Dead Effect

About

Dead Effect is a sci-fi FPS game with over 5 hours of single-player campaign, featuring 12 missions and a gripping story. Survive against hordes of zombies in Survive and Biohazard modes, and explore multiple rooms for extra items and ammo. With a unique set of achievements and the special ability of Bullet Time, prepare for an intense and immersive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+22

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,638 reviews

story170 positive mentions

monetization24 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay with a variety of weapons and upgrades.
Decent graphics and atmosphere reminiscent of classic FPS games like Doom 3.
Affordable price, especially during sales, making it a good value for casual gaming.

Repetitive gameplay and level design, leading to a lack of depth and engagement.
Poor voice acting and a clichéd storyline that detracts from the overall experience.
Frustrating mechanics, such as the inability to jump and the presence of grenade-throwing zombies that can lead to cheap deaths.

story
986 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
74%
9%
The story of "Dead Effect" is generally considered weak and predictable, often described as a generic zombie narrative set aboard a spaceship, with many reviewers noting its clichéd elements and poor voice acting. While some players found enjoyment in the simple plot and the atmosphere it creates, others criticized it for being shallow and unengaging, relying heavily on collectible tablets for backstory. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on gameplay than storytelling, making it suitable for those looking for mindless zombie shooting rather than a deep narrative experience.
- “The story is cheesy but good, there's even a new game plus mode and tons of great progression with lots of weapons.”
- “You battle through an awesome storyline, progressing through a spaceship and slaughter thousands of zombies on the way.”
- “The atmosphere overall creates a sense of urgency to the events as the story unfolds and the game progresses.”
- “The game's story is ridiculously bad... I know I wouldn't have played the game in its entirety if I hadn't muted it and listened to true crime podcasts while playing haha!”
- “It's a very generic zombie tale with very predictable plot twists; you can sense what's going to happen before it does.”
- “The story is weak and doesn't keep you interested.”
graphics
542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
41%
11%
The graphics of "Dead Effect" receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are decent for a mobile port, they often appear dated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles like "Doom 3." Some users appreciate the immersive atmosphere and detailed environments, while others criticize the optimization and repetitive visual design. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing for its price, but it lacks the polish of modern AAA titles.
- “Set in a futuristic space station infested with the undead, Dead Effect uses detailed graphics and immersive sound effects to create a constant sense of tension and danger.”
- “Even for a mobile game, Dead Effect features impressive graphics with a visual design that captures the essence of a claustrophobic and terrifying space environment.”
- “In short, Dead Effect is a title that stands out for its immersive atmosphere, impressive graphics, and engaging gameplay.”
- “The graphics look like it's a game from 2005 (which doesn't really bother me, but still).”
- “The graphics are terrible, and there's two bosses the whole game.”
- “The graphics are shiny but lackluster - corny voice acting, clumsy shooting - after ten minutes you really have had enough.”
gameplay
448 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
51%
15%
The gameplay of "Dead Effect" is a mixed bag, with many players noting its fluid controls and engaging mechanics that evoke classic FPS titles like "Doom 3" and "Dead Space." However, criticisms arise regarding its mobile port origins, leading to clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, and a lack of enemy variety. While some find the shooting mechanics and weapon upgrades enjoyable, others feel the overall experience is marred by poor design choices and a generic storyline.
- “The gameplay is fluid, with good control response that makes aiming and movement easy, essential in an FPS.”
- “The gameplay is solid, you move through levels and complete objectives while blowing zombies' brains out.”
- “Good gameplay, plenty of missions, plenty of weapons/items with upgrades, 61 achievements, leaderboards... great game for 5 bucks.”
- “While Dead Effect does look very good for a mobile port, the mechanics are sorely lacking.”
- “The gameplay feels clumsy; this game screams 'cheap game'.”
- “You can feel it's a port on almost every step; through some mechanics, controls, pacing, etc., the game is pretty boring, level layout very basic, and playing it actually feels like a chore.”
music
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
50%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and fitting themes that enhance the gameplay experience. However, several users note issues with the audio mixing, particularly that the music often drowns out dialogue, making it difficult to hear voiceovers. While some find the soundtrack enjoyable and atmospheric, others criticize it for being repetitive and not well-integrated with the game's mechanics.
