What really sets Stubbs apart from a lot of the other games
I’ve played recently is the ambiance in the game. Wideload really nailed down the look and feel
of the game. The entire game is seen
through a sepia tone like glaze and the art direction in the game is
perfect. Punchbowl really does feel like
a 1950’s utopian city, from the robots that inhabit the city to the music to
various technologies of the future that are around the game. Wideload also did a nice job with the load
screens where a group of zombines moan in the background with the groans
reaching a crescendo as the level is loaded.
Graphically the game looks great, probably a little better
than Halo 2 but not by too much. There
are a lot of nice graphical touches (Stubbs has suffered a bit of rot while he
was taking his dirt nap and you can see through sections of him) and the haze
over the screen adds a nice touch to the game.
Animations in the game are excellent and smooth. Wideload did an excellent job of coming up
with the perfect movements for Stubbs.
From this standard shamble to the shamble sprint Stubbs looks and move
exactly as you would expect him to.
Game play is a bit on the slow side. While Stubbs can pick up the pace if he runs
in one direction for a period of time most of the game is spent in second
gear. This can be frustrating at times
when you are getting picked off at a distance and you have used all your long
range weapons and you don’t have any other zombies to help you out.
Another great thing about the game is the sense of humor
that Wideload imbued into the game. From
the dialog in the game to all the 1950’s chic through out the game you’d be
hard pressed to make it through any of the levels without a few guffaws and
there are actually some genuinely funny moments in the game. Sure there are a few moments that fall a
little flat (including a dance off that kind of comes out of no where) but
you’ll have a hard time not cracking a grin while you play the game.
The real negative to the game is that the game is painfully
short. If you really explore the entire
game you’ll still complete the game in well under ten hours. There is a co-op mode which allows you to
play through the game in split screen mode but once you’re completed the game
there isn’t a lot to be gained by going back through the game unless you need a
good laugh.
Normally I would recommend just renting a game that is this
short but Stubbs the Zombie is one
of those rare games that every gamer should have in their collection. I say
this because it’s a solid fun game and the folks at Wideload deserve your
ducats so they can continue to develop new and innovative games.
B- | While a bit on the short side, Stubbs is an example of the innovation we need to see more of in the gaming industry. It’s not a perfect game but it is certainly one of the funniest, entertaining games to come out in the last year or two. |
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