A refreshing new take on the survival horror genre that just falls short due to some odd design choices.
Now, onto the meat of it, so to speak. This game is most definitely NOT a FPS, although later in the game it can feel like one, which does dilute the sense of horror somewhat. This is because you are able to acquire a healthy library of guns, and guns make you feel empowered, which they do in this game. As such, you tend to feel slightly less vulnerable. I also wish there had been more melee and environmental attack options. Still, I love the nod to Shaun of the Dead with using a cricket bat as the main weapon.
Still, up to that point in the game, you always feel very much on edge. Particularly if you play this game at night, in the dark, with the volume high. Much like Dead Space, the experience is ruined if you play it any other way.
Being a resident of England I was very happy to play a zombie game which I could associate with. It reminded me of films like 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. The atmosphere is similar too. Very realistic and grim, even the sad piano music reminds me of them.
The gamepad controls, these were a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the backpack system. It felt slow and cumbersome, as if you were actually rummaging around in a bag for what you needed. Which added to the tension. Less control equals more fear; you need to learn which items to have at the ready so that you are prepared. However, scanning around for items felt tiresome after a while. Much like Arkham Asylum, I don't like having a different view in order to discover items, clues, etc. I believe it breaks the flow of the game. Tapping a manhole cover/barricade/plank in order to loosen them, is a dull idea too. One thing I very much enjoyed though was the gamepad aiming for the crossbow/sniper rifle/turret. That felt very natural and intuitive.
Ok, the death system. This is an odd one. None of your characters ever really feel new since the game seems to treat you as the same person each time. I think it was a good idea on paper but it doesn't really feel... connected. Waking up as a new person in a new location, with no gear would have made more sense. Of course that would have been very difficult for the designers to pull off, I realise that. Killing and looting the previous you is a very good idea though. Some deaths can feel very unfair though. The moment a zombie grabs you? No struggle? No clutching at it's face? A stamina gauge or QTE's might have been welcome here. Not that they would have helped you if more than one zombie grabbed you.
The later part of the game was a bit of a downer for me. The game's point of no return is location scripted but why on earth have the fast travel point and previously unlocked doors suddenly become inaccessible? This didn't make any sense and was annoying.
The zombies themselves felt very dangerous and tough and never felt like an easy kill as in most games. When it sticks to the scientific, the game feels realistic. It is later on when you get the red glow zombies, the bomb zombies and the electric teleporting zombies... eh?
These are never really explained. There is also a random colosseum zombie survival match which occurs when you are kidnapped by.. somebody. It never really explains who. But it also comes with obligatory circus music. This particular scene didn't make any sense whatsoever and didn't fit in with the game's theme.
There is also no replay value unless you want to attempt the one death survival mode. It did take me 18 hours to finish the single player mode, but I would have appreciated being able to go back into the game, post ending, and discover secret items and passages free of the story mode, but this was not the case. You don't get any rewards for completing it, your file becomes dead and new game is the only option.
Overall, really great, refreshing, atmospheric, new IP which has the potential to grow into a very strong franchise. Every gamer should give this game a try, and with a bit of luck we will get a big budget sequel.