Zombeast (Android)

WHAT IS IT?

“Zombeast” is one of many zombie-themed games in which users blast waves of zombies in order to progress to the next level, where they get to do it all over again.

UI

Navigating the menus is a pretty straightforward process.

"Zombeast's" user interface is much more straightforward than other games of its type. The main menu lays out all the options in a clear and concise format. Weapons can be purchased and upgraded from a menu option clearly marked “Weapons”. “Bestiary” is a “catalog” of all the creatures in the game, along with their characteristics and weaknesses. The “Free Bonus & Shop” option offers up some time-released freebies, and is also where players can use real cash to buy guns and other progress-boosting items.

Clicking on “Campaign” takes the user to their current level on a map. It also opens up options for additional game modes. There are apparently 750 levels available to blast through, which is a rather astonishing number. 

Everything can be accessed via the "Campaign" screen.

Overall, it’s got a clean, well-organized look that’s simple to navigate and explore.

GRAPHICS

Having grown up in the Nintendo era (I was born in 1984 for reference) I probably place graphics much lower on the list of important features when compared to other millennials (and newer generations). That being said, “Zombeast” boasts some pretty impressive graphics for a mobile game. I would argue they’re among the best I’ve seen (although my experience is limited, as a casual gamer). Many zombie games go for a more “cartoony” approach to their visuals, but this one revels in its dark setting.

"Widows" are pretty terrifying.

Each creature has their own distinct strengths and weaknesses, and have an appropriate visual style to match. Inarguably, the most impressive examples are “Widows”, ghostly white female “demons” that stand in one spot, swaying from side-to-side while holding their heads. If unprovoked, players can easily walk past them with no consequence. However, once they are hit by gunfire, they “snap out” of their trance, issuing a bloodcurdling wail before charging at the player. They take a lot of hits to kill, and can cause massive amounts of damage in close quarters.

And as for gore, “Zombeast” wallows in the red stuff. Striking a target often results in severed limbs, complete with arterial sprays. It’s not uncommon to be hunted by armless creatures, who are unrelenting in their quest to kill you. This is easily the most violent mobile zombie game I’ve played, with the detailed visuals adding to the intensity.

It all runs smoothly with the highest graphics setting enabled on my Google Pixel 7 Pro. However, the high level of detail will no doubt cause some visual hiccups on older tech. For those players, “Zombeast” offers two lower graphical settings to ensure smoother performance for “lesser” devices. It’s worth noting there are no options for turning off the blood, further proof they’re targeting a more mature demographic.

The non-removable gore isn't for the faint-of-heart.

AUDIO

Here’s another area where “Zombeast” excels. I generally play mobile games muted, but this is that rare game that actually benefits from the use of headphones.

Moans and wails of each enemy can be heard, even when they’re visually shrouded in distant fog. Each type also has their own distinct sound. This helps to not only create a relatively unnerving atmosphere, but also provides clues as to what dangers lurk in the shadows. The arterial sprays and dismemberments are appropriately “squishy” and wet to match the game’s graphic visuals. 

The various weapons and explosions also have their own dedicated effects. In other games, they frequently sound “canned”, like the developers took them as-is from free sound libraries. That’s not the case here. The gunfire blends in with the settings, making them sound realistic. Ditto that for the “environmental” weapons (laser beams, lightning, etc.) that can be obtained. 

It’s obvious a lot of care and detail went into almost all facets of this game, which makes for a riveting experience.

CONTROLS

The controls in “Zombeast” are a little weird, to say the least.

Well, not the control scheme itself. The left side controls player movement, while the right side controls the weapons. It’s a basic setup that should be familiar to anyone who’s ever played a mobile action game before.

What’s “bizarre” are the two unorthodox ways the game handles aiming.

For starters, “auto aim” is on by default. When this mode is enabled, the weapon’s crosshairs automatically move to the nearest target. It doesn’t matter which side of the screen they are on, or how far. As long as they’re within the weapon’s range, the crosshairs will automatically “lock on”.  All the player has to do is press the large “fire” button to engage the weapon. It’s kind of an odd choice to even include this as an option; it’s even weirder that it's automatically activated by default.

