- Joined
- Mar 18, 2003
- Messages
- 17,746
- Reaction score
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Zombies. As gamers, we've seen just about every kind possible. From Half-Life
2's "fasties" that are practically a blur before they're in your face, to
Doom 3's traditional shuffling hordes; there isn't a flesh colour, bone size
or brain preference that we haven't encountered. [br]
[br]
And Zombie Master doesn't try to break this mould - All your favourite zombies
return in the usual stench of rotting flesh. Fans of the genre rejoice, then. The
classic multiplayer gameplay is also intact; which means teaming up with your best
friends to smite your oppressors back to hell (or just shivering in a corner with
a shotgun raised to the door). [br]
[br]
So what is it that makes Zombie Master so special? It's not exactly the first
multiplayer mod to pitch players against a mass of computer controlled zombies.
Although, the thing is, they're not exactly "computer controlled". [br]
[br]
You've guessed it by now, haven't you? That's right; you can take the title
"Zombie Master" literally. When you're fighting an ongoing plague of undead,
you're not just blasting at individual targets, you're shooting tiny chunks
of a huge entity; the Zombie Master. One player is commanding the masses, ordering
them to attack, to retreat, to stumble towards you or to wait in that dark alley,
until the time is right. [br]
[br]
When I was given the opportunity to take up the rotting gauntlet of ZM myself, the
very first thing I did was display a malicious, evil laugh over general chat to
dishearten all the fools that were trying to take me on. After all, if you have
the dead themselves at your fingertips, you might as well play the part! [br]
[br]
But when I did get stuck in, I found it extremely hard to prise myself away. The
interface is so easy to play with; it's almost exactly like C&C, or any other
RTS game out there. You fly through the map as a spectator, commanding the zombies
by simply selecting them and clicking where you want them to go. To yank some more
from their graves, all you have to do is click on one of the convenient spawn points
littered around the maps, select which type of zombie you want, and then send them
into the fray- although it costs you. Naturally, the more players you kill, the
more resources you'll be able to spend on your army. It's a system that just
seamlessly works. [br]
[br]
It's also incredibly simple to learn. At the time I was able to play, there were
only three zombie types; fast, standard and hulk. If you've ever played the Ravenholm
levels from Half-Life 2, you should already be acquainted with these; the standard
zombie lumbers around, bashing into things and swinging at anything with a pulse,
while the fast zombie is quick and agile and able to jump from rooftop to rooftop
with a click of the mouse. The hulk is the complete opposite; slow and idiotic,
it can take immense amounts of bullets and still knock people over with its devastating
lunge. [br]
[br]
A true master will quickly adapt to use all three of these effectively, learning
that beneath the simplicity there's room for intricate tactics. The test map I
played contained an open street with dark alleys and intimidating architecture,
with a house at the back where players can set up a defence. A particularly favourite
tactic of mine was to send a few fasties out in the open as cannon fodder- and while
my prey wasted bullets, I sent hulks stumbling into the house at the back. Once
they were suitably hidden, I created a few more fasties and started pounding the
players, forcing them to retreat into the house- before surrounding all the exits.
I zoomed in close, face-to-face, watching them realise their mistake. Watching them
panic. Watching them die. It's a hugely satisfying moment to trample over your
enemies in such a bold, glorious move. [br]
[br]
But when you're reluctantly snatched away from your throne and placed back on
the solid ground, Zombie Master suddenly becomes a whole new game. The very people
you were trying to defeat are now your trusted allies; and if you don't stick
together and plan as a team, you'll all perish. After all, unlike any other zombie
game you may have played, where players can outsmart the AI by perching themselves
somewhere out of reach- there's always someone watching you in Zombie Master.
This means a back entrance to exploit, a space for a fastie to leap onto or a crate
that can be smashed- all of which a computer would blindly overlook. It's safe
to say that Zombie Master will make you permanently paranoid. [br]
[br]
"It bridges the gap between horror films, and actually physically being killed
by a crazed lunatic on your way home," boasts mapper FarrowLeSparrow. "The feature
people most get excited about are the manipulates. They give the zombie master a
certain control, almost dynamic power over the map on which they're playing. I don't
want to spoil anything, but in the hands of a true master and a good mapper, the
manipulates will leave you not just on the edge of your seat, but cowering under
your bed." [br]
[br]
And it's not just the zombie master who can influence the map - the other players
can try the old hands on approach. The Half-Life 2 engine is stretched to it's
full potential while players haul crates, chairs tables and anything else remotely
stackable into sturdy barricades. Unfortunately, the most defendable locations are
also the most dangerous - certain types of zombie are fully aware that "what goes
up", must be smashed out of the way if brains are going to be on the menu, and
you certainly wouldn't want to be left with no escape route if you have the undead
pouring into your sanctuary. Presently this cowardly tactic is endorsed by the survival
based maps, but some will boast human objectives, where players will be urged to
abandon their barricades and fight their way to a certain zombie infested position.
[br]
[br]
Zombie Master may only be in its early stages, but it's already a fully enjoyable
game without the steaming pile of weapons, zombies, maps and ideas that are yet
to be weaved into the blood-stained fabric. With the way it's starting to look,
ZM is going to be one of the greatest Zombie mods ever conceived - and it's
not even breaching copyright or intellectual property laws!
