Over 9000 Zombies by Loren Lemcke is a twin-stick arcade shooter involving killing as many zombies as you can see with continually upgrading weapons. It has both online and offline co-op, 5 different maps including a map editor if you want to make more. It has a system that you can place turrets down by collecting scrap, you can find power-ups scattered across the ground with the end goal being to kill as many zombies as you can before you die.
That is it.
The problem with that is there are other games that do exactly what this game does, and they offer a bit more. Nation Red by DiezelPower for example has a dodge mechanic and continually throws in super zombies, making them decently fast to create a tense atmosphere. Crimsonland by 10tons Ltd is just as simple but with a larger selection of guns and enemy types.
Over 9000 Zombies lacks anything that is distinct about it, made worse by the fact it isn't very good at giving feedback to the player. The enemies can spawn anywhere on the map during the wave spawn, making it possible to simply get spawned on top of at any point. There is barely any animation or sound for when you are hit, creating situations where it is difficult to tell when you are taking damage without actively looking at your health bar.
It gives numbers for how much damage your shots are doing but doesn't have a scale to show if that is good or bad. Over 9000 Zombies needs a small upgrade in its visuals and sound mechanics just to show when the zombies are actually biting you or not.
This brings us to the largest problem that makes it very hard to recommend, the AI doesn't actually do anything. It walks around, and if you run somewhat nearby they will start to chase you. They will gnaw on the walls and destroy the building you are using has a makeshift base, but they don't do this with any frequency. For the most part, the zombies are walking back and forth just in range of your gun but just out of range of attacking you. Even when you get to later levels, the dogs and birds don't particularly seem threatening, just a little bit faster.
As a test in local multiplayer, my partner decided that she would simply spin around in a circle firing her gun until she died. Each level is divided into days, where they get progressively stronger. She made it to day 15 before fire-spitting zombies eventually managed to nick her enough times to finish her off. When a strategy like that can work effectively, there isn't much of a reason to try very hard in a twin-stick shooter.
The music is uninspired and generic, oftentimes feeling unnecessary to the entire experience as a whole. The sound of the guns is the only part of the sound design that really works, a shotgun sounds like you are shooting a shotgun. The later guns feel like you are firing alien weaponry. The rocket launcher and grenades have a distinct explosion sound effect. That is as far as it goes, however, as oftentimes I did not even realize that there were other sounds in the game.
It plays very much like a popcorn-type arcade game. You play it for half an hour with a few friends and have a few laughs as you explode a handful of undead creatures. You joke and talk about your day having a relaxing uneventful time. Afterwards, you forget you even played the game as it simply lacks anything truly memorable.
If you are starving for a twin-stick shooter, there are far better ones to pick up currently on Steam for the same price as Over 9000 Zombies. If you are new to twin-stick shooters, there are better examples for you to try instead. If you and a handful of your friends have 10 dollars to kill and want to play a co-op game together, it can be fun for a few hours.
Over 9000 Zombies was obtained from the publisher Mastronic and reviewed on Steam.
Review Summary
Pros
- Can be a fun distraction
Cons
- A very minimal experience