Zombies are still going strong in the Windows Store and I, Zombie is a challenging strategy game for Windows 10 PC where you get to lead a horde of Zombies in a quest to infect and turn humans into the Walking Dead.
Graphics are full of detail and dark colors that set the mood to that of a monster movie. Controls aren't terribly difficult to get a handle on, but they do have a slight learning curve. Gameplay tests your strategy and stealth skills, not only to attack defenseless citizens but also to evade the armed soldiers patrolling for you.
I, Zombies does have a free trial version to let you try the game out before buying, with the full version running $2.49. Overall, it is a fun Windows 10 PC game to spend a little down time with.
Before we get into playing anything, a quick jump into the settings is required for PC gamers: manually adjust the game's resolution to match your display, lest part of the playing field run off the screen.
Gameplay is spread out across 30 levels of play that are progressively unlocked. Each level has a maze of buildings you need to maneuver around to find citizens to attack and turn into Zombies. Each level also has a collection of armed soldiers who are patrolling the maze, searching for any Zombies that might be lurking about.
Controls are keyboard or mouse based for the Windows 10 PC version. You can use the directional arrows to move your Zombie or you can click on the area of the game display to move there. To build up your Zombie army, you need to chase down the citizens and attack them. Once turned, they will follow your Zombie and help in the attacks.
Controlling the horde is also managed with keyboard or mouse commands. Commands include attack, stop and follow. These commands are handled with the A, S, D keys or you can right click on the horde to pull up on-screen options.
Once gameplay begins, you need to stay out of sight of any soldiers. If they spot you or any members of your Zombie horde the begin to attack. It only takes a few hits from their rifles to put a Zombie down, so a tactical approach is needed. To add to the difficulty, the citizens are not going to just stand there and let you eat their brains. When they spot a Zombie, they run away in hopes of finding safety. Often you need to sneak up on these helpless citizens and ambush them. Just be careful if you give chase and run across a set of patrolling soldiers.
When you build up a horde of Zombies, you need to deal with those pesky soldiers. More times than not, the best course of action is to attack them with the horde and hope for minimal losses. It is probably best to keep your Zombie behind the horde to minimize the damage. You can afford to lose members of the horde, but if your Zombie goes down the game is over.
The ultimate goal of I, Zombie is to turn all the humans into Zombies. Levels are timed, but the final score is based on how many Zombies survive. The more Zombies remaining in the horde, the more stars earned and you can advance to the next level of play.
The game experience with I, Zombie is good. Graphics offer plenty of detail and a slightly dark mood that is fitting for an adventure filled with the Walking Dead. Game controls can be a little overwhelming at first, but after the second level of play, they become more familiar and comfortable to use. Each level offers a nice difficulty level with citizens becoming more spread out and more roving patrols to elude.
If I had to find something to complain about, it might be the small number of levels. Thirty levels are enough to keep you busy for a while, but it can also leave you wanting more too soon. Hopefully, the developer has more game levels in the works for I, Zombie.
Decent
3/5
The Windows 10 PC game does have a free trial version available, with the full version running $2.49. There is also an Xbox version of I, Zombie available for $3.99. I, Zombie offers a challenging test of your tactical abilities in leading the Zombie horde against humanity and overall, a fun time waster of a game.
Download I, Zombie from the Windows Store[.cta.large}