A survival-horror in subjective view, addressed entirely to hardcore gamers for the launch of a Nintendo console? From a third party publisher? And who is entitled to his pack? Not so long ago, I would have pleaded unconsciousness, both from the Japanese manufacturer and Ubisoft. But here it is, ZombiU is not just any game. It has not ceased to amaze us, from our first moments in his company until the very last preview. A closed solo campaign, it is clear that those who are looking for a solid, bitter, visceral and exhausting survival experience, have every interest in taking a look at it.
I felt confident. My cautiousness and diligence in cranial box degumming - the only weak point - of the infected crossing my way one by one, had borne fruit. Three different weapons. A small gun, a crossbow, deliciously silent, and a big shotgun, much less silent. Some ammunition to surprise from a good distance. What restore my health. Other objects, a Molotov cocktail, flares to distract the packs, to develop infallible attack strategies. And here, the misstep. A bad reading of my environment. Two immobile zombies that did not appear on my radar. Villains arise like trolls in the comments of a test. Aggressive and devilishly alive for the brainless. Panicked, my first instinct is to try to fight them. My strokes are not enough. No time to dig into my bag to catch something more effective. I flee. Cul-de-sac. A bit of fangs. Finished. Kisses Gianni! A very disgusting death. I was attached, myself, to my screenwriter in my forties to the false airs of David Cage. I had survived in the streets and poorly-used buildings of London for over an hour. A record for me in had survived in the streets and poorly-used buildings of London for over an hour. A record for me in had survived in the streets and poorly-used buildings of London for over an hour. A record for me inZombiU in normal difficulty mode.
YOLO ... or not
Fortunately, I do not play in Survival mode. In other words, when my avatar slams his mouth open, it's not over. I am reincarnated in another body. New look, new life. But I'm "naked". All this gear that I had recovered disappeared from my inventory. Here I am again with a flashlight, a 9mm and a cricket bat - so British - provided by Prepper. Prepper, or the Survivor as he likes to call himself, is a bit of the voice of Secret Story. He can see everything from the camera control room all over the city. And be heard. Formerly of his Majesty's army, he guided each of my incarnations to a rather safe shelter in the subway. Without explanations, certainly. But there is a logic to this, that one discovers only at the very end. Whatever, Given the difficulty even if only in the tutorial, it feels almost relieved to take straight back the thread of its missions. First of all, while I'm just recovering from my previous life: find the contents of my old backpack, always in the exact place where "I" died. Bad news: the old owner, we'll have to get rid of it. Now he's a bloody zombie. Incidentally, the road leading to it was probably repopulated. If I clam before doing so, everything disappears. Zeb, that's not true. am dead. Bad news: the old owner, we'll have to get rid of it. Now he's a bloody zombie. Incidentally, the road leading to it was probably repopulated. If I clam before doing so, everything disappears. Zeb, that's not true. am dead. Bad news: the old owner, we'll have to get rid of it. Now he's a bloody zombie. Incidentally, the road leading to it was probably repopulated. If I clam before doing so, everything disappears. Zeb, that's not true.
ablet and backpack
Relief. In addition to the few essential tools to defend myself and distinguish something in the darkness of the room, Prepper makes me go each time a tablet. This device taking physical place in the Wii U GamePad is one of genius shots of the title of Ubi Montpellier , the Swiss army knife that strengthens the immersion with a touch of realism. First, there is the practical aspect. Making radar office, the tablet can scan the surroundings, the sperm lamp black light, so Detective Mode Batman of Rocksteadyto find out if objects are lying around somewhere - sometimes corpses that we hope will be completed - or if flesh eaters are lurking in a dark corner and not feeling very good. Even, later, decrypt messages and clues invisible to the naked eye. Essential element for survival and tracking, it allows to hack the junction panels of the cameras of a zone. This technological gem also has the gift of turning away from what is happening on the main screen. Because it also manages the inventory, by sliding of a finger, between different containers, the disposition of the main arms and annexes. Because lots of actions go through the skylight in the hollow of your trembling hands. You want to pick a door (in the form of a mini game where the you have to find the right angles of approach), insert a digital code, zoom in on the sniper rifle, remove a barricade or fill a virucide syringe as a second chance (tap-based QTE), search a dead person or a cabinet any? Well, expect not to be quiet. The break ? Never when you handle the tablet. And not looking at your TV does not mean that nothing happens. An enemy can come at any time, ready to devour your buttocks. At that point, it's up to you to see if you're trying to finish yourself before it's over, or give up your task to confront it. remove a barricade or fill a syrucid syringe as a second chance (tap-based QTE), search a dead person or some kind of wardrobe? Well, expect not to be quiet. The break ? Never when you handle the tablet. And not looking at your TV does not mean that nothing happens. An enemy can come at any time, ready to devour your buttocks. At that point, it's up to you to see if you're trying to finish yourself before it's over, or give up your task to confront it. remove a barricade or fill a syrucid syringe as a second chance (tap-based QTE), search a dead person or some kind of wardrobe? Well, expect not to be quiet. The break ? Never when you handle the tablet. And not looking at your TV does not mean that nothing happens. An enemy can come at any time, ready to devour your buttocks. At that point, it's up to you to see if you're trying to finish yourself before it's over, or give up your task to confront it. An enemy can come at any time, ready to devour your buttocks. At that moment, it's up to you to see if you're trying to finish yourself before he's on you, or give up your task to confront him. An enemy can come at any time, ready to devour your buttocks. At that point, it's up to you to see if you're trying to finish yourself before it's over, or give up your task to confront it.
