• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

ZombiU |OT| Zombi Emergency! WiiU WiiU WiiU WiiU

I have two concerns about this game, both entirely personal

1 - I don't want it to be too full of 'jump' scares. Not a big fan

2 - lack of ammo and too much reliance on headshots. I'm a crap aim with analog sticks and requiring headshots all the time can get frustrating. I'd actually like to see some console games try out the motion-assisted aiming like in Uncharted on vita, I really liked that and it should work with WiU and PS3.

Seems like you'll be using melee weapons more than guns.
 

D-e-f-

Banned
I have two concerns about this game, both entirely personal

1 - I don't want it to be too full of 'jump' scares. Not a big fan

2 - lack of ammo and too much reliance on headshots. I'm a crap aim with analog sticks and requiring headshots all the time can get frustrating. I'd actually like to see some console games try out the motion-assisted aiming like in Uncharted on vita, I really liked that and it should work with WiU and PS3.

1) No way to say one way or the other but there definitely are traditional jump scares in the game. There is a randomized element to them though apparently. Not entirely sure how that works at this point.

2) If you read a few posts above you, you'll see how someone points out that headshots are not a cure-all solution in this game. You can shoot of part of the head and the zombie may still keep trudging on. It should provide more useful to take out their legs or possibly even avoiding the usage of firearms in general since the noise will attract more zombies. Keep a melee weapon close!

I thought zombiu had the motion assist aiming.

Gyro aiming is only for crossbow/sniper and other zoomed-in weapóns.
 
I thought zombiu had the motion assist aiming.

The first demo had ridiculous aim assist. It would snap you to a zombie from 2 meters away, but the last build I played (last month) didn't have it, or at least nowhere near as bad.

The controls have been improved a lot, aiming is much more direct and I guess that's why the aim assist was taken out or dialed down.


..Edit: Oh, sorry, motion assist, no that's just for the scoped weapons, and scanner.
 
So what's the purpose of the OP In an OT

I don't know. Some people have weird hang ups about the info that is presented. I think all OTs should just have a picture or something. A race flag for racing games, maybe a warning zombies ahead sign for this. etc... etc... etc...
 
Have people talked about the most impressive balsy feature of an already balsy game?

Headshots arent completely effective! I personally love it, it goes against every zombie trope and it makes them truly formidable enemies even to more experienced players.

From what I've seen so far I think that you might need to sever the brain stem, at the neck, to put down a zombie with one shot. Which is going to be very cool if that's the case!
 

D-e-f-

Banned
From what I've seen so far I think that you might need to sever the brain stem, at the neck, to put down a zombie with one shot. Which is going to be very cool if that's the case!

Whoa that's very detailed. Did you notice that during hands-on sessions or in videos? If so do you have a specific video link?

I know you can partially dismember the head so I think that may play a part in that since you could argue that a zombie may be able to keep functioning even with half a brain :D
 
Noticed it whilst watching videos, if it does work out like that then neck shots severing the brain stem are going to be a great deal more difficult to pull off than headshots! Of course, I could be mistaken but it would be a great design choice.
 

Drago

Member
So, will there be ANY reviews or quick looks of the final copy before the 18th?

I may pick it up at launch, but I don't want to go into this blindly.
 

ElRenoRaven

Member
So, will there be ANY reviews or quick looks of the final copy before the 18th?

I may pick it up at launch, but I don't want to go into this blindly.

Didn't someone say that the embargo on reviews etc were the 13th? I could swear someone did.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Didn't someone say that the embargo on reviews etc were the 13th? I could swear someone did.

IGN originally had their review set for the 13th, then moved it back to the 18th. Supposedly though the embargo for ZombiU ends on the 15th.
 

jerd

Member
Übermatik;44237179 said:

Wait, they do don't they? You start with a new character so I thought it was always implied that your aim, reload speed, etc were reset upon death.
 

Poyunch

Member
That's right. Though if you kill the Zombie that killed you then you can get back any upgraded weapons. So it's not quite square one.

Isn't there a difference between upgraded weapons and upgraded stats? Could have sworn someone said something like this. Pretty sure the user was talking about the latter.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Isn't there a difference between upgraded weapons and upgraded stats? Could have sworn someone said something like this. Pretty sure the user was talking about the latter.

