Splatter: Zombiecalypse Now

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"Splatter: Zombiecalypse Now" is a top-down shooter game with a film-noir-style single-player campaign. Fight against hordes of monsters using a variety of weapons with physics-based splatter effects and destructible environments. Use light strategically to gain an advantage in battle, explore for resources, and upgrade your arsenal. The story mode features 16 levels with voiced NPCs and dialogs, while survival mode offers high score challenges for up to 4 players.

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,616 reviews

story214 positive mentions

stability22 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay with a variety of weapons and enemies, providing a fun shooting experience.
Cheesy yet entertaining story and dialogue, reminiscent of classic noir films.
Great value for the price, especially when on sale, offering hours of enjoyable gameplay.

The game can be quite short, typically completed in 4-6 hours, which may leave some players wanting more.
Voice acting and some dialogue can be cringeworthy, detracting from the overall experience.
Occasional bugs and glitches, particularly with lighting and enemy AI, can disrupt gameplay.

story
644 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The story in "Splatter" is a mix of typical zombie apocalypse tropes and film noir aesthetics, often described as cheesy and reminiscent of B-movies, particularly in its dialogue and character development. While the narrative is generally linear and lacks depth, it features engaging voice acting and a few decision-making moments that can affect gameplay, making it entertaining enough for a short playthrough of about 4-6 hours. Overall, players appreciate the story's charm and humor, even if it doesn't break new ground in storytelling.
- “The story mode is good and there's progression, upgrades, etc. Definitely worth a few bucks on sale or even for the full seven bucks if not on sale.”
- “The story is a kind of modern film-noir and I bet that Max Payne games have acted as an inspiration for the mood and the protagonist who is blunt and cold but still hearty deep inside.”
- “The story is pretty good compared to most of the games in this genre and I found myself laughing a lot at some of the dialogue between characters, game difficulty is also challenging.”
- “Kinda dull gameplay, and the story is meh.”
- “The plot is threadbare at worst and b-movie-tier at best, but the extra-edgy 'humanity is a dark cesspit' protagonist will either grate on your nerves or leave you chuckling.”
- “The story is so utterly forgettable, maybe with the exception of the final area/boss, that it's almost an accomplishment.”
gameplay
264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The gameplay is characterized as a straightforward, top-down shooter with twin-stick mechanics, offering a mix of frenetic action and light adventuring. While many players appreciate the fun and engaging mechanics, including the use of light to fend off enemies and a variety of weapons, some criticize the repetitiveness and occasional bugs that detract from the experience. Overall, the game provides a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic arcade shooters, though it may not offer significant innovation or depth.
- “The gameplay is fun, the graphics and environment are cool.”
- “The gameplay feels smooth overall and the experience feels quite rewarding.”
- “Splatter is a brilliantly crafted top-down shooter that mixes the best of the genre's game mechanics with a solid story straight out of a (purposefully) b-grade zombie movie.”
- “The gameplay is very repetitive and boring, and buggy!”
- “The gameplay is simplistic and shooting things isn't very satisfying.”
- “Crashes instantly within the first 30 seconds of gameplay - this, added to a clear lack of development and design.”
graphics
248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
4%
The graphics in the game are generally described as decent, with a mix of simple yet effective 2D visuals and some appealing environmental effects. While some players appreciate the charming art style and clever use of lighting, others find the graphics dated or lacking in detail, particularly in cutscenes. Overall, the visuals are considered serviceable for a top-down shooter, contributing to the game's atmosphere without being groundbreaking.
- “Cute graphics and visual effects, clever use of light/darkness mechanics.”
- “The graphics are dark and dreary with good lighting, and the game has really cool effects, especially when you kill something and it splatters, hence the game's name.”
- “Great indie top-down zombie shooter with an interesting story, nice graphics, low price for what you get, and very fun!”
- “But what truly sucks is visuals.”
- “The graphics are dated and lacking, and the music and sound effects are mediocre-to-poor.”
- “Sure, the visuals are rather bad, think of the first Postal (not in the HD version).”
music
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and fitting for the atmosphere, while others criticize it for being mediocre and overshadowing important dialogue. Many appreciate the variety in the soundtrack, which includes rock and electronic elements, but note that it can become repetitive and lacks depth. Overall, while the music serves its purpose, it does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience for all players.
- “Pretty neat overview shooter game with cool action moments, cool graphics, cool artwork, and music. Definitely worth getting if you like zombie/monster games like me.”
- “The music was pretty good, and the voice acting in the game was very good. I really like Max's voice; he sounded pretty cool.”
- “Nice variance of ambient rock with some electronic music and also some strings and piano.”
- “Audio is awful; your weapons sound like they have a silencer, and you can't hear the voice of your character over the music and sound effects.”
- “The graphics are dated and lacking, and the music and sound effects are mediocre to poor.”
- “The music is limited to like two tracks.”
atmosphere
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
44%
6%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its effective blend of film noir and post-apocalyptic themes, creating a dark and immersive experience enhanced by fitting graphics and sound design. Players appreciate the tension from hidden monsters and the overall charm, with many noting that it stands out among other zombie games for its atmospheric depth. While the narrative may have some gaps, the atmospheric presentation, including dynamic lighting and engaging cut scenes, significantly elevates the gameplay experience.
- “Liked the film noir atmosphere in combination with the post-apocalyptic zombie setting.”
- “This game is filled to the brim with atmosphere and charm.”
- “Beautiful graphics and amazing sound do a good job of setting the atmosphere.”
- “Sadly I have to say no, for the reasons that while the game does have a strong atmosphere, the story however has many gaps in it.”
- “The atmosphere definitely elevates an otherwise adequate, but lackluster narrative; and together they generate a solid presentation.”
- “It is not a jumpscare game, of course, but you can feel the thriller atmosphere.”
humor