Maccabee Road
Now back to progression. If the camera in the first person tends to suggest an FPS, it is not. We have a pure survival. From the underground arteries at Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London, you will quickly understand that your progress will have to be made with care. A tiny trip can cause a nervous breakdown. The desolation is found in the least place crossed and the sound atmosphere, made of alarming sound effects and violins that seem almost agonizing, do not hesitate to immerse yourself in the deepest paranoia. You do not want to find yourself nose-to-nose with zombies. You understand very quickly that headlong into the fray is not recommended. An undead remains manageable. But from two simultaneously, the chances of to escape are very thin. In the opposing ranks, even a basic betain resists very well and kills in three or four strokes, if it does not catch you because you have not kept your distance. Then the spitters, the howlers who bring back others by wheelbarrows, those in combination riot or explosives ... You can always use a pistol, a shotgun or a machine gun (all upgradable in the shelter) . Even use grenades, mines, Molotov cocktails. But ammunition is rare. As for the discretion ... And then, remember: you are in the shoes of a civilian. No training in firearms. The sighting is a real problem, especially when you know that it takes a minimum of two bastos in the head to annihilate an awful. To try, since the we can improve its accuracy by making victims, praying to keep his avatar alive. Still, it takes some patience. Or prepare for his escape.
Stand the dead
And that's where one of the biggest black spots in the title comes in. To do well, and not to have too much to finger pointing a maneuverability not top, the developers should surely have left less room for action. But it is often imposed. Whole sequences even revolve around the eradication of zombies. Some, especially one in a kind of arena and at the very end, having a hard time tearing the hair. While one imagines being able to sneak dodging entire hordes, just by turning off his lamp and swinging torches to divert attention, there is something missing: stealth. Yes, no way to even kneel to hide a chouïa his presence. Everything is standing. Not equipped and obliged to get into the perimeter of a ranger, you have to roll up your sleeves and get ready for some splashing. There we will favor the bat. Because easier, faster, more attractive. Give seven or eight strokes, taking care to move and stay within range, but not too much: the first few times, we go with good heart. But quickly, it becomes mechanical, redundant, boring. The fault of the few possibilities offered to the body-to-body, the rigidity of the character who, in case of bad timing, risk his skin. Notice, on the one hand, this contributes in part to the trauma caused during the 15 to 20 hours offered by the single-player campaign ... more seductive. Give seven or eight strokes, taking care to move and stay within range, but not too much: the first few times, we go with good heart. But quickly, it becomes mechanical, redundant, boring. The fault of the few possibilities offered to the body-to-body, the rigidity of the character who, in case of bad timing, risk his skin. Notice, on the one hand, this contributes in part to the trauma caused during the 15 to 20 hours offered by the single-player campaign ... more seductive. Give seven or eight strokes, taking care to move and stay within range, but not too much: the first few times, we go with good heart. But quickly, it becomes mechanical, redundant, boring. The fault of the few possibilities offered to the body-to-body, the rigidity of the character who, in case of bad timing, risk his skin. Notice, on the one hand, this contributes in part to the trauma caused during the 15 to 20 hours offered by the single-player campaign ...
In your heeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaad
I used the word trauma? Ah yes. Well, that's normal. Go into ZombiUreturns to look for the nervous breakdown. This apocalyptic adventure, quite well done, even if one guesses, under the pretty filters, seams less glorious, accompanied by some collision bugs and loads of painful areas, exhausts the player as it is oppressive, unpredictable and demanding in every detail. Here, just backups or checkpoints: it's only safe, sleeping. But is not this what one looks for when one is interested in this kind of production? To be afraid, to plunge into horror head first, to drool to the last drop of saliva? Of course yes. So we can say that there is no mistake on the goods. Ubi did not lie. And let's not forget the multi, casually thought well. A player with the tablet, who places his little zombies on a map while the other, on the TV, embodies a survivor, the pad, before either capture flags or simply survive. Fun and relaxing, for once. But limited, since to two and offline only. Your connection is mainly used to exchange clues on the walls during the campaign, soDemon's Souls...*
I know that ZombiU is not perfect. I also know, for having gone through it in full, that even those who placed high hopes in him could go through some good moments of frustration, linked to questionable gameplay choices. But let it be clear: I wanted a real survival horror and I got it. Proof of this is the nervousness he provoked at home. Yes I jumped more than once. Feel the tension in quieter and less enlightened moments, while weird sounds seemed perceptible in the distance. I ended up exhausted never to feel rested, wherever I am, in the manner of a true survivor. And then, we should not forget these little ideas related to the tablet which, in my opinion, show quite well the potential of the Wii U. For all that, I think that Ubisoft Montpellier has succeeded. Will remain to be confirmed, why not with a suite a little more elaborate.
Ubisoft offers a survival-horror quite fascinating. Despite some surprising weaknesses, including imperfect maneuverability and a raging and repetitive fighting system, ZombiU manages to immerse the player in the heart of a zombie apocalypse with mastery. The atmosphere is worked, many surprises and the use of the tablet, especially to divert us from our TV, is ingenious. As for the difficulty, it gives the small electroshock needed to beat our thrilling hardcore gamer. The kind of intense experience that can put off more than one but deserves your attention.
| WE LIKE | WE DO NOT LIKE |
|---|---|
| * The challenge of survival, exhausting | * Bugs and irritating loads |
| * The overall use of the tablet | * The body-to-body redundant, the shoot very imprecise |
| * Great immersion work | * No real mechanics of stealth, unfortunate |
| * The fun multi | * Action often imposed |
| * | * Two and offline in multi ... |
1-6 IMAGECREDIT
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