World War Z: Aftermath is not an entirely new game; it’s a repackaging of last year’s excellent co-operative zombie shooter, with new locations, weapons, character classes and gameplay mechanics added in. But the biggest addition to this package – and one that warrants a repeat playthrough – is the addition of an immersive first-person mode that makes all the zombie slaughter feel even more visceral.
If you haven’t heard of or played this game before, here’s a quick primer. WWZ is based on the eponymous Brad Pitt film, which was in-turn based on a graphic novel. It is a four-player co-operative survival shooter, much like Valve’s Left 4 Dead series, where you and three other people have to survive a zombie apocalypse. Your team travels the globe, surviving all sorts of grizzly encounters with the undead horde through different scenarios. Nearly every level culminates in some grand set piece, where zombies literally pour out from every inch of the map, accosting you and your crew by the thousands. It’s a pretty visceral experience, made even better thanks to co-op play.
But if you don’t have three friends to play with, you can always turn to matchmaking or fill the lobby up with bots. The bots in this game are fairly competent and will not only hold their ground (most of the time), but will even rush to your rescue should you succumb. The only issue with the AI-controlled partners is that they absolutely do not help with any objectives, be it flipping switches or lugging stuff around. Bad bots!
You can play through the campaign as a myriad of different architypes, from run-and-gun tanks, to a mid-range sniper-esque character, to a medic who can heal the entire team. The XP you earn from killing zombies can be used to unlock various skills for your character, eventually making them an absolute badass. Using a particular weapon will even allow you to fully kit it out with faster reloading, improved scopes for better range, extended mags, and more.
With Aftermath, you get all of WWZ’s content till date and the new first person perspective – and that is a huge gameplay bonus. In fact, replaying some of the maps from a different perspective felt fresh and far more immersive. Sadly, the game doesn’t allow you to ADS (aim down sight) in the conventional sense, but that really isn’t a big deal. Another great addition to this bundle comes in the form of two new classes and two new campaign maps, which offers a significant amount of content. The new classes will change how you play the game as one has a drone by their side that can dish out additional damage, while the other can literally charge through a horde using an electrified shield.
The one thing that players might want to be wary of is the addition of a new enemy in the form of a lethal rat swarm. This swarm is somehow resistant to bullets and fire, making it an absolute nightmare to deal with. Thankfully the developers have acknowledged this issue and should be nerfing these bloody rats soon enough.
Once you’re done with the campaign, definitely try out this game’s underrated multiplayer modes. Aftermath ships with conventional PVP game modes, but now instead of just capturing a flag or killing opponents, you’ll have to be vigilant as and when a massive horde runs through the map. What seemed like a tacked-on mode is surprisingly well thought out, with balanced classes and a ton of unlocks to work toward.
If you’ve been craving some co-operative zombie action, World War Z: Aftermath is perfect for you and three of your friends. There’s more than enough content to play through, especially if this is your first time, and even if it’s not, the new first-person perspective makes it feel all-new.
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