistol during combat situations. Sometimes it’s better to sneak up on enemies and snap their necks or pick up a large weapon like a rifle or an SMG. These weapons can deal a lot of damage, but they are drastically reduced in range. The latter feels strange when a rifle has less range than a BB gun.
The game supports seven playable protagonists, each with their own weapons and skillsets. The main campaign is played with Jan, the rebel leader, but other chapters can be played by the other characters to see how events unfold through their eyes. This feature lengthens the duration a bit, but the game is generally not fun to play due to the controls and the overall bland experience.
Conclusion
Valley of the Dead: MalnaZidos is a great concept in a unique setting but the game should have stayed a bit longer in the oven. It feels like although the sound and story are pretty well fleshed out, the graphics and gameplay need a lot of work to make this title become one that you need to own. The combat mechanics are not that great, the mandatory use of a controller could leave a lot of players stranded, and with the graphics not being up to spec, it feels like this game at its current price point is a big no-no.
Valley of the Dead: MalnaZidos – Review,
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