Bloody Zombies

Bloody Zombies, developed by Paw Print Games Ltd. and published by nDreams, is a colorful, chaotic, and unapologetically loud love letter to the classic side-scrolling brawlers of the 1990s. Set in a post-apocalyptic version of London overrun by the undead, the game throws players into the roles of four foul-mouthed survivors—each with their own attitude, accent, and fighting style—tasked with reclaiming the city street by street. It’s a familiar setup, but the presentation and tone immediately set it apart. Bloody Zombies doesn’t take itself seriously for a second. Instead, it embraces its own absurdity, mixing over-the-top cartoon violence with a distinctly British sense of humor, creating a mashup that feels equal parts homage and parody.
The core gameplay revolves around classic beat-’em-up mechanics, offering a straightforward blend of punching, kicking, juggling, and special attacks across a series of ruined urban environments. Combat is weighty and satisfying when it flows, with simple combos that link into larger chains as players learn to read enemy movement. Power-ups, weapons, and environmental interactions add some variation, letting you pick up items like wrenches, katanas, or bats to deal greater damage. There’s a rhythm to the chaos—smashing through waves of undead, launching air combos, and finishing off bosses with brutal final hits—but it’s also easy to fall into repetition after extended play. The combat system, while functional, doesn’t evolve much over time. Once you’ve mastered the basic combo set, most encounters start to blend together, relying more on endurance than strategy.
What keeps the experience engaging is the cooperative element. Bloody Zombies is designed to be played with others—up to four players can join locally or online, with cross-compatibility that even includes VR players. The option to have one player in virtual reality adds a genuinely interesting twist, as the VR user gets a broader view of the battlefield, spotting hidden items or enemies more easily while traditional players brawl from the standard side perspective. In multiplayer, the game finds its rhythm. It’s chaotic, messy, and frequently hilarious, as players juggle zombies into walls, accidentally knock each other off platforms, and argue over who gets the next weapon drop. The cooperative design fosters a kind of slapstick camaraderie that mirrors the best moments of old-school couch gaming. Alone, however, the game loses much of that charm. The pacing feels slower, enemy waves start to drag, and the repetitive attack patterns become more noticeable when you don’t have friends laughing beside you.
Visually, the game embraces a comic-book aesthetic that’s both grimy and vibrant. London is rendered as a ruined playground of crumbling landmarks, flickering neon, and blood-splattered concrete. The art style straddles the line between horror and humor, using exaggerated gore and expressive character animations to maintain a playful tone even in the midst of carnage. The four playable characters—Eddie, Mick, Rei, and Teller—are drawn with sharp personality, from the grizzled veteran to the sarcastic punk, each animated with exaggerated flair. The enemy designs are equally bold, ranging from sluggish zombies to grotesque, mutated monstrosities that look like they were pulled from a dark comic strip. The soundtrack complements the visual chaos with fast-paced rock riffs and grimy industrial beats that perfectly suit the atmosphere of a London gone mad. The audio design, packed with grunts, growls, and splattering hits, adds to the sense of impact even if it occasionally overwhelms the senses.
One of the game’s more interesting aspects is its inclusion of secrets and hidden paths. Certain levels contain destructible walls, concealed rooms, and hidden collectibles that reward players willing to explore beyond the obvious route. It adds a layer of depth to an otherwise linear structure and encourages replayability, particularly for completionists. Unfortunately, this sense of exploration can’t completely mask the game’s uneven pacing. Some stages feel well-designed and dynamic, while others drag on with repeated enemy waves that outstay their welcome. The difficulty also spikes inconsistently, sometimes turning into a grind when too many enemies flood the screen at once. While this fits the old-school arcade feel, it can also be frustrating for solo players who lack the backup that co-op provides.
The controls are generally responsive, though not always as precise as they need to be. Certain moves feel sluggish, and hit detection occasionally misfires, leading to moments of confusion when an attack should connect but doesn’t. It’s never game-breaking, but it contributes to a sense of roughness that runs throughout the experience. The game’s VR support, though more of a novelty than a necessity, deserves credit for creativity. In VR, the cityscape gains depth and spatial presence, giving the player a greater sense of scale and perspective. It’s a clever use of the medium that doesn’t feel forced, even if it doesn’t dramatically alter the gameplay loop.
Ultimately, Bloody Zombies is a game that thrives on energy and attitude rather than depth or polish. It’s not meant to revolutionize the genre—it’s meant to be loud, messy, and fun in short bursts. As a single-player experience, it’s decent but limited, offering a nostalgic romp through a zombie apocalypse that’s more silly than scary. As a multiplayer game, however, it shines, transforming into an anarchic brawler full of laughs, chaos, and endless corpses to smash. It’s the kind of game that knows exactly what it wants to be: a wild, blood-soaked throwback that celebrates the joy of mashing buttons with friends. Bloody Zombies may not reach the mechanical sophistication of the genre’s classics, but its style, humor, and sheer enthusiasm make it a worthy addition to any fan’s co-op library—a reminder that sometimes, a bit of brainless brawling is exactly what the apocalypse calls for.
Rating: 5/10