- “The ambient music and battle tracks are nice and enhance your game by a fair amount.”
- “Dead Effect's musical score is quite impressive, coupled with an impressive looking environment it really helps set the game's overall tone.”
- “From the quiet halls with the creaking and settling hull in the background, to the tense and frantic zombie engagements, there's no sound effect or piece of music that feels out of place, and that also helps so much with the immersion.”
- “The combat music is so bad in my opinion that on my 5th encounter I wanted to stop playing the game.”
- “The sound is also improperly mixed, with the music overpowering all the speech and the volume sliders literally don't work.”
- “For some reason, no matter how I adjusted the sound levels, I could barely hear the voice overs and the music was way too loud.”
atmosphere
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
38%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive blend of sci-fi and horror elements, enhanced by atmospheric lighting and sound design that create a sense of urgency and tension. Players appreciate the detailed environments and the game's ability to evoke fear, reminiscent of classics like Doom 3 and Dead Space, despite some critiques regarding its reliance on music for tension. Overall, the atmosphere is described as dark, creepy, and engaging, making it a standout feature of the gameplay experience.
- “The combination of atmospheric lighting and sound design contributes significantly to the immersion of players.”
- “The sound design, narrative, and environment all contribute to creating an atmosphere of fear that increases the immersion and excitement of the game.”
- “This game manages to build up tension from the get-go, and creates a perfect atmosphere from it, a hostile place, where no one can save you but yourself.”
- “Tbh, this feels like a low-grade copy of Dead Space, trying to embody the same atmosphere and tension with poor AI and game mechanics.”
- “I don't know if this is trying to be scary all around, but the atmosphere that was used in Dead Space 1 resembles this very much, but with a lack of audio (background noises that keep you aware of the horrors around the next corner) to make the rusty broken down space station seem scary.”
- “The atmosphere is far too reliant on the music to create tension, often making it harder to hear if there are enemies nearby.”
humor
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its hilariously bad voice acting and over-the-top performances, which many players found amusing despite the overall lack of polish. The dialogue and character accents, particularly the stereotypical mad scientist, contribute to a gory dark comedy vibe that enhances the experience, making it enjoyable for those looking for a lighthearted, albeit flawed, gaming session. Overall, while the game may not be a masterpiece, its comedic elements provide a fun distraction, especially at its low price point.
- “The voice acting is incredibly over-the-top, but also completely hilarious.”
- “The scientist actor especially was hilarious considering he has that stereotypical mad scientist accent which made me chuckle a few times.”
- “Hilarious b-movie voice acting.”
monetization
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
55%
36%
The game has successfully removed microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy a more wholesome experience, though some remnants of its mobile origins, like a secondary currency for upgrades, remain. While many players appreciate the absence of in-app purchases, some feel that the gameplay still exhibits cash grab tendencies, with a few mechanics that seem to echo its free-to-play roots. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as a positive shift, but concerns about gameplay balance and lingering elements from the mobile version persist.
- “The fact that there are no microtransactions helps you enjoy this as a wholesome product, albeit with a little bit of fair grinding.”
- “It has zero free-to-play/microtransactions, as opposed to their iOS versions, and it's just complex and simple enough to merit hours and hours of your time.”
- “A fun little survival horror FPS with no microtransactions.”
- “This honestly feels like a cash grab.”
- “They removed the microtransactions but left the painfully unreasonable gameplay there.”
- “The microtransactions have been removed but the secondary 'gold' currency which is used to buy better weapons and an optional automatic healing device is still present; gold is just randomly dropped from enemies now.”
grinding
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
97%
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the lack of microtransactions and enjoy the process of upgrading weapons and completing achievements, many also describe it as tedious and repetitive. The biohazard mode is highlighted as an efficient way to farm resources, but the overall grind can feel excessive and detracts from the enjoyment of the game. Despite the fun elements, the grinding aspect may lead to burnout for some players, especially with certain achievements requiring significant time investment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Without the grinding, the game is maybe a third shorter, but it would be better for it because the survival levels are just dull, and doing them over and over again isn't a ton of fun.”
- “Grinding in the game will get boring and pointless pretty fast; you have zero character progression despite what the game tells you.”
- “Controls are incredibly clunky, and the whole grinding aspect is just irritating.”
