It’s never a bad time to kill Nazi scum, even if they’re already dead.
For more than a decade, Rebellion has worked on the Sniper Elite series,
with the most recent entry launching in 2017.
Zombie Army was born as a spin-off to those games but has since become a standalone release.
The story is set in 1946, one year after the previous game ended with Hitler’s defeat and banishment to hell.
Despite the apparent victory for humanity, the dead still roam the earth, and war rages on.
As allied bases continue to fall one by one, the Resistance must find out why
and investigate an ominous demonic portal.
Events and motivations are further explored through hidden collectibles in each chapter
that add insight into fellow survivors and potential adversaries.
It’s not the most interesting or original story, and some characters have a habit of talking incessantly,
but it does enough to add context to the endless zombie killing.
There are nine distinct missions that can be played solo or cooperatively,
each of which is divided into a handful of chapters.
The main goal is to reach each chapter’s safe house
while solving smaller side objectives along the way.
Usually this means defending a key position or retrieving items scattered around an area.
Like the story, the objectives themselves are derivative, but
thoughtful encounters and a steady variety of new enemies and upgrades keep things fresh.
Over the course of the 10 to 12 hour campaign, you kill thousands of zombies.
At each safe house you can equip one rifle, a secondary weapon, and a pistol.
Each weapon can be modified with valuable upgrade kits that add noticeable benefits.
The rifles act similarly to Sniper Elite,
with the iron lung ability used for accurate shots
and the signature x-ray camera showcasing elegant kills.
Secondary weapons like the shotgun feel good too,
obliterating zombies into puddles of blood and sinew.
Each combat encounter is a chaotic bloodbath as enemies relentlessly try to surround you.
Standard zombies are easily disposed of, but when coupled with stronger foes,
they can still pose a serious threat.
Numerous mini-bosses, like the machine gun and flamethrower zombies,
take serious firepower to eliminate,
while necromancers must be dealt with immediately to stop their never-ending summons.
There are also enemy snipers that bounce from rooftop to rooftop
and suiciders that can decimate your team if you don’t keep moving.
And that’s only to name a few.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Zombie Army 4 pushes back,
encouraging players to adjust to the mayhem of the moment.
Dispatching zombies in quick succession adds to a combo meter which is integral to survival.
Every ten kills with a weapon unlocks its special ability
which can help turn the tide of battle in desperate situations.
However, it’s even more important to try to rack up ten kills in a row without losing the combo.
This earns you an instant-kill melee attack
that has the added benefit of restoring health.
Since med packs are usually in short supply,
managing the ability can lead to frantic moments
as you recklessly try to keep a combo alive.
Additionally, you can equip one of four different special melee abilities
like the machete slash that deals significant damage
or the electric fist that can stun enemies.
These abilities are on a cooldown, so knowing when to save or use them is yet another strategy to consider.
Lastly, scattered throughout each stage are ammo and grenade caches
that offer a variety of tools to defend positions.
All of these tools are seamlessly integrated and never feel insignificant,
intensely contributing to the adage, “adapt or die.”
After each chapter, you’re awarded XP based on your score.
Leveling up rewards you with useful perks
such as increased health or damage resistance,
and reaching certain milestones unlocks additional slots to equip more perks.
There is always something meaningful within reach to earn even after the campaign is finished.
The campaign can be played on easy, normal, or hard with 1 to 4 players.
Playing solo is still fun, but surviving against overwhelming odds with others is far more satisfying,
especially when hanging out in a cozy safe house.
In addition to the campaign, there’s also horde mode and weekly challenges.
The challenges offer rewards like XP and weapon skins for finishing certain chapters
within various parameters like not dying.
The rewards have been lackluster so far, but Rebellion is promising additional chapters, weapons, and maps
for the upcoming season of content.
So things are only getting started.
Horde mode is a great place to drop in for immediate action
and to perfect optimal builds with friends,
but the limited number of maps is currently a detriment.
Mechanically it’s extremely similar to the campaign
with groups tasked to survive increasingly hostile waves of enemies before escaping.
It feels removed from the urgency of the main story and has lower stakes as a result.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a solid addition to the zombie genre.
Thoughtful enemy encounters and meaningful progression contribute to an energetic and chaotic pace.
It’s also agreeably accessible for players across a range of skill levels whether you play solo or with friends.
If you’ve never played a Zombie Army title and love killing Nazis, this is a great place to start.
Easy Allies Reviews are made possible by generous viewers just like you.
If you like what you see, check out patreon.com/easyallies to help us make more.
For just $1 a month, you can gain access to weekly updates, spoiler discussions, and exclusive shows.