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, characterized by cheesy dialogue, snarky character interactions, and a blend of dark and absurd comedy that resonates well with players. Many reviews highlight the protagonist's witty lines and the overall comedic tone, making the experience enjoyable despite a simplistic plot and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game delivers a fun and funny atmosphere, often likened to a B-movie with its over-the-top elements and humorous voice acting.
- “Aptly named and overflowing with cheese, Splatter - Blood Red Edition is a fun and funny top-down shooter.”
- “His lines with his style do add an immense sense of humor to the whole thing, but the whole game is like that.”
- “It's like an indie version of the first Max Payne, and it's alternately appalling and hilarious, or sometimes both at once.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The game offers moderate replayability primarily through its survival mode, multiplayer options, and the ability to replay the campaign at higher difficulties. While the campaign lasts around 4-6 hours, players seeking to complete achievements or engage in score attack features may find additional value. However, some reviewers noted that the overall replay value may be limited, especially if the multiplayer community is sparse.
- “A decent length campaign and a survival mode ensure replay value, and the controls are tight and precise.”
- “It also has leaderboards for every single level, which adds even more replayability.”
- “With good gameplay, a fun story, and a high degree of replayability, anyone with a passing interest in the genre will get their money's worth and an experience to remember.”
- “There is not much of it; I finished the campaign in 4 hours and 17 minutes, which means that the campaign is roughly 4-5 hours. If you are looking for replayability, look elsewhere. There is the survival mode and some multiplayer modes, but I doubt any people still play them.”
- “The only replay value of the game lies in the fact that you can play the story at a higher difficulty, which I don't think you're going to spend more than 5 or 6 hours on in total.”
- “Money is limited, so you won't be able to upgrade everything, which creates some replay value.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent crashes and glitches reported by players, particularly during critical moments like level exits and boss fights. While some users noted that the game runs well on certain platforms and that glitches are not always game-breaking, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to frustration and a lack of polish. Despite some enjoyable gameplay moments, the instability detracts heavily from the overall enjoyment.
- “The game runs great.”
- “As someone who is open to indie game experiences, Splatter was cheap and looked fine. I gave it a go and ended up finishing it. There were some fun moments as the gameplay isn't bad at all, throwing many enemies on you at once can be quite cathartic, but holy shit, the game has a lot of problems. It's a crash fest; I had to save right before every level's exit because the game would crash to desktop the first time I finished that level. Reloading the save would prevent it. Crashing is very common with this game; I had over 10 of them during my 4-hour playthrough. Thank god this game is short; otherwise, I would have suffered more. There was some fun to be had in certain moments of the game, but the story is laughably bad and the game ends so poorly that despite fighting the glitches and crashes I had, I had some curiosity to know where the game was going and if I would improve or pull something interesting, but it didn't. It ended on a cliffhanger and wasted my time; that's all it did. There's a lot of similar but better games out there with this twin-stick-like shooter gameplay; just don't waste your time with this bad game, it's not worth it.”
- “Still buggy, the game crashes every time I kill the bug boss; I can't complete it.”
- “Glitches abound, leaving some areas of the map pitch-black even if you're pointing your 'flashlight' at them, or ending in weird horizontal artifacts.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed feedback. While some players report excellent performance and no significant bugs, others experience framerate drops even on high-end systems, suggesting that the game may not be fully optimized. However, many agree that the gameplay remains enjoyable despite these issues.
- “This game has a full-fledged single-player campaign and is very well-optimized.”
- “This game gets excellent performance and the atmosphere is wonderful.”
- “Not one performance or bug issue.”
- “Not the best game ever, of course, and it also suffers from problems like poor optimization (the game resources are not even packed in any way, so, you can modify them with just Photoshop and Soundforge, while on the system that can run Witcher 3 on max settings I still got some framerate drops), but... it's fun.”
- “Not the best game ever, of course, and it also suffers from problems like poor optimization (the game resources are not even packed in any way, so, you can modify them with just Photoshop and Soundforge, while on the system that can run Witcher 3 on max settings I still got some framerate drops), but... it's fun.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and annoying, often describing it as painful and lacking in challenge or fun. While it may keep some players engaged, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the grindy nature of the gameplay, particularly during boss fights.
- “My experience was painful and tedious, and so is my opinion of this game: bad and tedious.”
- “Boss fights are more tedious than challenging and/or fun.”
- “It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it works well at keeping the player interested, even if it does feel a little grindy.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while the voice acting is praised and some players appreciate the slight development of NPCs and the main character, others criticize the overall lack of depth and dynamic growth in the characters.
- “The characters are very well voiced, and it's worth listening to them. They did a great job with the slight character development of the NPCs during the limited time you're with them, as well as the development of the main character.”
- “No character development.”
- “Lack of dynamic character development.”
- “No character development.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is overshadowed by technical issues, such as a bug that allows players to complete levels without using key vehicles, which disrupts the intended narrative experience. This inconsistency may detract from the emotional engagement players expect from the game's storytelling.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy has been criticized for its intrusive "eqlauncher," which forces players to view pop-up advertisements for unrelated games upon launching, leading to a frustrating user experience.
- “Annoying 'eqlauncher': When you launch a game, it opens a pop-up that plays a YouTube video advertising a game I don't care about.”

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Splatter – Zombiecalypse Now review
Don’t go in expecting to be blown away, and Splatter: Zombiecalypse Now is a very satisfying few hours.
Godisageek.com
70%

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6h Median play time

5h Average play time

4-7h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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