Xbox 360 game review: Yet Another Zombie Defense
BRAINSSSSS!

Oh noes! An original Zombie-shooet'em-up-game-with-multiple-waves-and-random-weapons-with-dual-joysitck-control! This just barks out "original", but instead of "original" I'm sure in dog speak, it'd sounds more like "oh-ri-ri-roll". Sorry, this is what results from playing one too many zombie games.

In Yet Another Zombie Defense, you're able to choose from nine "unique" weapons to survive as long as you can. I say "unique" because how unique can your anti-zombie arsenal really be especially in this genre? Pistol? Check. Shotgun? It's here. Sub-machine guns? Got it. Flame thrower? Yup. But one notable difference in Yet Another Zombie Defense is the ability to mount these guns onto auto turrets or set up defensive barricades (you know, the same ones you use to keep the in-laws at bay). Though the lack of tutorial on how to actually use the auto-turret would have been nice. The first five or six times, my purchase ended up being an expensive punching (biting?) bag for the zombies.

Okay, who used up all my ketchup?

The auto turret (once you understand how to use them) will come in handy, especially with the wonky controls; the aiming system is mediocre at best. The lack of refinement really kills the game, especially if you're spending $200 per shot for your rocket launcher. A majority of the time, you're strafing around, and spraying your bullets, hoping to blast these zombies. Fortunately, when you do pop off a few rockets to a crowd of zombies, the resulting mass death is rewarding.

Yet Another Zombie Defense features a purchasing system. For every kill you make, you make some money. Occasionally, some zombies drop a few hundred dollars (I never knew zombies were this loaded!) for you to collect. You can use this acquired zombie money to make purchases on guns, refilling ammo, and barricades. When playing with these new upgrades, the lack of noticeable icons signifying what weapon you've equipped can be a little frustrating. In the heat of battle and having to scroll through seven different weapons can be costly.

Blue Light special at Walmart for jeans? I'm so there.

The graphics in Yet Another Zombie Defense is the usual quasi 3-d top down view that is typical of this genre. Set in what looks like a rancor's empty stomach at 3am, you're surrounded by shadows with just one random light pole to provide your only source of light. The player's model seemed a little uninspired and would have benefited with some more polish. I mean, you're only staring at the guy for the entire game. And the lack of variety for zombies--apparently, zombies really love Levi jeans--didn't help create a unique identity.

Yet Another Zombie Defense has some nice sounds (though the shotgun is questionable, almost laughable) and the typical run-of-the-mill zombie-esque Halloween music. Though I find the unvaried zombie groans a little repetitive, and wanting to mute the TV, especially after your sixth wave and are killing about 50+ zombies at a time.

He seems really on the fence about this one... /cricket

For an indie game it's decent, especially for 80 MSpoints (or $1). It has an interesting weapon selection that changes it up with the auto turrets and barricades. Yet Another Zombie Defense is a nice change of pace for the already crowding zombie shooter genre with it's "Tower Defense" twist, but it still lacks some polish to make it a real crowd pleaser.

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