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Ubuntu Games Issue 52
News
- BEEP released onto Linux - The adventure puzzle indie game, BEEP, has finally been released onto Linux. Currently only available on Gameolith for $10, coming to Ubuntu Software Centre shortly.
Main Article - Atom Zombie Smasher Zombie themed games were a big hit during 2008 & 2009, with Valve releasing Left 4 Dead and other developers following suit with similar titles. Recently, we have seen interest again in the Zombie theme with the imminent release of Dead Island. Indie Developer, Blendo Games, has recently released a Zombie RTS title called Atom Zombie Smasher (AZS).
The story behind AZS is that the city of Neuvos Aires has been infected by Zombies, and your job is to save as many citizens as possible from this Zombie apocalypse.
The game’s main feature is the single player campaign, in which you are presented with an overview map of Neuvos Aires, showing which areas have been infected by zombies. Each mission sees you launch an attack against the zombies in a certain area. The layout of the area is randomly generated for each mission, so replay value is very high here since you won’t play the same mission-map twice. When launching an attack, you are given a detailed overview of the area of the city. You will see citizens as yellow/gold dots and zombies as pink/purple dots. First, you must set up a helicopter landing zone where you will pick up citizens. Defenses must be put in place to help secure the landing zone and reduce the zombie population. These defences range from snipers, bombs, artillery, and more. All these defenses can be upgraded throughout the campaign. Winning each mission requires you to meet a certain objective such as saving so many citizens or killing so many zombies.
The campaign is very enjoyable and easy to pick up. It has a very satisfying feeling, blowing up buildings and zombies! However, missions become difficult quickly, and can be repetitive over this 30+ mission campaign.
The campaign is the main bulk of the game; there are few extra features. Co-Op is one of the main features Blendo has been pushing, but it is sadly missing in the Linux version. A surprising addition is Mod Support, which is usually a feature left for the major titles rather than Indie games. The wealth of mods available at the moment is rather good, helping to extend the replayability of AZS.
Blendo Games has done an excellent job providing after-launch updates to AZS. Many updates have been fixing and improving the game, especially adding new features and balancing.
The graphics and sound are nothing to shout about, but do a decent job of providing an interesting 2D map of the city and the zombie invasion. The soundtrack is enjoyable and gives a very authentic 1950s vibe.
Atom Zombie Smasher is a very refreshing change for Indie games on Linux, providing a very enjoyable RTS game, which has good replayability. It does have its issues with missions becoming difficult quickly and repetitive, and it is very disappointing that Co-Op is missing from the Linux version. Solid graphics and gameplay, mod support, and updates from the developer, make this title a highlight for Linux Gaming.
It is a must buy for Linux gamers, and it is just excellent to see a RTS on Linux, a genre lacking on this platform. You can buy Atom Zombie Smasher from Blendo Games and also download the demo.
Score: 8/10
Good:
- Enjoyable Gameplay
- Unique Graphics & Sound
- Mod Support
- Plenty of Updates
Bad:
- Very difficult
- Missions become repetitive
- No Co-Op
Screenshots http://blendogames.com/atomzombiesmasher/images/screenshot1.jpg http://blendogames.com/atomzombiesmasher/images/screenshot2.jpg http://blendogames.com/atomzombiesmasher/images/screenshot3.jpg
