Developer: Aniode
Publisher: Aniode
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One (soon)
Tested on: PC
Nature’s Zombie Apocalypse – Preview
Nature’s Zombie Apocalypse is a fast-paced and action packed zombie survival game, developed by the 2-man indie game development studio Aniode. The game has the classic concept of a zombie apocalypse but with an added twist. You’re still one of the few survivors, except the humans has gone extinct. This time, you’ll be surviving as one of the animals still roaming the planet. The final release is planned for Fall 2015 but the game is already playable, albeit with a few missing features.
The game does not provide an actual storyline but the general concept is that the humans have gone extinct during a zombie outbreak. The only survivors of the outbreak are the animals, both small and large. In order to prevent going extinct themselves, the animals are forced to equip themselves with any kind of weapon they can find, ranging from melee weapons to firearms to kamikaze animals that don’t have the limbs required to wield such power.
When asked what the visuals reminds you of, you’ll be able to come up with plenty of games due to the angled top-down 3D visuals of the game. One of the games that comes to mind is Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 although the visuals in Nature’s Zombie Apocalypse are toned down a notch or two, they certainly aren’t as sophisticated and brighter colors have been used to make it a more casual action-packed zombie game.
The sound is not something you’ll remember the game by but it’s certainly there. Each animal has their own “rage” ability, accompanied with their own distinctive sound and each type of weapons has their own sound. There’s even a different “wooshing”-sound for bats and swords so the developers have certainly put some work into the sound effects of the game.
As the game is currently in Early Access, there is still much work to do be done but the game is playable for the most part. For now, you can choose between six animals to fight as: the gorilla, the turtle, the sloth, the bear, the elephant and a flying feet-peddling creature that resembles a duck. Each animal has three stats that differ from their comrades: speed, strength and agility. Some animals will feel sluggish while others feel overpowered, mostly because of these stats. Other than that, each animal has their own “rage” ability distinctive to the species they are.
Once you’re happy with the character you’ve chosen, it’s time to carefully pick out the equipment. There are three weapon slots available which you can use however you’d like. Since ranged weapons require ammo, it is best if you’d equip at least one melee weapon as well. Currently there are 18 weapons available, ranging from chainsaws to bazookas, from katana to freeze rays, from crossbows to axes and Uzis. There’s a whole range of weaponry to pick from, including some iconic weapons such as the Tommy Gun. Most weapons need to be unlocked by leveling up after which you can buy them. Once bought, you can use it on any other animal.
Aside from that, there are three other slots: a grenade slot, a kamikaze slot and an armor slot. The first and second are dead giveaways, both have five variations. The kamikaze animals can be quite helpful as they can range from bunny bombs to flamingo turrets. While these poor animals will eventually see the light, they have fought bravely and for a good cause. The armor you will unlock have stats such as +5% speed, +10 % range, 20% more experience and 50% more coins. Of course there are more armor pieces than that, with different stats, but I shouldn’t spoil the game entirely.
When you’re satisfied with your choice of weaponry, it’s time to set up the game. There are currently two levels to choose from, Streets and Tower Bridge, with two more coming soon so there’s not much of a choice here. The game also offers three game modes: survival, penguin protect and kitten rescue. The latter one is unlocked once you’ve rescued a minimum of 45 penguins in the penguin protect mode. Then there’s a difficulty option. You can choose between beginner and normal mode. Beast mode is unlocked after you’ve survived 9 waves in survival mode, which might be easier said than done. Each wave grows in difficulty as the zombies can overwhelm you at higher waves. The bosses that spawn after X amount of waves, between the hordes of zombies are not exactly easy either but you’ll learn how to deal with them fairly fast, meaning the learning curve of the game isn’t that steep.
Each level has different spawn-points for ammo crates where you can buy ammo from. As a bonus, birds will be dropping off different kind of creates that may hold a variation of grenades or kamikaze animals. Certain creates may also reward you with a weapon but this is a large gamble really as the weapon you’ve picked-up will replace the weapon you are wielding. Trust me, you won’t be jolly if you notice that your most epic AK17 has been replaced with a silly baseball bat…
You can play Nature’s Zombie Apocalypse with up to eight players but an online multiplayer mode isn’t available yet as the developers feel that adding this in would slow down the development. While I certainly agree to this, an online multiplayer mode would certainly up the amount of fun you’d have if you cannot gather enough people to play “couch multiplayer” with you.
Conclusion
Nature’s Zombie Apocalypse is a decent casual fast-paced action-packed zombie survival game with a twist. With a mild learning curve, the game is easy to pick up and play, and since the game can be turned into a more kid-friendly game by turning off the blood spatter effect, literally anyone can play it. The game is fun for short periods if you play alone, albeit repetitive but by playing it with friends, the fun-factor certainly increases. It misses some features as an Early Access game but it’s fully playable as it is.
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