The Zombies Are Coming
With over one million downloads, Sniper Zombies is one of the most successful shooters for Android. Combining elements of games such as Silent Scope and Sniper Elite, VNG Game Studios has crafted a simple yet enjoyable experience.
The apocalypse is upon us, and the flesh-eaters have invaded and taken over. It’s up to you (some guy with a rifle) to blast their heads apart with an assortment of high-caliber weaponry.
The game starts with a tutorial where the player eliminates a wandering zombie, stopping it from entering your shelter. Several different scenarios then transpire for each corresponding level. Some will see you saving citizens, and others will have you blasting geriatric zombies, fresh from the nursing home. No matter the theme presented, the basic underlying gameplay remains the same: aim, zoom in, and fire!
Blood and Bullets and Rifles, Oh My
As you progress through various levels, you’ll have the opportunity to earn cash points and upgrade your weaponry. You’ll also learn some fun skills, such as Time Shift. This allows you to manipulate time, slowing down the faster zombies and making those coveted headshots more accessible. The ability is limited to a meter that needs to be refilled, rendering overuse. But I had a great time implementing some cool bullet-time with this feature.
The in-game map is used to navigate your way through infested areas, allowing you to choose main missions or side quests. Your weaponry isn’t limited to sniper rifles. The player will reach a point where he switches his rifle out, introducing close-combat automatic weapons such as the MP5.
I enjoyed the level changes because the game could only continue so long without becoming stale. Just when gameplay became repetitive, as fun at it is, I was introduced to the run-and-gun switch-up. It’s mostly the same scenarios, but you’re at street level, inflicting some close-up slaughtering.
Where Are the Bosses?
My one big gripe is the lack of bosses. There are none whatsoever in the game, and levels blend together almost endlessly. Even though the mechanics are enjoyable, I wish there were definitive breaks in the level design. The positives outweigh the negatives, however, and I found myself spending hours with Sniper Zombie. It ran smoothly on my phone, with quick load times and fluid gameplay. I’d compare the graphics to the PS2 era of gaming. But I feel they could’ve bumped the graphics to PS3 level without much of a downgrade in performance. I guess we’ll never know.
Sniper Zombies is an enjoyable game for anyone looking to blast the undead with high caliber weaponry. The gameplay is mindless and doesn’t require much thinking, but that’s part of its charm. It’s free on the Play Store, so why not give it a look?
Is it Hardcore?
Yes, kind of
Work your way through a zombie apocalypse, sniping zombies from a distant vantage point. Don’t expect to test your skills against any bosses, though.
