Sensing Déjà vu when playing something is never a good sign, as it usually means the developer has been rather brazen with their inspiration. That, or you’ve somehow bought the same game twice on different formats. I couldn’t shake that feeling when jumping into Ultimate Zombie Defense, leading me to flick through my digital catalogue to see why it seemed so familiar. Finally, I stumbled on 2017’s Yet Another Zombie Defense HD. Eight years on, developers are still copying the formula that inspired that minor trend.
Ultimate Zombie Defense resembles something from a good ten years back too, which isn’t a huge surprise considering the PC version launched in 2020. It’s quite clear that this is a conversion from PC to console, featuring small text, a UI with dropdown menus, and controls that haven’t been mapped to the joypad particularly well. Aiming is particularly bothersome, requiring the right analogue stick to be slowly rotated to aim, although I can’t say I died as a result of this as it isn’t long until sentry turrets take over manual aiming.
It follows a basic formula of defeating waves of zombies before using cash gained for each kill to establish a base. You’re given a few minutes to build, with the long row of objects appearing across the bottom of the screen including barriers, turrets, electric grids, landmines, searchlights, and more. Weapons can also be purchased and upgraded, along with body armour. Health regenerates between rounds, or you can throw a health beacon on the ground to heal mid-battle. Ammo boxes can be placed too, being finicky to use as you need to stand back a few feet to get the button prompt to appear. Try as I might, I couldn’t get the manned turrets to work, pressing every button available and similarly trying from a few feet back.
Waves are drawn out, in the sense that it can take a long time for stragglers to reach your destination. It pays to leave a gap or place a door within your base so you can mop up the last few adversaries. Two of the three stages are large and open (city streets and a multifloored shopping mall) which means enemies will sometimes spawn behind your base or wander around aimlessly. The radar becomes very handy during these instances. I’m not sure what the thought process of making the mall multifloored was, as it makes it needlessly complex.
If you’re thinking a choice of just three stages sounds stingy, then you’re right. There’s a noticeable lack of content here, as if the developers gave up halfway. I wasn’t too interested in trying out different character classes as it seems the decision to gut the PC version’s multiplayer mode entirely has been made. Ideally it needed local co-op at the very least. I was able to see everything on offer in around two hours, employing the timeless strategy of placing copious turrets with concrete walls mounted on all sides. At one point I died during a boss fight, only for the achievement to pop on the ‘Game Over’ screen as my turrets continued to kill everything in sight, continuing to do so until exiting to the menu.
I’m not sure why the decision was made to remove multiplayer, as looking at Steam reviews, that was the biggest draw of the original. With that taken away, you’re left with a shallow, shambling, husk of an experience.
Terror Dog Studio’s Ultimate Zombie Defense is out now on Xbox Series and Xbox One. A PS5 version is coming soon. It first launched on PC in 2020. Converted by Ultimate Games.