Choose from either auto-aiming, or auto-fire...there are no fully-manual options.

Players that want more “control” over their gunfire are given a “manual aiming” option. But even that doesn’t work the way it should. Activating this removes the fire button entirely. Moving the crosshairs is accomplished by sliding your right thumb along the right side of the screen. Similar to how player movement is controlled via the left thumb. Once your crosshairs come into contact with an enemy, the gun is automatically fired. So you’re basically choosing between “auto-aim” or “auto-fire”.  It’s baffling that, no matter which one you choose, you’re never given full control. Some aspect is automatically handled for you. 

Another odd choice is that your character can only move straight ahead. There is no way to see what’s behind you. Even weirder: You can walk backwards, but you have to face forward the entire time. The positive to this is that enemies can't attack you from the back, but it's a rather awkward design decision.

GAMEPLAY

“Zombeast” takes the same basic formula of so many games that have come before. Players complete missions, and use the money earned from those missions to purchase and upgrade weaponry. In the most unique aspect of the game, each mission lasts for a set amount of “meters”, which are tracked in the upper left hand corner of the screen. In order to complete the level, the player must travel the set distance. 

Players must travel a set distance in order to complete levels.

There are three “objectives” in each level that grant extra cash upon completion. These are displayed before each mission. The first two are always the same: traveling a distance equal to the end of the level, and killing a certain number of enemies in the level. The last one varies. It can be killing a certain amount of enemies with a specific gun (that you may or may not own), or killing a specific number of a single creature type.

Early stages attempt to tell a “story”. Apparently, you’re one in a group of survivors attempting to survive the zombie apocalypse. Each level has a description setting up the “plot”, and outlining the mission’s objectives. They’re always incredibly basic, such as killing enemies to clear out a safe zone for other survivors, or saving an ally in distress. Regardless of the objectives, no other characters are ever seen during gameplay.

Hilariously, this idea is abandoned somewhere around the 100-level mark. Each mission beyond that simply states “Story writing is in progress.” I would say this makes the game feel incomplete, but considering how poorly-written and unengaging it is up to that point, it actually feels like an improvement.

Apparently, the story writer quit in mid-development.

Players start each mission with a small-ish amount of ammo, which can be increased by paying money or watching an ad from the pre-mission screen. Weapons can also be swapped out from the same screen. Users can equip any two guns from their arsenal in order to prepare for battle. This is a nice feature, as other games sometimes put limits on the types of weapons that can be used in certain levels.

Each stage also has ammo crates available at regular intervals. Only once can I recall running out of bullets in mid-level; typically, there’s a generous amount spread throughout. (For the record, I also pay for the extra ammo boost at the beginning of each stage.) However, in one of the game’s most genuinely refreshing highlights, even ammo-less heroes have a fair shot at survival.

Players can use their feet to “kick” the incoming hordes. Sounds pretty weak, right? It’s not: Kicking insta-kills any enemy within a small radius. Even more helpful: Any “exploding” creatures fly out of damage range to the player. They still explode, potentially causing harm to nearby monsters, but won’t harm the main character. Of course, there’s a cooldown period, preventing users from overusing it to survive levels. But it’s an incredibly helpful tool.

Kicking is surprisingly effective.

As a last resort, enemies can be avoided simply by running past them. Obviously, this isn’t very fun, and it’s a little too easy in most cases. But it is nice that even resourceless combatants still have a chance to complete missions.

One thing I like is that there’s a tactical component to the game. Simply running and gunning through most levels will likely lead to a quick death. Barriers are set up throughout each stage, which can slow down incoming hordes long enough to reload weapons or to replenish the kick meter. Moving slowly can also reveal distant enemies, allowing you to take them out before they have a chance to attack. This is a nice feature that adds to the “realism”, while also rewarding players who employ a more strategic approach.

Even despite these additions, it still gets repetitive rather quickly. The missions don’t vary much; all consist of killing waves of hostile creatures.

