In the pantheon of video game enemies, Nazi zombies are perhaps the most enduring cannon fodder. This is understandable, as the only thing worse than a Nazi is an undead Nazi, as countless games have proven. Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the latest title to pit players against shambling hordes of the undead, and although it succeeds in most of the important areas a game like this should, it also feels like a bit too little, a bit too late.
If you missed the first three Zombie Army games, don’t worry, as the story here is nonsense and requires little context. Last time around, our heroes killed zombie Hitler. This time, the Nazi zombies are back, and they are enacting a nefarious ritual to . . . well, you can probably guess. Alone or in co-op, players will have to stop the Nazi zombie horde from destroying what remains of Europe. The game has a fun, pulpy tone throughout, but the ridiculous story only gets interesting toward the end, and the attempts at humor never rise above mildly amusing.
It still feels great to shoot zombies, though. For those who do not know, the Zombie Army series is a spinoff of the Sniper Elite series, and it retains the slow-motion sniper kills and satisfying weaponry that have defined those games. The guns in Zombie Army 4 feel better than ever before; although the selection is limited, each one feels distinct and features multiple upgrade trees that can significantly modify how the weapon handles. Zombie Army 4 also adds a decent character progression system, filled with upgradeable perks that offer unique bonuses. Enemies are a cut above the usual zombie fare as well, as players must contend with hulking brutes with flamethrowers, shielded grenadiers and even zombie tanks. Zombie Army 4 occasionally throws some tough combinations of these creatures at you, forcing the player to think quickly and prioritize targets in order to survive.
The zombie-killing fun is hampered by some significant issues, unfortunately. Movement feels stiff and imprecise in close quarters, making dealing with large hordes in cluttered environments more frustrating than it should be. Although the game has a few standout levels, including an absolutely fantastic final boss fight, the early going is a slog through overlong stretches of mostly uninspired locales. The game’s horde mode is also disappointingly slight, offering only four maps which appear to be reused pieces of levels from the campaign. Besides all that, one cannot help but feel that the entire experience is a bit too familiar, simply repeating a formula that has been done plenty of times before.
Zombie Army 4, for all the fun moments and solid gameplay that it offers, feels like less than the sum of its parts. It is a decent game, but not especially exciting or involving for most of its duration. If you just want to shoot some Nazi zombies with friends, Zombie Army 4 will scratch that itch for you. Do not expect much more than the simple pleasure of mowing down hundreds of zombies.
