Zombie Highway, a survival driving game from Renderpaz, is now available from the app store. With a multitude of zombies trying to take down you and your non-descript black SUV (and they WILL succeed), one question looms large: how long can you stave off the inevitable?
Zombie Highway Pros:
- Terrific 3D graphics
- Crisp sound effects
- Intuitive controls
- Multiple weapons and multiple zombie types
- Global leaderboards
- Addictive gameplay
Zombie Highway Cons:
- No difficulty settings
- No achievement system
Zombie Highway has a single endless game mode and no difficulty levels. You speed down a deserted highway in a barren wasteland littered with a shocking number of flipped-over vehicles and populated by leaping zombies bent on turning little ol’ you into one o’ them. Steering is controlled by tilting your device. As you weave in and out of the metal maze, hitchhiking zombies fling themselves at your vehicle. There are 7 types of zombies, including fat zombies that really throw off the weight distribution and regenerating zombies, whose health can replenish if you don’t pick them off quickly. If you manage to keep your distance, they’ll fall harmlessly shy, often getting run over in the process. Those that are close enough will cling to the side of your SUV and attempt to rock you into flipping your car or T-boning a vehicular skeleton.
There are two proven methods of relieving yourself of the undead’s unwanted presence. The first is to sideswipe the braineaters against other vehicles. The second is to employ your buddy’s help from the backseat. With a mini-arsenal of up to three weapons (from a total of 8 unlockable firearms), his help will quickly become critical. There is a limited supply of ammo, so be sure to use it wisely. The game tracks how many miles you are able to travel before you come to a sudden stop. Most games will end within the first couple of miles as the overaggressive crazies can be difficult to shake. It appears that the developers managed to get into the 5-mile range, though we’ve just barely been able to crack the 3-mile mark.
The 3D graphics look terrific, almost cinematic in their presentation. The discarded vehicles vary in size and shape, adding nice variety. The car’s physics seem pretty realistic, too. The zombies have health bars above their heads, so you can tell which ones may only require a single shot or bump to disengage and which ones will require a more concentrated effort. Watching there bloodied bodies get ripped from your running boards is a very satisfying sight. The audio is terrific, too. Though there is no musical soundtrack, the sound effects are crisp and realistic. Screeching tires, metal-on-metal crashing, gunshots, engine sputtering, and more add a lot of substance to an already stylish offering. The tilt controls feel pretty tight, and the tap-to-shoot mechanic works well, with red indicators along the screen edge so that you can choose which zombie to shoot. Tapping the weapon indicator in the lower right corner pauses the game to allow you to switch weapons. A mileage counter in the upper left corner gives you feedback on how far you’ve gone.
Replay value is outstanding, as the desire to best our previous score is very strong. Zombie Highway employs its own global leaderboard, which appears after crashing to inform you of your rank out of all players (both global and Facebook friends), as well as the best daily score. Facebook and Twitter integration allow you to brag about your best drives. The game loads quickly and restarting is almost instantaneous. We had a very hard time putting this one down to write the review. At $0.99, we expect this 5-Dimple gem to nestle into a cozy place atop the app store charts.
