The game is pretty bloody...like freshly cut sausage; delicious, Italian sausage!

• Game: Zombies 2.0
• Developer: 2.0 Studios
• Price: 240MS Points ($3.00)
• Release Date: 8/22/2009

Zombies 2.0 is one of the many Xbox LIVE Indie Games that features zombies, though I’m sure you could have guessed that from the title. The zombie games I’ve reviewed previously have all been good and Zombies 2.0 keeps the string going; it is another good zombie game. I do have a quick question for all XBL Indie developers though: Why do so many of your games feature either zombies or balls?

Back on topic, Zombies 2.0 is a twin stick shooter similar to games like Smash TV; you move with the left stick, aim with the right stick, and shoot with the right trigger. The gameplay is relatively simple and nothing you haven’t seen before, but the game surrounding this familiar gameplay is something different and unique for the genre.

Zombies 2.0 features three different modes that all play differently. The main mode is called Round mode and it plays like a survival-type game mixed with the upgrade system found in Counter-Strike. The goal of this mode is to protect your base and stay alive at the same time. You gain money each round for killing enemies and can use the money to buy new weapons or upgrade your base. Zombies 2.0 features a decent amount of upgrades, which keeps the mode fresh and interesting; it’s fun trying to see if a different loadout will yield better results.

The other modes are Survival mode and Horde mode. Survival mode is essentially an arcade mode, you don’t deal with the upgrade system and you don’t have to protect a base; you just need to survive as long as possible while grabbing weapon pickups along the way. Horde mode is similar to Round mode, but you are given a set amount of money to spend and you basically only play one round containing several waves of enemies. If you survive every wave then you end up victorious.

Not everything is great in Zombies 2.0, but my complaints don’t take away from the overall experience. The game does skip and pause on some of the menu screens, but that’s not that big of a problem. The music can get a tad repetitive, but I find Zombies 2.0 to be a perfect "podcast game". My main issue is that I’m not a fan of the art style. I find the visuals to be rather bland and generic, but in the end, it doesn’t take away from the core gameplay or overall enjoyment.

Zombies 2.0 is a fun game that offers a decent amount of replayability thanks to the different modes and a leaderboard system. While I don’t enjoy the art style, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the game and that’s saying a lot. Zombies 2.0 costs 240MS points ($3.00) and it delivers a lot of bang for your buck. If you enjoy this style of play, then Zombies 2.0 is definitely worthy of a purchase.

Youtube - XBL Indies: Zombies 2.0 Review