Infection: Zombies for iPhone Review: Turn the Tables and be a Zombie!

App Name:	Infection: Zombies
Platforms:	iPhone/iPod Touch
Publisher(s):	Magic Cube
Version Reviewed:	1.0
Genre(s):	zombies
Release Date:	June 25, 2010

If I download any more zombie games on my iPhone it will soon become more appropriate to call it my “zPhone.”

As you’ve likely noticed, the zombie trend isn’t going away. But with Infection: Zombies from developer Magic Cube, we get to play as the zombie this time, with the humans being our prey. It’s a clever twist on the worn-out genre, and if you can get past some clumsy packaging and slight frustrations in the gameplay, Infection: Zombies will keep your undead brain entertained for quite some time.

It’s quite simple. Set out on the campaign and your screen is quickly filled with a landscape populated with tasty humans. You are the zombie at the center of the screen. Play the game as Micky, Mary, or Hunk. Each has his or own strengths in regards to things like power and speed, and your choice should depend on the course you’ll take with upgrades.

Things start out at a nice and slow pace. You’ll easily clear the first few levels and achieve some upgrades before things get difficult. Clearing each stage consists of turning every human into a zombie (or, alternatively, eating them, which takes longer but provides a big health boost).

If you choose to opt away from the on-screen joystick, the controls combine touch and tilt mechanics. Your zombie’s walking path is determined by how you tilt the device, and when you come in contact with a human, either let the zombie chomp away or tap the button in the bottom right of the corner to infect and go on your way. The health boost rewarded when a character is completely eaten is sometimes necessary, but you probably won’t get too far into the levels if you don’t make it a priority to turn as many as you can into zombies. This way, the zombified characters will walk around and help you do your work, while you focus on dodging bullets from police officers and infecting anyone else in your region.

A monetary reward at the end of each stage allows you to splurge on upgrades. These will improve attributes like speed, damage, health, armor, and endurance. Pairing your style of zombie-play with your chosen upgrades promises the best results out on the battlefield. With the introduction of new humans with different strengths and weaknesses, it’s quickly obvious that planning and executing is the only way to go. Some carry chainsaws, baseball bats, or guns, and too much damage to your zombie results in a disoriented state that makes him hard to control and puts you at risk of death.

There is a lot to like about Infection: Zombies, but the whole package could be far more slick and enticing. The tutorials and introductory screens are written in poor English and immediately instill some unease about what’s to come . . . While the variation in gameplay modes is a nice addition, the experience provided by campaign, survival, and blitz modes are all close enough that focusing on one is enough. Lastly, some glitches during gameplay sometimes result in your zombie getting cornered or bashed around by humans in a way that makes him trapped with no way out. Needless to say, this is a frustration that can quickly make you want to shut down the app and move on to the next zombie game in your queue.

But there’s no doubt that developer Magic Cube has successfully turned the tables in the zombie v. human war. The fun had by traipsing around, arms outstretched, looking for some human flesh is long-lasting and will keep bringing you back. So next time you get ticked off because you keep losing in COD: Zombies or Pro Zombie Soccer, just join the other team and see what it’s like to do the infecting for awhile. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Our Score: 4/5

Infection: Zombies is $0.99 at the time of this review.

About the Author

Devin Wieland

 

Best Free Apps of the Day!