Yes there is a difference. Stats stay with the character, while weapons/items can be scavenged off his/her dead zombie body.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Updated my summary a bit.

Mission Design / Story
- It is not truly open world, nor entirely free travel. Instead, there are several levels/zones connected by sewers and other exits.
- You can move between levels/zones via sewers, and these exit points.
- There is no singular protagonist. You instead embody various randomly generated 'survivors'.
- These survivors are lead through the 'story' by four characters, communicating via radio and such. These characters drive the story, irrespective of what survivor you're playing as.
- These four core characters give the survivors missions/tasks that take place in the aforementioned zones, such as collecting objects and presumably killing shit. I assume we will visit zones multiple times.
- There is some kind of end game to work towards, following the missions.

Survivors / Abilities
- No singular protagonist = new survivor on each death.
- Survivors can upgrade weapon proficiencies and effectiveness by using said weapons often, think The Elder Scrolls.
- Weapons can be modified/upgrades for better damage, accuracy, etc by finding loot/goodies scattered throughout zones.
- If a survivor dies, they will take with them their weapon proficiencies and equipment. New survivor starts from scratch, story continues regardless.
- Zombified survivors exist within their respective zones, and can be killed to retrieve old equipment.
- Equipment can be stored in various safe houses by one survivor, and collected by other survivors (should the original survivor die).
- Changes made to zones are persistent. If one survivor unlocks a door, then dies, other survivors will find that door unlocked.
- Some degree of random generation to encounters and surprises in zones, ensuring not every survivor entering a zone will experience the same game.

Controls / Interactivity
- Basic controls not unlike any other dual analogue shooter. Move with one stick, aim with the other, shoot with buttons.
- Main TV screen represents your wider, first person view. GamePad represents intricate, focused view. Appears to emulate the difficulty of splitting your attention between the 'big picture' and smaller, fiddly stuff.
- Examples of the above: sorting through your backpack, picking locks, hitting switches, etc all take place on the GamePad.
- No ability to pause demands micromanagement between GamePad functions and using the big screen to continually observe your surroundings. EG: While picking a lock on the pad you will need to check the big screen to see if zombies are approaching, diverting attention between the two.
- Most weapon aiming appears on the main screen. Scoped weapons use GamePad for aiming, and gyro controls, to simulate a separate 'looking down a scope' perspective.
- Kill and eat rats and ravens for health. Risk of animal carrying plague/virus that depletes health instead.
- Use hammer + planks to barricade doors. Hammer also used for removing planks to access new areas.
- Pick up and read newspapers, magazines, etc.

Social Networking
- Social networking features, not unlike those found in Demon's/Dark Souls.
- Able to create and leave icon/image based messages in zones. These can be discovered/read by your own survivors, and will also be randomly uploaded to other games, appearing in another players zone.
- Zones will occasionally download zombified survivors from someone else's game, placing them in your own zones, with the equipment the other player lost.
- Downloaded zombified survivors will display a survivor score, allowing you to gauge their skill.
- Leaderboards and stat tracking allow you to view your various survivors and their performance, and compare them to others online.

Single/Multi Modes
- Normal campaign allows for infinite survivors.
- A true survivor mode, unlocked by beating the above, grants you only one survivor to finish the game with. Die and you have to start from the very beginning of the 'story' again.
- Various local (not social networking) multiplayer modes, including one where a player using the GamePad plays the game like an RTS, controlling zombie types and spawn points on the map for other players to combat.
 

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
- Kill and eat rats and ravens for health. Risk of animal carrying plague/virus that depletes health instead.

- Pick up and read newspapers, magazines, etc.

brilliant stuff, EatChildren

I so love these details. i hope there are a lot of magazines to read because I'll hunt them all
 

Roo

Member
Have they said anything about how you will save your game?
I knew pauses weren't allowed and there are no checkpoints to be seen but what about saving your game? Maybe you can do it in panic rooms/safe houses/stations/ a la Metroid Prime but I haven't heard anything about this.
 

Flakster99

Member
Nice OP!

Day fucking 1. I've exposed myself to all sorts of media with this game, and I've come away pleasantly surprised.
 

