World War Z: A Simple and Satisfying Game

By: Bryce L. Jackson

World War Z is 6 years removed from the 2013 movie of the same name but manages to stand out as its own experience.

Developed by Saber Interactive, the game begins with settings that are from the movie, New York and Jerusalem. The last 2 locations, the developers took some liberties and placed the setting in Russia and Japan Each location has 4 unique characters with different weapon classes and their own unconnected story arcs. It’s a simple “get from point A to point B” mission in each location split into 4 “episodes” aside from the game’s final location in Japan which has 3.

Teamwork is the name of the game as it is in the vein of Left 4 Dead games and mechanically plays like looter-shooters like The Division 2 or Destiny 2’s Strike Missions with either online multiplayer co-op or play solo with the remaining 3 characters controlled by AI. Either play style is fulfilling while coordinating over comms feels typical, the AI is not mindless in regards to the solo player, though they do leave other AI high and dry at times.

The zombie hordes are reminiscent of the movie, down to the iconic wall of zombies. The sheer number of zombies on screen at once is terrifying but a technical wonder as hundreds, if not thousands of zombies rush your defensive position. The game gifts players with various defensive weapons like grenades, turrets, wire barricades and various guns and health items, so facing the mindless hordes don’t feel hopeless.

At the $40 price tag on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the game does provide adequate value for players that may have seen the movie or read the book and want to be in the world and play out the different scenarios. Saber Interactive is releasing free content over the next few months which includes a 4th Tokyo mission, zombie type, and more making its price even more of a bargain.