But at the same time, that’s also one of the game’s biggest strengths. It’s what kept me coming back to it again and again, over other zombie games. Progressing through levels doesn’t require constant, costly upgrades in order to remain competitive. In fact, I’ve had the same weapons for the last 50 or so levels, and have had little trouble completing missions. They’re not overly easy, but with some tactical planning, they’re also not too difficult. It’s the perfect game to pick up and play when you just want to mindlessly blast a few creatures. And with a whopping 750 levels, there’s no shortage of opportunities to do just that.

Beyond “leveling up” your character, which doesn’t seem to do much on its own, “skills” can be purchased. These cost a set amount of coins, as well as “skill points”, and offer the player a wide variety of powerups that can be used during levels. They are organized by “tier”, with all boosts in a specific tier required before stronger skills can be purchased. The effects range from lowered kick cooldown and reduced damage, to ranged attacks, like artillery fire and laser beams. 

Upgradeable skills can further tilt missions in your favor.

Each skill can be upgraded multiple times, which increases their effectiveness. They can only be performed once her level and, in an interesting turn, only become available once players travel 60% of the total stage distance. I don’t understand the reasoning for that guideline, but it is what it is. (A final available upgrade reduces this requirement to 45%. It still doesn’t make any sense to me.)

The biggest hindrance in the gameplay department: Each stage costs a certain amount of “energy” (represented by coffee cups) to play. In the early going, they cost five cups each. As you progress further, however, the cost doubles to 10.

The maximum amount of cups one can have at any given time is 30. That means players are only able to play up to 3 levels at one time before being forced to watch ads, use in-game currency, or pay real money in order to gain more. The cups do “regen” naturally pretty quick (I believe one every 3 or so minutes), but it’s still an annoying tactic. Going the ad route refills 5 cups per non-skippable ad, up to a maximum of five times per day. Instantly replenishing it with in-game currency costs a whopping 40 diamonds, which is pretty steep.

Playing missions cost a certain amount of "cups".

What does this approach hope to accomplish? Do the developers really think people are going to shell out money, or watch ads, just to keep playing a few more levels in one sitting? I don’t know, maybe people do; this isn’t the first game I’ve seen to utilize this approach. Personally, I just find something else to play while the cups are regenerating; eventually, I’ll get sick of doing that and stop playing entirely.

GAME MODES

There aren’t a huge variety of modes, or “side missions” to break up the monotony. The one notable exception is the “Daily Mission”. Players must navigate their way through three consecutive levels of increasing difficulty. However, there are “checkpoints” throughout each level that grant the user one power-up of their choice to help them tackle the neverending mobs. Each of these powerups carry over into the next level. The options range from heightened physical attributes - quicker kick “cooldown” or faster player movement - to “environmental” dangers, such as a laser beam that randomly incinerates zombies within a set distance every few seconds.

"Daily missions" are brilliantly chaotic.

This mode is wonderfully, brilliantly chaotic. There can be around 20 “skills” active at any given time. By level 3, the waves of monsters are met with everything from lightning strikes, to grenades, to freeze blasts, and much more. It’s still challenging - survival is not guaranteed - but it definitely injects the game with an excitement that is otherwise missing. Especially since dying at any point requires the player to start from the first level all over again.

"Events" can be accessed via a button on the bottom of the "mission" screen. There are two: "Dead Rage" and "Zombie Target." Neither change the core mechanics, but do offer weapons specific to that event. They aren't updated very often, though; in the three months I've had the game, these have been the only ones available.

Other modes are reachable via a "Modes" button on the right side. “Hell on Earth” is essentially the base game, but with more monsters and firepower. It’s alright, but too similar to everything else to be engaging. The last one is simply called “Zombies”. This mode features several levels, each broken down into three “stages”. The name of the levels change, with each one named after a particular entity. The power and speed of the titular creatures in each level are altered in various ways via displayed attributes.

There are additional game modes beyond the main campaign.

For example, a level might say “Damage: +45%; Speed: +80%; Health: -50%”. That means the monsters in the level will cause 45% more damage per strike, and be 80% faster, but have half their normal health. In other words, they’ll be easier to kill, but can move in quicker and be more dangerous if they reach you. Completing these levels pay out a respectable amount of coins.

