Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 Review
11 November 2013 | By Emmanuel Brown
Creeping Death - Extended
Given the original only came out around eight months ago, Rebellion’s sequel to their supernatural zombie sniper festival is most unexpected, having popped out of cover just in time to cash in on Halloween and no doubt extend the finances of the studio as they work on Sniper Elite 3. Nazi Zombie Army 2 continues the template laid down by the original almost to a tee, offering a series of corridors and open levels in which to snipe and lay down traps for the incoming hordes, wrapping its premise around the loosest and silliest of plots. It’s still basic and slightly awkward, and it’s still 100% more fun when played with other people.
Trading the Nazi soldiers for those of their undead cousins, Zombie Army 2’s combat takes shape as a series of shooting galleries, sometimes confined and sometimes open, often requesting the gang of four combatants to defend a specific location from assault on multiple sides. Physical barriers block progress until each and every last zombie has been dispatched back to the underworld, and a neat scoring mechanic allows for competition between groups as players vie for the highest tally of grenade kills, headshots and long-range bollock-busters (or the space where they used to be, anyway).
The plot, for those of you that are interested, takes into account Hitler’s plight in the original game, with his ‘Plan Z’ now in full effect and overpowering even his own bunker. In order to put a stop to the undead hordes you’ll need to find three pieces of an ancient artifact stashed away in various hellish locations far removed from the original’s re-used World War II assets, with the majority of the new environments swathed in devilish flames and lit with hues of orange and red.
Just like its predecessor and the original V2 however, the sniping and gunplay mechanics remain largely the same in Zombie Army 2. The go-to weapons are unsurprisingly still a variety of WWII sniper rifles augmented with a steady-aim breathing gauge that recharges during combat, with secondary slots available for a machine gun and pistol. The latter two begin as fairly useless options as each level slowly unfolds, but soon become invaluable for popping groups of zombie heads whenever the shufflers breach defences and begin to swarm your position. A swift kick to the guts will also put them down in a pinch, but that solitary melee attack still lacks the crowd-control utility of alternatives found in the likes of Left 4 Dead, making it a little limp as a last resort.
The planning and trapping aspects of Sniper Elite are also still in full effect here, played up to the maximum in the all-new levels designed specifically for Zombie Army 2. The array of options remain the same, encompassing two types of grenade, trip-wire explosives and dynamite. Working as a team to successfully booby trap a location and take down swathes of shuffling zombies is a satisfying experience when a well-thought-out plan comes together, and the frantic corridor-clearing when things fall apart is just as frustrating or enjoyable depending on your luck. And Rebellion obviously knows its onions regarding the elements players responded to best the first time around, as the level design in the sequel is far more accommodating. Siege locations are more prevalent with numerous cover spots and opportunities for funnelling the undead into carefully-laid traps, whilst machinegun ammo is found with a greater frequency, enabling more of those last-gasp firefights or desperate runs to revive a colleague. The range of special zombies are also augmented by a couple of new additions to the mix, with a fiery, fast-moving variety proving particularly tricky and the “summoner” constantly resurrecting fallen foes unless you take him out.
It’s also very much still the case that if you’re playing Nazi Zombie Army 2 alone, then you’re in for a pretty dull experience. Despite the additions, the extended waves of enemies and narrow shooting galleries can still become a frustrating slog in singleplayer. In four-player co-op however, Rebellion’s title sputters to life with a satisfying blend of preparation and on-the-fly tactics, made all the better when you have to backtrack or wade into a crowd in order to help up a tardy or over-confident comrade. Being part of a well-oiled four-player sniping team is a huge amount of fun, and even the chaotic mess of an incompatible unit is good for a giggle while it lasts.
As cynical as it might be to release a quick follow-up to a third-person shooter in one of the most populated thematic genres of the last generation then, Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2 is nonetheless another diverting exercise in brainless co-op action. It’s worthy of a look if you’ve not dabbled in the delights of the original, but anybody looking for a full-on sequel will likely be disappointed. Even so, if you can pick it up on the cheap then Nazi Zombie Army 2 contains enough new content to while away a good few hours popping skulls and frantically laying down traps.
