N.Y.Zombies 2 Takes First-Person Shooter Games To Task

Players start out in an apartment bedroom. Zombies are already roaming the halls. You are equipped with a knife and pistol with unlimited ammo. To move, use the virtual joystick. To attack, tap the screen where you want to attack. If you are using the knife, get close enough to reach the monster. If you choose to fight with the gun, tap the aim button so that your gun will be the focus of the screen. If you try to shoot without aiming first, your bullets will not hit their intended target. Each level has missions that must be complete before you can continue. For example, the first level requires you to survive for 30 seconds. The second mission is to find a way out. The next mission is to find the bolt cutters, and so on, until the level ends.

This game is very difficult. Those darn birds get me every time. There are no med packs lying around, so you have to survive the entire level through all missions or you'll have to start over from the beginning when you die.

This sequel game offers some things that the original does not. For example, players can team up in Survival mode for three-person zombie killing. Additionally, players can wander around the levels, unlike the original. However, your movement is limited by obstacles you can’t get around so it isn’t exactly a world-exploration game.

While the game does cost money to download, there are in-app purchase options for special weapons and med packs. These are not necessary for game play, but the med packs sure would help when you are almost out of health and aren’t finished with a level. You can buy these items using cash that you earn while playing the game, but some stuff requires gold bricks, which are probably not easy to find.

The controls are a bit awkward on the iPad. A virtual joystick controls movement, but instead of virtual buttons, players must tap the screen where they are aiming in order to attack and swipe the screen in order to look around, so the iPad has to be held with one hand that is trying to move a joystick while the other hand taps and swipes. It is easier on the iPhone because the device is lighter, but it would be better to have virtual buttons for attacking.

Overall, this game is a lot of fun for fans of zombie themed first-person shooter games. Unfortunately, it is so difficult that you get frustrated and wish for a med pack to help you survive, which you can only really get by paying real cash for. The game is worth $1.99, but keep in mind that the controls take some getting used to and even the easy level is somewhat hard.