Dead Nation
7.1
10
17
17
Really fun if you like killing in big numbers.
It's an amazing game! I can play for hours without noticing. If you like killing enemies in big numbers than get this game! If you ever played Dynasty Warriors then this is like the same style of killing. A lot of fun and it gets harder so it's not one of those games where you get bored really fast.
6/5/12
If you like annihilating zombies, get this game!
Long have PS3 owners been denied a zombie game that they can truly call their own. Deadrising, COD zombies, and Left 4 Dead have dominated the zombie game market, but PS3 owners were largely left with an empty feeling inside.
Enter Dead Nation. Dead Nation embraces a top-down, twin-stick style that is both innovative and fresh. If you’re a gamer that immediately passes up games that fit this bill, you might want to rethink your decision. Dead Nation has a slight arcade feel, but it is by no means an arcade game.
For the most part, Dead Nation controls smoothly. You move with the left stick, aim with the right stick, and shoot with the right bumper. These are the basic controls only; melee attacks, grenade/molotov/flare throws, and dashes are mostly controlled by the triggers and bumpers, and give the gameplay a level of complexity that raises it above the arcade-ish feel that most games are victim to. Aiming controls are tight and responsive, but they can sometimes feel a little off-target. You won’t usually have to worry about hitting specific targets, seeing as you’ll be confronted by hordes of zombies, but the right stick sometimes feels a little difficult to aim with. This does not take away from the game at all, however, and you should not have too much trouble blasting zombies to smithereens.
This brings me to my next major point about the game: the zombie killing. Dead Nation will confront you with hordes of zombies again and again and again in increasing difficulty, encouraging you to both know your weapons and have an itchy trigger finger. The zombie killing is the most rewarding aspect of the game, and Dead Nation gives you a plethora of ways to do this. You’ll be doing a lot of shooting, mowing down the hordes of zombies as they scream for your brains, but those who only wish to play Dead Nation to satisfy their itchy trigger finger will be missing out on so much more. Grenades, flamethrowers, Molotov cocktails, mines, and rocket launchers are just a few of the many options you have when it comes to annihilating the undead hordes. It truly is satisfying to reduce a group of zombies to a pile of flesh with a zombie-attracting grenade, saw through zombie hordes with the blade cannon, and burn swaths of zombies alive (or dead?) with the flamethrower.
There are also many other options for annihilating zombie hordes other than directly blowing them up. There are many cars in the city streets, and you can use these to your advantage by blowing them up with some well-placed shots. What makes this even more satisfying as that sometimes the car alarm will go of, attracting zombies from all around and giving them a nasty surprise when they reach the car. Other options for killing zombies include leading them through fire, blowing up propane tanks, and much more.
The game’s upgrade system is a nice touch, and it incorporates a lot of ideas from past zombie games. You can fully upgrade almost every aspect of your weapons(including explosives) to make them more powerful and efficient.
Now all of this zombie killing sounds great, but how does it look in terms of graphics? Like I said, this is no arcade game. The graphics aren’t just great; they’re utterly beautiful. Every severed limb, every drop of blood that falls to the ground, and every zombie horde that explodes into a dynamic cloud of blood and guts shows how much love the developers really put into this game.
One thing I want to add to this is that the game takes place in a VERY dark environment. Sometimes it will be very hard to see zombies coming at your from every angle, and while this adds to the suspense, I recommend at least turning up the brightness on your TV a few notches.
Enemy variety is also very well done. There are about 4-5 types of the standard zombies alone, including the standard walkers, fat-protected fatties, and the quick and deadly runners. Throughout the campaign, they introduce new and increasingly deadly zombie varieties, including the Mouth, which calls in massive swarms of his zombie minions to attack you, Jumpers, which attempt to smash you into a grease spot on the asphalt, and the Blade, which will slice you to pieces if you let it get close. These enemies give subtle nods to zombie games of old, while also incorporating new ideas.
Now for the icing on the cake! Dead Nation supports 2-player local and online co-op. This is truly a blast if you have friends willing to launch themselves into a zombie apocalypse, but it’s almost impossible to find a game without inviting someone on your friends list. Local and online co-op is fun, and I encountered minimal lag online. However, with so much going on, it can be hard to tell who’s who on-screen, although the game tries very hard to distinguish you and your partner with different-color flashlights.
The final verdict? If you enjoy zombie games, you need to get this game. It’s well worth the price, especially if you have friends willing to join you. Never has a twin-stick zombie shooter been so fun, and never before has blowing up hordes of zombies been so satisfying. Dead Nation gets a final score of 9.4/10.
Thanks for reading my review; I hope it was helpful!
1/17/12
Not since Diablo...
I haven't played a game I found this addicting since Diablo II. This is one of those games for me that I couldn't wait to get home or get out of bed and play first thing. I like the view, similar to Diablo, and I love that I feel like I'm going to die every minute. There are so few casual stages where you get to relax. I thought it played through like COD Black Ops, where you die and go back to your last checkpoint. That made it easy to change strategies until you found one that worked.
I'm on my second play through and getting killed in the last stage. I've spent a few hours trying to get past the horde this time, but so far, without success. I dream about it at night, and for me, that says it all!
I'll be playing this one, and the new On-line DLC for a long time to come!
11/27/11
You'll be locked to your seat!
Over the years, I've been disappointed with games I've downloaded from PSN. Not this time! This is one of the most fun games I have ever played. I didn't want to step away from it - even to use th bathroom. The weapons range from believable (Rifle and SMG) to awesome (Launcher and Blade Thrower). The use of zombie distraction - car alarms, flares, mines with beeping red lights - is the perfect way to gather the undead into a nice little group before firing a ricocheting lawn mower blade through them. The "hidden" treasures are well-placed and perfect for the situation you happen to be in. There are times when you think you are about to be overrun by hundreds of zombies until you drop a stick of dynamite or fire a grenade with the launcher to whittle down the numbers. The lighting is perfect ambience to get seriously creeped out when a half-dozen zombie beasties pop out of the back of a mangled tractor-trailer. The sound of crunching zombie bones beneath your feet as you walk is both disgusting and hilarious! This is easily worth the $14.99 and then some!!
9/6/11
tough challenging levels
I'm surprised this only gets a 6.2. A lot of these levels seem unbeatable at first, but I think that's what I enjoy about them. They challenge me and eventually I take care of business. Fun to play at night.
9/1/11
Thank god this was free.
I was thinking about getting this for a while, and after PSN went down and this was one of the selectable free games I decided to get it. Thank god I didn't actually spend money on it before, it sucks. I've definetely played worse games, but no game has worse checkpoints then this.
8/18/11
Great zombie game
If this game wasn't being offered as a free Welcome Back game I doubt I would have purchased it but I'm glad it was. The graphics could pass for a PS2 game but the overall gameplay is fun. The best part of the game is the co-op mode in my opinion. The view is an over the top view so it elimates the split screen which is great. The controls are pretty easy and the price tag is not bad at all so go download this game, you won't regret it.
7/24/11
Wow...(wow isn't a good thing in this case)
OK, this is basically the worst game I have ever played. The screen is so dark you cant see the zombies and the gameplay sucks. I would definetly not buy this game if you are thinking about it. This was a HUGE waste of money.
7/19/11
this game sucks
this is the worst game i have ever play the graphics suck u cant see the guy's fase it sucks
7/12/11
$15 Well Spent
This game is worth it's price tag because it provides hours of replay ability with excellent visuals,audio & controls!
7/11/11