Trading the Nazi soldiers for those of their undead cousins, Zombie Army 2’s combat takes shape as a series of shooting galleries, sometimes confined and sometimes open, often requesting the gang of four combatants to defend a specific location from assault on multiple sides. Physical barriers block progress until each and every last zombie has been dispatched back to the underworld, and a neat scoring mechanic allows for competition between groups as players vie for the highest tally of grenade kills, headshots and long-range bollock-busters (or the space where they used to be, anyway).
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| My local Tesco has gone downhill |
The plot, for those of you that are interested, takes into account Hitler’s plight in the original game, with his ‘Plan Z’ now in full effect and overpowering even his own bunker. In order to put a stop to the undead hordes you’ll need to find three pieces of an ancient artifact stashed away in various hellish locations far removed from the original’s re-used World War II assets, with the majority of the new environments swathed in devilish flames and lit with hues of orange and red.
Just like its predecessor and the original V2 however, the sniping and gunplay mechanics remain largely the same in Zombie Army 2. The go-to weapons are unsurprisingly still a variety of WWII sniper rifles augmented with a steady-aim breathing gauge that recharges during combat, with secondary slots available for a machine gun and pistol. The latter two begin as fairly useless options as each level slowly unfolds, but soon become invaluable for popping groups of zombie heads whenever the shufflers breach defences and begin to swarm your position. A swift kick to the guts will also put them down in a pinch, but that solitary melee attack still lacks the crowd-control utility of alternatives found in the likes of Left 4 Dead, making it a little limp as a last resort.
The planning and trapping aspects of Sniper Elite are also still in full effect here, played up to the maximum in the all-new levels designed specifically for Zombie Army 2. The array of options remain the same, encompassing two types of grenade, trip-wire explosives and dynamite. Working as a team to successfully booby trap a location and take down swathes of shuffling zombies is a satisfying experience when a well-thought-out plan comes together, and the frantic corridor-clearing when things fall apart is just as frustrating or enjoyable depending on your luck. And Rebellion obviously knows its onions regarding the elements players responded to best the first time around, as the level design in the sequel is far more accommodating. Siege locations are more prevalent with numerous cover spots and opportunities for funnelling the undead into carefully-laid traps, whilst machinegun ammo is found with a greater frequency, enabling more of those last-gasp firefights or desperate runs to revive a colleague. The range of special zombies are also augmented by a couple of new additions to the mix, with a fiery, fast-moving variety proving particularly tricky and the “summoner” constantly resurrecting fallen foes unless you take him out.
 |
| That’ll be a tricky shot with a sniper rifle |
It’s also very much still the case that if you’re playing Nazi Zombie Army 2 alone, then you’re in for a pretty dull experience. Despite the additions, the extended waves of enemies and narrow shooting galleries can still become a frustrating slog in singleplayer. In four-player co-op however, Rebellion’s title sputters to life with a satisfying blend of preparation and on-the-fly tactics, made all the better when you have to backtrack or wade into a crowd in order to help up a tardy or over-confident comrade. Being part of a well-oiled four-player sniping team is a huge amount of fun, and even the chaotic mess of an incompatible unit is good for a giggle while it lasts.
As cynical as it might be to release a quick follow-up to a third-person shooter in one of the most populated thematic genres of the last generation then, Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2 is nonetheless another diverting exercise in brainless co-op action. It’s worthy of a look if you’ve not dabbled in the delights of the original, but anybody looking for a full-on sequel will likely be disappointed. Even so, if you can pick it up on the cheap then Nazi Zombie Army 2 contains enough new content to while away a good few hours popping skulls and frantically laying down traps.
SNIPER ELITE: NAZI ZOMBIE ARMY 2 VERDICT
As cynical as it might be to release a quick follow-up to a third-person shooter in one of the most populated thematic genres of the last generation then, Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2 is nonetheless another diverting exercise in brainless co-op action. It’s worthy of a look if you’ve not dabbled in the delights of the original, but anybody looking for a full-on sequel will likely be disappointed. Even so, if you can pick it up on the cheap then Nazi Zombie Army 2 contains enough new content to while away a good few hours popping skulls and frantically laying down traps.
TOP GAME MOMENT
Home Alone with dynamite.