2's "fasties" that are practically a blur before they're in your face, to
Doom 3's traditional shuffling hordes; there isn't a flesh colour, bone size
or brain preference that we haven't encountered. [br]
[br]
And Zombie Master doesn't try to break this mould - All your favourite zombies
return in the usual stench of rotting flesh. Fans of the genre rejoice, then. The
classic multiplayer gameplay is also intact; which means teaming up with your best
friends to smite your oppressors back to hell (or just shivering in a corner with
a shotgun raised to the door). [br]
[br]
So what is it that makes Zombie Master so special? It's not exactly the first
multiplayer mod to pitch players against a mass of computer controlled zombies.
Although, the thing is, they're not exactly "computer controlled". [br]
[br]
You've guessed it by now, haven't you? That's right; you can take the title
"Zombie Master" literally. When you're fighting an ongoing plague of undead,
you're not just blasting at individual targets, you're shooting tiny chunks
of a huge entity; the Zombie Master. One player is commanding the masses, ordering
them to attack, to retreat, to stumble towards you or to wait in that dark alley,
until the time is right. [br]
[br]
When I was given the opportunity to take up the rotting gauntlet of ZM myself, the
very first thing I did was display a malicious, evil laugh over general chat to
dishearten all the fools that were trying to take me on. After all, if you have
the dead themselves at your fingertips, you might as well play the part! [br]
[br]
But when I did get stuck in, I found it extremely hard to prise myself away. The
interface is so easy to play with; it's almost exactly like C&C, or any other
RTS game out there. You fly through the map as a spectator, commanding the zombies
by simply selecting them and clicking where you want them to go. To yank some more
from their graves, all you have to do is click on one of the convenient spawn points
littered around the maps, select which type of zombie you want, and then send them
into the fray- although it costs you. Naturally, the more players you kill, the
more resources you'll be able to spend on your army. It's a system that just
seamlessly works. [br]
[br]
It's also incredibly simple to learn. At the time I was able to play, there were
only three zombie types; fast, standard and hulk. If you've ever played the Ravenholm
levels from Half-Life 2, you should already be acquainted with these; the standard
zombie lumbers around, bashing into things and swinging at anything with a pulse,
while the fast zombie is quick and agile and able to jump from rooftop to rooftop
with a click of the mouse. The hulk is the complete opposite; slow and idiotic,
it can take immense amounts of bullets and still knock people over with its devastating
lunge. [br]
[br]
A true master will quickly adapt to use all three of these effectively, learning
that beneath the simplicity there's room for intricate tactics. The test map I
played contained an open street with dark alleys and intimidating architecture,
with a house at the back where players can set up a defence. A particularly favourite
tactic of mine was to send a few fasties out in the open as cannon fodder- and while
my prey wasted bullets, I sent hulks stumbling into the house at the back. Once
they were suitably hidden, I created a few more fasties and started pounding the
players, forcing them to retreat into the house- before surrounding all the exits.
I zoomed in close, face-to-face, watching them realise their mistake. Watching them
panic. Watching them die. It's a hugely satisfying moment to trample over your
enemies in such a bold, glorious move. [br]
[br]
But when you're reluctantly snatched away from your throne and placed back on
the solid ground, Zombie Master suddenly becomes a whole new game. The very people
you were trying to defeat are now your trusted allies; and if you don't stick
together and plan as a team, you'll all perish. After all, unlike any other zombie
game you may have played, where players can outsmart the AI by perching themselves
somewhere out of reach- there's always someone watching you in Zombie Master.
This means a back entrance to exploit, a space for a fastie to leap onto or a crate
that can be smashed- all of which a computer would blindly overlook. It's safe
to say that Zombie Master will make you permanently paranoid. [br]
[br]
"It bridges the gap between horror films, and actually physically being killed
by a crazed lunatic on your way home," boasts mapper FarrowLeSparrow. "The feature
people most get excited about are the manipulates. They give the zombie master a
certain control, almost dynamic power over the map on which they're playing. I don't
want to spoil anything, but in the hands of a true master and a good mapper, the
manipulates will leave you not just on the edge of your seat, but cowering under
your bed." [br]
[br]
And it's not just the zombie master who can influence the map - the other players
can try the old hands on approach. The Half-Life 2 engine is stretched to it's
full potential while players haul crates, chairs tables and anything else remotely
stackable into sturdy barricades. Unfortunately, the most defendable locations are
also the most dangerous - certain types of zombie are fully aware that "what goes
up", must be smashed out of the way if brains are going to be on the menu, and
you certainly wouldn't want to be left with no escape route if you have the undead
pouring into your sanctuary. Presently this cowardly tactic is endorsed by the survival
based maps, but some will boast human objectives, where players will be urged to
abandon their barricades and fight their way to a certain zombie infested position.
[br]
[br]
Zombie Master may only be in its early stages, but it's already a fully enjoyable
game without the steaming pile of weapons, zombies, maps and ideas that are yet
to be weaved into the blood-stained fabric. With the way it's starting to look,
ZM is going to be one of the greatest Zombie mods ever conceived - and it's
not even breaching copyright or intellectual property laws!
