This will be the last Zombies, Run! entry for a long, long while. Promise.
After completing the first three missions and starting the third, I think I’m ready to bring in my final verdict on Zombies, Run!
There are a couple of things that I wish they’d add:
-I’d really like to know how much I’ve run in terms of miles, rather than in the vague and ambiguous steps. Some of us aren’t blessed with iPhones or iPods equipped with a GPS.
-In line with the previous, I’d really like to be pursued by zombie mobs at some point. I dunno if that’s really possible with the accelerometer and I’m not going to stop using the program because it’s not there. I’ll just be bummed.
-Something explaining why I want to level up all these buildings. What’s the difference between having a level 1 armory and a level 2 armory? I know that higher level buildings will give access to more missions, but I don’t know which buildings to level up to unlock, say, Mission Four.
Aside from these issues, Zombies, Run! is a great app. It’s gotten me running again and I actually look forward to running. If it keeps me running for, say, a month, that’ll make it more awesome than my own, not-so-great willpower. The second and third missions don’t have the lengthy opening narration either, so feel free to run right out the gate without worrying about extended helicopter sequences ruining the illusion that you’re running from zombies. A small aside, I’m glad that they’re not avoiding using the word zombies. It’s kind of refreshing for someone to break that rule, for once (Don’t say the Zed word!).
I also like how the game has started to introduce other elements. At one point, your character picks up a newspaper clipping, which has a reference to a twitter account. And, lo and behold, you can follow the account. Considering that the game is an alternate reality game, it’s nice to see that they’re not just limiting it to the running itself. I’m interested to see just how much further they’ll take it.
So, buy the app if you’re interested in making running fun. Don’t buy it for the iPod if you want the random zombie encounters. And the length of the missions depends on the length of the songs you play while you run.
To see the first two parts of my review go here:
Zombies, Run!: First Impressions
Zombies, Run!: First Mission Review
Dylan Charles
dylancharles.net 