Price: $0.99 Score: 7/10 Category: Games
Zombie Gunship from Limbic is a different sort of zombie-themed action-shooter in that the zombies themselves are somewhat inconsequential.
Yes, the entire object of the game is to destroy the zombie horde slowly making their way toward the bunker. But in this case, these zombies are represented by black silhouettes on your radar screen and could really be replaced by anything; enemy troops, rabid dogs, or a pack of soccer moms rushing the front doors of Wal-Mart on Black Friday.
My point is, the zombie theme here is secondary, so don’t think of Zombie Gunship as yet another zombie game. As the gunner in a circling gunship, your mission is to pick off the black silhouettes (zombies) before they reach the bunker, while making a safe passageway for the white silhouettes (civilians). The thrill of the high score chase coupled with an addicting upgrade system could give this game a decent lifespan. But repetitive gameplay and a single, bland environment keep Zombie Gunship from being a winner.
Players familiar with Call of Duty’s gunship levels will immediately see the similarity here. Your gunship circles a small area with varying terrain and it is up to you to blast the zombies before they reach the bunker. The more zombies you destroy, the faster they arrive and in greater numbers. In addition, stronger zombies eventually arrive, requiring more than one shot to be taken down.
In addition to the zombies are the civilians. You receive extra points for each civilian that reaches the bunker safely. However, should you accidentally kill three civilians, it’s game over.
At the end of each game, you’re rewarded with currency, which you can spend on special abilities, weapon upgrades, or new weapons altogether. Stronger weapons take out more zombies at once, eventually allowing you to blast an entire swarm with one shot. However, these weapons still require precision when there are civilians around.
Zombie Gunship’s grainy black-and-white visuals gives an level of authenticity, as though you’re actually looking into the scope on a real-life gunship. Commands and comments come in via radio, which also adds to this effect. However, the realistic visual style means that there’s not a lot of variety or, for lack of a better term, pizzazz. And because the map doesn’t seem to change with each playthrough, the game relies solely upon scoring to keep gamers coming back.
Bottom Line: Zombie Gunship is a fun high score chase that could use some variety.
Zombie Gunship is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.