Atom Zombie Smasher
- January 24, 2011
- Blendo Games
- 30h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Atom Zombie Smasher," command mercenaries to rescue survivors and wipe out zombies in a procedurally generated city. Use helicopters, mortars, and mines as you strategize and plan your next move. Experience different scenarios, intense replayability, and ever-evolving challenges as you strive to exterminate the zombie threat in this thrilling real-time strategy game.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Unique blend of real-time strategy and tower defense mechanics, providing a fresh take on the zombie genre.
- Highly replayable with customizable difficulty settings and a variety of mercenaries to unlock and upgrade.
- Quirky art style and humorous vignettes add charm and personality to the gameplay experience.
- Can be frustratingly difficult, especially if the random selection of mercenaries does not favor the player.
- Graphics are simplistic, which may not appeal to everyone and can detract from the overall experience.
- Some players experience technical issues, such as crashes or bugs, particularly on certain operating systems.
- gameplay230 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Atom Zombie Smasher" is characterized by its unique blend of strategy and tower defense mechanics, requiring players to plan routes and deploy units to rescue civilians from zombie hordes. While the core mechanics are engaging and addictive, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time. The game offers a variety of customizable options and modding capabilities, enhancing replayability and allowing for tailored experiences, though the randomness of unit availability can frustrate strategic planning.
“The gameplay mechanics, which involve planning routes and deploying various units, add a layer of strategy to the experience.”
“Atom Zombie Smasher features addictive and fully customizable gameplay with a backdrop dripping with style and worldbuilding.”
“The gameplay is quick and pressure nicely builds up as the zombie hordes push forward.”
“While the concept is intriguing, the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacking in depth.”
“I don't recommend this; the gameplay is repetitive and the units you buy and have available to you each month are completely random, so you can't take in your nicely upgraded units, making planning a strategy a worthless task; this game is more about mitigating your losses than anything else.”
“It doesn't explain some of its main mechanics very well and it can get a bit repetitive after a few hours.”
- story217 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Atom Zombie Smasher" is largely considered superficial and nonsensical, featuring bizarre comic-style vignettes that provide a quirky backdrop to the gameplay rather than a coherent narrative. While the game is set in a zombie-infested world where players must strategize to rescue survivors, the plot often feels like an afterthought, serving mainly to add humor and charm rather than depth. Overall, players appreciate the lighthearted tone and absurdity of the story, but many agree that it does not significantly enhance the strategic gameplay experience.
“Set in a world overrun by a zombie plague, players must guide their team of elite soldiers through a series of strategic missions, rescuing survivors and protecting them from hordes of undead attackers.”
“While the people you save are abstracted away as colored squares on a map, each mission typically 'unlocks' a short strip telling a personal story about a normal guy, a survivor, or el presidente, typically with a comedic twist and pop references.”
“The bizarre storyline is in fact pretty entertaining, and it doesn't add any negative elements to a game more loaded with strategy than it seems.”
“The story is complete nonsense, and the upgraded artillery is so powerful most late game maps end up as piles of rubble as you collateral damage your way through, but it's all part of the anarchic charm.”
“The 'story', such as it is, is nonsensical rubbish.”
“The story is bizarre.”
- graphics161 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Atom Zombie Smasher" are predominantly simple and minimalistic, often described as basic pixel art that effectively conveys the game's mechanics without being visually impressive. While some players appreciate the retro aesthetic and unique art style, others find the visuals monotonous and lacking depth. Overall, the game's charm lies more in its engaging gameplay and humor than in its graphical fidelity.
“The game's graphics are simple but effective, with a retro aesthetic that recalls classic arcade games.”
“The art style and atmosphere are great, and the gameplay is surprisingly compelling.”
“Despite its simple graphics, this game is really addictive due to the sheer randomness of it all.”
“The graphics are simple, and the environments can become visually monotonous over time.”
“While it has its moments of enjoyment, it falls short in terms of depth and variety, and its visuals and sound design leave something to be desired.”
“The graphics are very basic but absolutely fit their needs and help to get a great overview.”
- music148 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in "Atom Zombie Smasher" is widely praised for its catchy surf rock soundtrack, which complements the game's quirky aesthetic and humorous tone. While many players find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting for the game's lighthearted approach to the zombie apocalypse, some note a lack of variety, leading to potential repetitiveness over time. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gaming experience, making it memorable and engaging.
“The soundtrack is equally impressive, with an eerie, atmospheric score that perfectly matches the game's dark, dystopian setting.”
“The music is great and the vibes immaculate.”
“The surf guitar soundtrack, quirky humor, and aesthetics of the game complete a pleasurable gaming experience.”
“The sole soundtrack annoys the hell out of me.”
