Zombie Deathmatch Review (iOS)

Developed by Reliance Entertainment UK, Zombie Death match is a free to play game that takes its twist on the classic arcade styled 1 V 1 fighter. The name says it all when it comes to premise; you build a roster of zombies, kit them out with gear and pit them against each other to smash their undead brain outs. The game features stunning 3D graphics with well thought out controls. From simple swipes to combos made up of swipes in all directions mixed in with a few taps, this game is sure to have you clambering for more rotten flesh fights!

ZDM offers an array of fighters, weapons and armor to kit up your fighters and make the best team of killers you can. Zombies come in 3 different classes, Stalker, Brute and Mauler. With each of them having advantages over the other, it really makes you have to think about which class and equipment you will have to use to gain a better advantage over your opponents.

So let’s talk about gameplay; I played a hefty chunk of the story line and got myself into about 10-15 fights. The combat of the game feels amazingly fluid and easy to control with one or two hands on the screen. Each attack is activated by simple gestures on the screen and combos occur when all of those mix together. Finishing moves are a must for every fighting game and this game doesn’t under deliver in that area. Each character has its own finishing kill as well as the class specific combo. From clawing the face off to simply smashing them into the pavement, this game offers a bunch of gory ways to stick it to your opponents and gloat afterwards.

The animations of the moves don’t feel blocky or laggy like in most 1 V 1’s on mobile platforms and creates a nice flow of gameplay to watch. I was honestly pretty surprised on how great the graphics and animations were for a game with such a small download of only 200mb.

Now, the other main mechanic of the title is the free-to-play style waiting times and currency. The game offers upgrades and weapons to your fighters at the cost of in-game silver or premium gold earned by paying real money. Upgrading your fighters with either of the currency triggers waiting. Some upgrades could takes seconds, minutes and even ranging up to an hour in the late game. It offers the standard “hook” of showing you how this upgrades can drastically effect how well you do in gameplay and pays for the first few expecting you to come back for more. However, this premium currency is NOT at-all necessary to progress the story, just a little pick me up when you having a super tough time with a certain fight. Upgrades can also be purchased through the in-game currency acquired by completing challenges in the middle of fights, allowing you to get your hands on all the same weaponry and armor.

I didn’t run into many problems with this game and had a brilliant time playing it and can honestly say this game is a welcome edition on my phone to kill some time on a bus ride home. Its basic fighting mechanics do a very good job of keeping gameplay interesting and fun while the brilliant 3D graphics and animated cut scenes make the game a visual beauty.