replayability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The game offers strong replayability through various modes, including survival and challenge options, as well as a wealth of weapons and upgrades to unlock. While the main campaign is relatively short, players can engage in new game+ and other challenges that enhance the overall experience. However, some reviews note that despite the replay value, the game may not sustain long-term play for hundreds of hours.
- “I was able to beat the main campaign in about 4 hours going at a casual pace, but there's tons of replay value attached to this game; including weapon unlocks and two survival wave-based modes that really bring the killing floor out in this game.”
- “It offers great replayability since there is a ton of weapons to unlock and a lot of tablets to find.”
- “Derivative gameplay, terrible voice-acting, mediocre/nonsensical plot and almost non-existent replay value do not a quality game make.”
- “The campaign is short (around 6 hours) but there is a bit of replay value with new game+ and survival mode.”
- “Although it is an awesome game, it's not something you'll play for hundreds of hours, though I can sense some replayability in the game (I only beat the first few levels thus far).”
optimization
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
37%
32%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and stable frame rates, while others criticize it for being poorly optimized, particularly on PC. Many users noted that it runs well on decent hardware, but some experienced issues with brightness levels and resource usage. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some claiming it is well-optimized and enjoyable, while others found it lacking in performance efficiency.
- “Now that I'm playing it again, it's even better because it's optimized and also has added some new powers to the characters, which are really nice.”
- “Amazing content with various modes including survival, story, etc. The game runs smoothly with no bugs or glitches from what I've seen.”
- “Well optimized, excellent graphics, oddball storyline, a good selection of weapons, etc.”
- “The worst performance ever in the video game.”
- “Also you need a decent computer to run this, not because it's super graphics intensive (although it looks pretty good, don't get me wrong) but it's just horribly optimized.”
- “- the game isn't optimized for PC at all.”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
84%
The stability of the game is highly inconsistent, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as poor hit detection and lag. While some players experienced smooth performance without issues, the overall sentiment leans towards the game being unfinished and buggy, particularly in critical areas like the upgrade menu and character controls. Despite these problems, a few players noted that the game runs well on high settings, suggesting potential for improvement as it continues to develop.
- “The game runs great at 2560x1440, with all graphics settings set at extreme settings.”
- “I have had, so far, no glitches of any description; such a great time playing this that I have put this company on my radar and will buy the next thing that they make.”
- “Edit: I tried the game on my 5-year-old Apple laptop and it runs great too!”
- “The game is full of little glitches and it is in many ways unfinished.”
- “It is a buggy mess, poor hit detection.”
- “There are gripes, of course; your character cannot jump, can only sprint for a few meters before tiring, the HUD isn't incredibly easy to understand at first, and the upgrade menu for after missions is extremely buggy for a final release game.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the nostalgia and wholesome experience free from microtransactions, others find the voice acting lacking and the environments monotonous. Moments of genuine emotional impact are noted, particularly in relation to character stakes, but overall, the emotional engagement is inconsistent, with many locations failing to evoke a strong connection.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
- “If you are me and were a big fan of FPS in the 90's, I say give this a chance. You just wax poetic and shed a tear in retrospect of simpler times... shall I say purer times?”
- “The fact that there are no microtransactions helps you enjoy this as a wholesome product, albeit with a little bit of fair grinding.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Character development in the game is minimal, with players receiving only a brief one-sentence backstory for the two selectable characters, leaving little motivation to connect with them beyond their gameplay abilities. The focus is primarily on action and exploration rather than narrative depth or character arcs.
- “The game is not focused on story, so you'll not find any huge plot twists or character development here, but you will get to shoot a ton of zombies and explore a dark and atmospheric sci-fi spaceship.”
- “Character development - the only backstory you get for the two characters you can select is literally almost just one sentence, and that's it. I have no reason to want to play as the character I play as aside from their abilities or their weapons.”
- “Character development - the only backstory you get for the two characters you can select is literally almost just one sentence, and that's it. I have no reason to want to play as the character I play as aside from their abilities or their weapons.”