ZombiU stumbles upon greatness

The biggest irony about ZombiU is that it’s a terrible launch game. Its bold mix on Souls-inspired ideas make for one of the better zombie games of the current generation but an absolute mess of an introduction to the Wii U gamepad. The pressure of permadeath hangs in the air during every desperate struggle, which is the last thing you need while you’re struggling to (literally) get to grips with this huge lump of plastic. The haze of panic that engulfs you as you slam your thumb into the screen, mindlessly squabbling to get some space between you and the undead makes for something of a headache at first. But, hey, isn’t that what it’s all about?

It’s reasons like this that get me thinking that this is a game that’s very much stumbled onto greatness rather than achieved it. This is a clumsy, clunky donkey of a survival experience, which thrives on its imperfections rather than getting devoured by them.

Both Ubisoft and Nintendo would probably like to flatter ZombiU with notions of it showing the potential of the gamepad and the future of Wii U gaming, but in reality the controller feels like more of a hindrance. Its analogue sticks, questionably placed above the buttons, don’t allow for the finely-tuned aiming that a demanding FPS like Call of Duty necessitates, while using the gyro-sensor to aim turrets and snipers serves as an exercise in mental dexterity when taking the world around you into account. The touchscreen makes for neat menu innovations, but having to take your eyes off the screen to check your map wouldn’t go down well in a multiplayer game of Battlefield.

Crucially, though, all of these hiccups find a loving home in ZombiU. While they’re by no means necessary, inconveniences and restrictions can be an essential part of delivering the heat when it comes to survival horror. Just look at Resident Evil 1 through 4 (and indeed the series’ descent into mediocrity as it’s since become a mass-appeal shooter), Silent Hill or Amnesia; all of the dread and tension that these classics build up stems from holding the player back, be it with tank controls or the inability to fight back. In the gamepad, Ubisoft has unlocked a whole new layer of this struggle.

Fortunately, a lot of it is intentional – having the radar flicker on the gamepad instead of on-screen dares you to take your eyes away from the action, and sorting through the cumbersome inventory while being able to check around you demands you keep your wits about you at all times.

Elsewhere, you get the feeling that Ubisoft would have preferred things a bit slicker. The visuals, for example, are pretty bland though entirely becoming of the game. As a launch title, you’d expect this was due to development inexperience over artistic choice, but it the ends up adding to the game’s tone immensely. Furthermore, you don’t have a prayer of mastering firearms thanks to the gamepad, yet it works in its favour as you struggle to land shots on the approaching hordes. You panic just like you did in the village in RE4, or as you risk all of your souls in Dark Souls.

I feel like the gamepad really is the star of ZombiU as intended, but not in quite the way everyone had hoped. In some ways it’s a shame that sales mean we’ll never get a sequel, but at the same time an improved experience would risk losing some of the magic that this one stirs up in its best moments.