Plight of the Zombie is one of the latest zombie genre games to land in the Windows Phone Store. It has seen a fair amount of success over on iOS and Android with the developer hoping for similar results here on the Windows Phone platform.
Plight of the Zombie isn't a tower defense game or a game where you get to hunt down and wipe out the zombie hordes. Instead, the game offers over 50 puzzles that you have to help your zombie solve. Of course, in the process there is plenty of brains to indulge upon.
Available for low-memory devices, Plight of the Zombie comes across as a fun, casual paced game for Windows Phone. The biggest downside to the game is the lack of a trial version (but we've got a trick to work around that).
Zombies, zombies and more zombies
Plight of the Zombie has a relatively simple main menu with options to access the game's settings, visit the gaming store and to jump into game play.
The game store is where you can spend the coins you earn during game play on specialty items to help you zombie survive the puzzles and to purchase outfits to give your zombie a little bit of style.
Game play is scattered across eight environments each with its unique zombie to control. The game currently has 180 gaming levels, each progressively unlocked and more challenging.
Simple game play
Game mechanics are rather simple with Plight of the Zombie. The game screen has a collection of twists and turns to navigate, a handful of brains lying around ready to be eaten and a human target to devour. Your job is to create a path for the zombie to follow that will collect all the brains and bring him to the human target.
Just tap and hold the screen on the zombie then trace the path you would like the zombie to follow. Once you have everything traced out, tap go and your zombie is off to the races.
The puzzles start out really simple and progressively become more challenging with human targets that scan for zombies to shoot and roving targets that search for zombies. You will have to time your zombie to avoid these dangers.
There is a shield available throughout the game to help protect your zombie (icon in the upper left corner) and you can always suspend his progress and re-draw his path by tapping the screen.
Game play does start off a little on the slow side mainly to allow you to get used to the gaming mechanics. However, once you get human targets that shoot at your zombie the game does pick up a good bit with regards to challenge but even then, the game doesn't really lose its casual feel.
Overall Impression
Game play takes on a much slower pace than many of the zombie games in the Windows Phone Store but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Graphics and animations are well drawn up and overall, Plight of the Zombie isn't a bad game to give a try.
And that is the biggest rub against the game. The Windows Phone version lacks a trial version and is currently running $2.99. The lack of a trial version is probably the kiss of death for Plight of the Zombie but there is a way to try the game without shelling out three bucks.
The game is a universal title, available over in the Windows 8 Store for $4.99 but the Windows 8 version offers a trial version. While the trial version is only good for 24 hours it will give you a feel for the game (thanks, @dingl_ for the tip!). If you like it, buy the Windows Phone version and then save the two dollars and pick up the Windows 8 version at no charge.
It is a mystery why developers deliver their games to the Windows Phone platform, hope for success but fail to offer a trial version. I understand a desire not to give away their hard earned work but a short trial version isn't an unreasonable request.
Plight of the Zombie is a fun game and is well presented. The pace may not be upbeat enough for some but if you want to give it a try, check out the Windows 8 version to give you a feel for things.
- Plight of the Zombie - Windows Phone 8 - 67MB - $2.99 - Store Link
- Plight of the Zombie - Windows 8 - 68.7MB - Trial / $4.99 - Store Link
