Zombie Vikings Review

A while back, I played Stick It to the Man, a game from the studio known as Zoink Games. It was a game that was visually unique and mainly centered around puzzle solving. Zoink Games has now released Zombie Vikings. I’m playing this title on PC and would describe it as a platfoming, arcade-brawler. The games are known for their unique 2D graphic style with plenty of humour and charm.

Zombie Vikings is visually striking, much like its predecessor. The game starts with Odin, a quirky character, who has his eye stolen from him by Loki. Odin is determined to get his eye back, so he gets help from some unlikely zombie soldiers. Odin is joined by a group of zombies known as, Gunborg, Hedgy, Seagurd and Caw-Kaa. I really enjoyed the weird fusion of zombies and Vikings, which at first sounds completely absurd, but it actually works in a weird way. The story may seem a bit basic, but it’s the humour and funny characters that makes the narrative worth exploring. The game sees you visiting many environments and crazy characters that keeps things interesting.

If I have learnt anything from my time as a gamer, it’s that nothing ever goes away. The gameplay here is awesome and reminded me of games I would play when I was younger. The game is very similar in terms of gameplay to old school, arcade brawlers. In the game you have the ability to select one of four characters. I really liked how each of the characters have their own specific moves, but I didn’t like how at certain points in the game you are forced to use a certain character to progress. I think that games do this too often, and doesn’t really need to happen. The game is very traditional in the way you move from left to right, and sees you fighting your way through lots of enemies. As you beat up enemies and move through the levels, you collect coins. There’s also small side quests that feel a bit tacked on. The side quests at least add a bit of variation to the gameplay.

You collect coins during gameplay, which is used to unlock weapons. Most of the weapons are fairly similar, but some offer interesting gameplay variety. You also get runes to help upgrade your character. These include things like health upgrades and benefits. The gameplay is fairly repetitive, but that’s something you might expect from an arcade-style brawler. I like experimenting with the various weapons to see which was most effective.

In my opinion the presentation is where the games shines. The game is very similar to the visuals they used in Stick It To the Man. The characters and environments look like they are cut outs, with vibrant colours and interesting backgrounds. The world looks awesome and the characters have a whimsical cartoon style. The style combined with the quirky humour works wonderfully. The game is wacky and crazy and is a delight to explore. I can’t say that everyone will enjoy the humour, but I did as it reminded me of cartoons I would watch when I was growing up like Rockos Modern Life. The voice acting is very good and adds depth to the weird and wonderful characters. The game also offers online and local multiplayer, which is a nice addition. I’ve heard that the console versions have had some technical issues, but there has been a patch and I didn’t encounter any issues on PC.

Overall I personally really enjoyed this game. It’s not going to appeal to everyone, but that’s the joy of having such a wide variety of games these days. The story is basic, but the characters and world itself is full of humour. Gameplay is easy to jump into, but is a bit repetitive. If you’re looking for a game that offers funny moments and addictive gameplay, then you might enjoy this latest release from Zoink Games.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.