Effect

Member
Have they said anything about how you will save your game?
I knew pauses weren't allowed and there are no checkpoints to be seen but what about saving your game? Maybe you can do it in panic rooms/safe houses/stations/ a la Metroid Prime but I haven't heard anything about this.

I think it was said that the game saves automatically every few second or when you do something so you can't do save reloads if you don't like what happens. They want you to die and have to respawn. I think I recall hearing this in one of the interviews but can't remember which one.
 

jerd

Member
We are still waiting on that live action trailer, correct? I haven't heard anything of it but I haven't been around here too much lately.
 

bh7812

Banned
I just wanted to post in the thread to say that although I'm not normally big on the subtitles for these Official game threads, I have to give credit where credit's due with the one for this thread-very creative! I like how the "WiiU" is supposed to be like the sound of an ambulance coming. Nice touch :)
 

Drago

Member
I think I may switch out Scribblenauts for this one (or get both, who knows). Looking at the quickplay and EC's summary, I think I will take a chance on this.

I just hope it doesn't freak me out too much... I'm not very good with scares ._.
 

Gin

Member
Updated my summary a bit.


Survivors / Abilities

- If a survivor dies, they will take with them their weapon proficiencies and equipment. New survivor starts from scratch, story continues regardless.
- Zombified survivors exist within their respective zones, and can be killed to retrieve old equipment.

sounds so awesome.. cant wait to play this
 
So here I was thinking about how Miiverse would interact with games, and I came up with an idea to document my time with Zombi U. I'm going to take screenshots and keep a play log of my progress on Miiverse. I'm interested in how many screens we can have on there, so I'm not sure yet, but I plan to document the whole first playthrough and especially the fallen survivors.

I think this could have huuuge potential for community driven projects (playthrough, reviews, hints, guides etc.)
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I don't think we've had OS level screenshotting confirmed yet, have we?
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
If you die, do you start from the beginning, or the most recent safe house? Surely there must be a checkpoint of some kind to prevent you needing to retrace all of your steps?
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I think its been known for a while now. I've known about it for months. Maybe a Nintendo Direct? I remember it was during a Japanese event..which I guess means Nintendo Direct.

We've seen the screenshot attachment button for messaging, but I don't really consider that any different from image attachment on the Wii, or the PS3 for that matter. I'm not aware of OS specific screenshooting having been confirmed, and if not, would require games implement their own screenshooting tools in order to attach an image.

I could be wrong though.
 

nickcv

Member
dev interview about ZombiU:

i didn't know if this one deserved it's own thread, but being this one the OT i thought it would have been better to post it here.


http://www.vg247.com/2012/11/12/zombiu-adding-a-screen-and-breaking-the-mould/

Centrally, the use of the second-screen in ZombiU creates a survival horror game like no other I’ve ever played. To understand why it’s turned out the way it has, it’s necessary to look at its concept evolution.

“We wanted to make something like Gremlins,” said co-creative director Jean-Phillipe Caro, harking back to ZombiU’s birth as comedic FPS Killer Freaks from Outer Space.

“It was interesting, but as we got further with WiiU, we discovered that it needed a slow-paced game to make people able to play with the two screens in the same moment. It was something new, and we thought it was something easy to learn. But when we made some tests, it was really hard.”


ZombiU’s plot centres on the Prepper, Elizabethan occultist John Dee and the British royals. In testing, players took at least 15 and up to 20 hours to complete the campaign, so there’s no gimmick here. Over 100 people worked on ZombiU.
 
We've seen the screenshot attachment button for messaging, but I don't really consider that any different from image attachment on the Wii, or the PS3 for that matter. I'm not aware of OS specific screenshooting having been confirmed, and if not, would require games implement their own screenshooting tools in order to attach an image.

I could be wrong though.

So far it was allways referred to as "posting screenshots". Given how there is no way of using the browser to download stuff (not supported... yet) At most it's game specific, but there was definetly talk about taking and posting screenshots. I'm going to search the part where it was mentioned, but could take some time. Maybe someone else is faster.

How flexible that's going to be or if some games won't allow it (especially with regards to the spoiler filter etc) remains to be seen.
 
Top Bottom