This is a somewhat interesting variation, in that it changes up the core mechanics slightly. It adds a “puzzle” aspect missing from the main game. For example, one level maxes out the enemy’s health, so that they cannot be killed. The only way to complete the level is to avoid them, something that feels like a welcome change from typical objectives. 

Two other modes, titled "Endless" and "Premium", are available to paid "premium" members only. That's fine with me, because I hate endless modes anyway.

PAY TO PLAY

Unfortunately, no review of mobile games these days are complete without a section on ads. They’re taking over everything. Ever since streaming replaced cable as the main source of entertainment, companies have had to find new avenues to peddle their wares. Naturally, anything and everything have become hotbeds for advertisements. Mobile games - especially “free” ones - might just be the “peak” of these efforts.

Zombeast earns “slightly above average” scores in this category. Ads play after every completed mission (which run for about 1-2 minutes, on average). These are skippable after a few seconds. Beyond that, players are given the option to earn double the rewards of the level by watching another ad. These are “full” thirty second ads, and are not skippable. This is pretty much standard across mobile games as a whole.

The most egregious example of developer “greed” occurs when increasing your character’s stats. Once you hit 600 points (which are earned from completing mission objectives and daily tasks), you are able to “level up” your character. This entitles the player to earn extra items, like diamonds, grenades, and energy. However, in order to collect said items, players are first forced to watch a full, unskippable ad.

Viewing an ad is required to level up your character.

I understand the need for ads in games. I understand developers need to be rewarded for their efforts in making games. And I completely understand the “voluntary” viewing of ads to earn additional perks. But when it’s required to gain items you’ve earned - by playing a game that already features advertisements - it feels rather low.

This is especially true in the beginning, when it’s much easier to gain XP for your character. There were times when I’d save up enough points for 5 level boosts. Guess what? That meant viewing five ads - one for each time you level up. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back.

For those who have some expendable income, “Zombeast” offers paid upgrades, of course. The cost of these items are rather exorbitant, in my opinion. For example, purchasing infinite energy costs $20.99. That’s a pretty high price considering all that does is allow the player to play as many missions as they want at one time. (To be fair, it also comes with 250 diamonds, but that won’t go very far.)

Paid upgrades are costly.

Packages with guns start at $9.49 and go up to $35.99. Most only include single guns, along with a fair amount of coins and diamonds. Again, I find these prices to be pretty excessive. Even worse: The images and purchase screens offer no descriptions on what you get for your hard-earned money. This is especially problematic for the “Dead Rage” package, which costs $9.99 and includes a gun that can only be used in the very-limited “Dead Rage” event. That information isn’t offered anywhere, which comes off as rather deceptive.

Despite these missteps, “Zombeast” doesn’t feel like a cash grab. It doesn’t flaunt paid upgrades or boosts in your face at every turn, and progress can easily be made without spending a dime.

IN CONCLUSION

“Zombeast” is a confusing nut to crack. The graphics and audio are well-above average, and combine to help give the game a dark, creepy atmosphere. The game’s graphic, non-removable violence and detailed monster designs serve as proof this is a game for a more mature crowd. It avoids the “cartoony” look of other zombie titles, which is a welcome change of pace. And the “Daily Mission” is a brilliantly chaotic game mode that injects some life into an otherwise straightforward shooter.

But the “energy” system limits the number of levels that can be played at once. The aiming system is weird, with no options available to give players complete, manual control of their weapons. The limited movement system - the main character cannot look behind them - feels unnecessarily constricting. And each of the 750 (?) missions offer the same repetitive gameplay.

The "bestiary" details each creature's strengths and weaknesses.

Yet, despite these hiccups, “Zombeast” was the game I kept coming back to. It doesn’t require constant, costly upgrades in order to stay competitive, nor does it flood the user with paid enhancements. It might be a little too limited to maintain long-term interest, but it’s a great choice for casual gamers who just want to mindlessly blast a few nightmarish creatures.

OVERALL: 6.5/10.