Without bantering on too much further, this review isn't about zombie horror flicks, or the upcoming zombie apocalypse of 12/21. What it is about though is an interesting take on the zombie oriented gaming genre that was released by EXOR Studios. This game is none other than "Zombie Driver HD". In this particular XBLA title the developer puts the gamer behind the wheel of multiple zombie ridding vehicles. These vehicles range from a taxi cab all the way to a hotrod, and can each be fitted with some awesome weaponry that allows the heroic driver to complete a variety of mission based objectives without ever having to leave the safety of his vehicle.
In Zombie Driver HD's story mode you take on the role of a mysterious man/hero who is directed by government officials to save as many civilians as possible as well as help rid the streets of the city of the undead that currently inhabits them. At the beginning of each story mode mission you are greeted by an audio voice over of the government official as he informs you of the current mission's objective/s. Accompanying the audio dialogue is a debriefing file-like display that lets you know the possible awards for completing each mission's primary, and secondary objectives. Such awards include monetary compensation as well as new upgrades, and even new vehicles assuming you have completed the correct objective. The objectives range from simply picking up civilians at various locales, and escorting them to safety to more intense objectives that include such things as defending an area from zombies while it is fumigated. Often times it is no easy task as your combat vehicle is susceptible to damage, and destruction at the hands of the undead.
Story mode isn't the only thing you get with the Zombie Driver HD package. Aside from a somewhat detailed account of the zombie outbreak (story mode) you also get a tournament based racing mode (Blood Race), and a classic survival based mode (Slaughter) where you must stay alive for as long as you can as wave after wave of zombies fill the area that you are in. Blood Race is very similar to other arcade based vehicular combat games you may have played on the Xbox 360. As with story mode you are able to choose from a selection of upgradeable vehicles (assuming you have unlocked them in story mode), and race them in the zombie infested streets of the city you were sent to protect. Throughout the various racing tournaments (Beginners', Rookies', Drivers', Pro Racers', Zombie Drivers') you will face aggressive AI opponents who are hellbent on destroying you, and winning that gold medal. No need to worry though as you can also pick up weapons of mass destruction as you race alongside them. These said weapons (Machine Gun, Flamethrower, Nitro, Rockets, Rail Gun) are scattered along the track in the form of power-ups.
The end results of each tournament race are based on what type of tournament you were in in the first place. Some tournaments like the "Race" oriented ones are simple, and only require that you place first, second, or third in order to nab the gold, silver, or bronze medals. Other tournament races have different objectives such as wrecking the most opponents in "Eliminator", or finishing in the fastest time during an "Endurance" race though. Aside from earning medals for each given tournament the player can also earn tournament points which add on to their final tournament standings. Earning a high spot in a full tournament playthrough can earn you some worthwhile in-game bonuses such as extra paint jobs for your vehicles, so participating in this mode definitely has it's benefits.
The final available mode of play in Zombie Driver HD is a mode called "Slaughter". In this particular mode you get to use vehicles which you have purchased within the mode. Some upgrades are available, but mainly come in the form of weapon upgrades. The sole objective of "Slaughter is basically to survive for as long as you can as wave after wave of zombie creatures swarm to attack you. You are initially placed in one of the arenas/areas you have unlocked through a Slaughter playthrough, so there are some choices when it comes to picking the location. The arenas are definitely small in size compared to their story mode counterparts, but are large enough that you can evade attacking zombies long enough to power up your vehicle with some proper weaponry. Within each arena there are weapon power-ups like the ones you find in the previously mentioned modes as well as vehicle upgrades that can be picked up as you combat your way through wave after wave of enemies. One thing I did not mention earlier is that within each game mode of Zombie Driver HD you can find power-ups that repair the damage that was dealt to your vehicle. This definitely helps you survive for the long haul in modes like "Slaughter", or any of the other available Zombie Driver HD modes.
Customizations are a key part of the vehicular combat in this game. You'll find that as you play through story mode the upgrade system is a lot like that of an rpg. As you gain access to the various vehicles in the game you can enhance their performance through vehicle upgrades including improved "resistance to all attacks", "ability to drive through groups of zombies", and the "speed of car". Upgrading these features can only be done by completing the multiple story mode objectives, and as such only really come into play as you need them. As far as weapon upgrades go they come in the form of a 3 tier upgrade system with each upgrade costing progressively more. The higher the upgrade you have purchased the longer it will last when you pick up the power-up in the game. I should also mention that until you purchase a weapon upgrade it will not appear at the beginning of a mission. Having such an upgrade definitely gives you an advantage early on, so keeping that in mind as you play is a good thing to do. The final customization options come in the form of paint jobs. These can be unlocked by earning the appropriate tournament medals in "Blood Race". One detail I forgot to mention earlier on is that you earn in-game cash by killing zombies, completing story mode objectives, finishing tournament races, collecting cash power-ups, or by surviving wave after wave of zombies in "Slaughter". There are plenty of ways to earn extra money in the game, and I suggest that you does so often to better your chances of fully completing the title.
Zombie Driver HD is a game that definitely glamorizes the grisly. You'll find an endless visual display of bloody carnage that constantly fills the screen as you tear through the streets of the city completing various mode specific objectives. The distant overhead view of the game is never constricting to the game's core experience, and ultimately allows the player to grasp just how grande in scale the game's zombie outbreak really is. Seeing the massive carnage spread across a city wide map only enhances the experience. Sadly though the game is plagued by the fact that you will mostly play on different areas of the same city, and will often times repeat the same areas. The mild differences such as time of day, and varying weather conditions add little variation to the core story mode experience. Even the "Blood Race" tournaments are based within the same city areas giving this game a less than grand appearance. In retrospect it's a game that's only real plus is the HD graphics. The lack of an online multiplayer, and the monotonous audio dialogue make the game seem less XBLA, and more XBLIG. As for as recommending this game goes I just can't do it. If it had an online multiplayer I definitely say go for it, but since it has online leaderboards instead I'm going to have to say skip it.
VERDICT: 4/10
ORIGINAL POST: www.xblaratings.com/zombie-driver-hd
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