“The art design is inspired, as are the music and sound effects, though the music will likely get a bit old as time goes on; there isn't any variety in the soundtrack.”
“Overall it is a great little addictive strategy game, one word of warning though, it only has the one soundtrack, so if you don't like it, you may want to turn the music off altogether!”
- replayability108 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its high potential due to customizable settings, various game modes, and mod support, while others find it lacking after a few playthroughs. Many reviews highlight that the enjoyment can vary significantly based on individual preferences for gameplay mechanics and the novelty of the experience. Overall, while some players report extensive replay value, others suggest it may not sustain long-term interest.
“A short rewarding tower defense game, with a ton of replayability.”
“The surf rock score and weird story keep it from being too dark and serious, and the ability to play different game lengths and toggle modifiers make it extremely replayable.”
“Many campaign options and modding capabilities extend the game's longevity, and replayability is assured.”
“I like the idea of this, but after one campaign I don't see much replayability.”
“Not a ton of replay value; once you've beaten it a couple of times, there's not much more to see.”
“My only complaint is the replay value is relatively low.”
- humor83 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky, offbeat style, often relying on random and absurd scenarios that can be both hilarious and predictable over time. Players appreciate the blend of dark humor, witty narratives, and amusing art, which enhance the overall experience, although some find the humor can occasionally fall flat or feel forced. Overall, the game successfully combines engaging gameplay with a unique comedic flair, making it a fun and entertaining experience.
“It's a great little strategy game with weird humor.”
“The characters and events introduced are funny and original.”
“It's an enjoyable little minimalist game that manages to be both extra funny and extra gruesome at the same time due to its small abstract graphics.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack that complements its dark, dystopian setting. While some players find the minimalist graphics off-putting, many appreciate how they contribute to a unique and compelling atmosphere, likening the experience to that of a military commander observing a bleak scenario. Overall, the combination of stylized visuals, engaging audio, and a rich backstory creates a memorable and atmospheric gaming experience.
“The soundtrack is equally impressive, with an eerie, atmospheric score that perfectly matches the game's dark, dystopian setting.”
“Its minimalist graphics might put some people off, but honestly, it gives the game a really unique and dreary atmosphere, almost like you're a military commander sitting in a control room and watching helplessly as dots that indicate civilians are slowly wiped off the map.”
“Awesome atmosphere, audio/visuals, and presentation/composition for a top-down game of dots.”
“Most zombie apocalypse games have dark and gritty atmospheres to create a horror setting.”
“Although the graphics and presentation aren't awe-inspiring, the atmosphere and stylization work for this game.”
“With a rich (and ludicrously funny) backstory that sometimes makes no sense at all, along with vignettes (unlocked as you progress through the campaign) that attempt to capture the atmosphere of the game, Atom Zombie Smasher is... a smash.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be imbalanced and often tedious, particularly for achievement hunters who face the challenge of accumulating large numbers of kills with various weapons. While the game offers enjoyable strategic decisions, the grind can detract from the overall experience, especially when aiming for 100% completion. Custom levels and mods can alleviate some of the grind, but the repetitive nature remains a common frustration.
“Imbalanced gameplay; tedious and frustrating.”
“If you're an achievement hunter like me, this game gets very tedious due to having to accrue very large amounts of kills with every weapon type.”
“+Steam achievements - really grindy, hard to get 100%.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant issue, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezing on startup, and various glitches that hinder gameplay. Many players have noted that the current version is particularly buggy, requiring additional software to function properly, and some achievements are also affected by these stability problems. Overall, the game is described as fun but plagued by technical difficulties.
“The current version is buggy and can crash on launch without the proper software (made available on the support site).”
“This game is awful; it freezes every time I try to start it up. I've tried it on multiple PCs, and it never works.”
“I've also begun to run into a few glitches (crashes), which make playing it challenging.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is mixed, with some users reporting minor bugs and performance issues, while others note that performance can vary significantly based on unit effectiveness and player strategy. Additionally, there are concerns about the game's optimization on older hardware, leading to overheating problems. Improvements in performance and stability are needed for a better experience.
“Performance is obviously great.”
“Throughout the missions, your mercenaries gain experience based on their performance, which will be largely dependent on the player's effective utilization of them.”
“There's also random variance in the performance of your units; soldiers can miss, and your mortars can go off-target, ruining that hail mary shot you needed to save the day.”
“I did encounter a few minor bugs and there are some performance issues.”
“There's also random variance in the performance of your units; soldiers can miss, and your mortars can go off-target, ruining that Hail Mary shot you needed to save the day.”
“Apparently, Atom Zombie Smasher is badly unoptimized, because it caused my 2007 MacBook to overheat and reboot.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as intensely cathartic, providing a sense of release and empowerment after enduring prolonged struggles, akin to confronting deep-seated personal trauma.
