The Sniper Elite series is something I enjoy, but never rave about. The undead side of these games, the Zombie Army series, is something I had no experience with ahead of this review. In Zombie Army 4: Dead War, the elements worth loving about the Rebellion developed and published games are here, but fail to live up to what could make the series truly remarkable.

What is Zombie Army 4: Dead War About?

Way back when Call of Duty: World at War kicked off the nazi zombie craze, the appeal was how ridiculous the premise was. Now, we have a million and one zombie games, whether it be actual zombies or some other sort of horde mode. Gears has one, World War Z has one, and yes, Zombie Army 4: Dead War has one. Luckily, at its heart, the game centers around a great story mode with a decent narrative. The Sniper Elite games center around a good story too, so Rebellion clearly understands this department.

In Zombie Army 4: Dead War, each chapter of the story mode follows different attempts to fight off zombies in various locations. The diverse scenery of the game keeps things interesting on the outside. On the inside, the mechanics of Zombie Army 4: Dead War limit the overall gameplay. The famous Rebellion Kill-Cam is back, with slow-mo action and bone-crushing bullet entry graphics. It’s a ton of fun, at first. Then, things return back to the same-old same-old, and not in a good way.

Undead Action Starts to Feel Stale

If you know the Sniper Elite games well, then you know where this is going. Each chapter, no matter how the story is set-up and where you are, is the exact same micro-battle. Elements in Zombie Army 4: Dead War like traps and increasingly elaborate enemies only go so far. At the end of the day, you’re setting up kills with positioning and stealth. Rinse and repeat. As great as the core elements of gameplay are, it’s the same thing over and over. No matter how fun a game is, that’s going to hurt the overall experience.

Every kill and how you set up the deed is scored for accuracy, quickness, and effectiveness. In a game like this, I can’t imagine who this is going to entertain or fulfill. I want accelerating forms of action, not a score. Maybe that’s just me, but in a game where creativity is the name of the game, I don’t need a score to tell me I’m doing well. Without a strong basis, the score just reminds you that the game is only as fun as you make it. I like a little more structure at the end of the day.

Less Fun With Friends

When playing with others, I think the experience feels more and more diluted. The joys of zombie shooters are the helplessness you feel. Even in the Sniper Elite games, it’s amazing getting to show up on an island with 20 enemies and be a one-person army. Multiplayer isn’t a ton of fun for this reason. Things feel too easy, and things feel far too safe for a zombie game.

Even with some regular gaming friends on board, I think the game is best experienced alone. The most exciting part of the game comes from moments where the tides feel like they’re turning against you. The endless waves of zombie action keep you interested for long enough to make the game a good time. It’s just frustrating to have so many fun horde-style gaming memories and not be able to make more with this game.

Final Thoughts on Zombie Army 4: Dead War

The experience of Zombie Army 4: Dead War isn’t negative. In fact, I enjoyed my time with it. I just can’t imagine it staying on my mind for very long. There are a lot of reasons to come back to these Rebellion games. The only problem is that there’s not a ton of reasons to stay. Do with that what you will. This is a good Rebellion game, but past that, I’m not sure how much there is to love.

An Xbox One review copy of Zombie Army 4: Dead War was provided by Rebellion for this review.

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Zombie Army 4: Dead War

$49.99 USD

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Great Kill-Cam action
• Fun environments
• Decent story for a zombie game

Cons

• Stale after a few hours
• Gameplay repeats over and over