The Last Stand Legacy Collection
- July 15, 2021
- Con Artist Games
- 5h median play time
The Last Stand Legacy Collection is a comprehensive package of the first three games in the franchise: The Last Stand, The Last Stand 2, and The Last Stand: Union City. In these games, players assume the role of Jack and navigate through the zombie apocalypse, gathering weapons and supplies during the day, repairing barricades, and defending against hordes of the undead at night. The goal is to reach the coast before evacuation and survive in the chaotic Union City.
Reviews
- Nostalgic experience that brings back fond memories of playing flash games in school.
- The first two games are simple yet engaging, while Union City offers a more in-depth RPG experience.
- Great value for money, providing three classic games for a reasonable price.
- Union City suffers from significant performance issues, including lag and input delays.
- Bugs persist, such as companions losing their weapons when transitioning between areas.
- Some players experienced game-breaking glitches that hindered progress.
- gameplay85 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Last Stand" series is characterized by its addictive mechanics of resource management, wave defense, and zombie combat, which many players find enjoyable and nostalgic. While the first two games offer straightforward horde-defense gameplay, the third installment, "Union City," introduces RPG elements and exploration, though it suffers from bugs and clunky controls. Overall, the series maintains a solid gameplay loop, but some players note a lack of innovation and repetitiveness that can detract from the experience over time.
“Last Stand 2 is more of the same, but offers more depth to the mechanics previously introduced. I played it twice back to back just to see all the weapons, and I had a phenomenal time.”
“The simple yet addictive mechanics of fortifying a location, scavenging for resources, and fending off waves of zombies still hold some charm and can provide a fun time for players looking for a quick zombie-killing fix.”
“The gameplay improves through all three games as each game adds more features and ways to kill zombies.”
“The repetitive nature of the gameplay, which primarily revolves around defending a location and surviving waves of zombies, can become monotonous after a while.”
“The lack of innovation or new gameplay mechanics across the collection may disappoint players seeking a fresh experience.”
“Unfortunately, the game suffers from a multitude of bugs that severely disrupted my gameplay, leading to frequent save file reloads, particularly in Union City.”
- stability76 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The stability of the game collection is notably poor, with frequent input and screen lag, significant frame rate drops, and various glitches that can hinder gameplay. While the first two games are mostly playable with minor issues, "Union City" is particularly criticized for being a buggy experience that can lead to frustrating gameplay moments. Overall, players express nostalgia for the titles but highlight the need for optimization and bug fixes to improve stability.
“The game is incredibly buggy, laggy, difficult to maneuver, and finagle.”
“The unmitigated gall it takes to charge for the buggy mess that is Union City is mind-boggling. I can't play for more than 10 minutes without the controls locking up or the screen shrinking to a small window or my companion losing the weapon I gave them.”
“Overall just a pretty buggy experience that I really can't recommend unless you really love the first two games as those worked perfectly.”
- graphics71 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game collection are largely criticized for being outdated and reminiscent of early 2000s flash games, with minimal improvements that fail to meet modern standards. While some players appreciate the nostalgic art style and the option to switch between original and upscaled graphics, many report performance issues, including lag and graphical glitches, particularly when the settings are increased. Overall, the visuals are seen as a mixed bag, offering charm for long-time fans but lacking the polish and detail expected from contemporary titles.
“The art style is fantastic for all three games; I haven't played Dead Zone yet.”
“I love the updated graphics for each of the games too, as well as the performance upgrades that have been made to all three games.”
“Brings back a lot of nostalgia and I love the overhaul to the graphics.”
“The graphics and animations are dated, lacking the polish and detail expected from modern games.”
“Graphics are what you'd expect from a 2007 arcade game.”
“It would've made sense if they improved the graphics, fps or anything at all, but no they haven't changed or improved anything at all.”
- story69 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "The Last Stand" series is generally considered simple and somewhat cliché, with minimal narrative depth, particularly in the first two games. However, "Union City" offers a more developed storyline with RPG elements, side quests, and character progression, making it a nostalgic and enjoyable experience for fans of the original flash games. While the storytelling may not be groundbreaking, it provides a fun backdrop for the gameplay, appealing to those who appreciate straightforward zombie survival narratives.
“The last stand franchise is great; good storyline 10/10. If you love killing zombies, this is a great collection for you.”
“If you played this back when it was on a browser, then I recommend grabbing this to play now that it's downloadable; it's got great nostalgia and a good storyline.”
“Additionally, the storytelling and narrative elements in The Last Stand Legacy Collection are minimal.”
“The Last Stand: Union City had a proper story that was admittedly generic and cliché.”
“Union City definitely ups the ante and gives the game a real story, including main and side quests, but even then it's not exactly creative or awe-inspiring.”
- optimization56 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game collection, particularly "The Last Stand: Union City," has been widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues such as significant frame rate drops, input lag, and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While the first two games perform adequately, Union City is described as poorly optimized and often unplayable, leading many to recommend avoiding it despite the nostalgia factor. Overall, players express a strong desire for updates and improvements to enhance performance across the board.
“Great to be able to play these old classics again, but they really need some performance and bug fixes.”
“I love these games but we really need some performance fixes.”
“It would be most appreciated if this collection of classic games received optimizations for modern systems, if it is possible for the developer to work towards that.”
“Union City is optimized incredibly poorly, with many FPS drops and extreme input lag.”
“Performance is horrendous and often unplayable.”
“These problems mainly range from just pure performance issues such as input delay and horrid loss of frames (primarily in the Union City campaign). It doesn't make the games unplayable, but it still makes combat a bit more tedious than it needs to be.”
- replayability23 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the replayability of the games in the collection is mixed. While some players find the first two games enjoyable and challenging with decent replay value, others criticize the third game for lacking significant replayability due to gameplay bugs and minimal impact from stat changes. However, many agree that the nostalgia and fun mechanics contribute to a worthwhile experience, making the bundle appealing for fans of the series.
“I enjoyed the extra portion of the map, and find this game to be infinitely replayable (that goes for TLS, TLS2, and TLS:UC).”
“It's such a simple idea, but so enjoyable and replayable, and the nostalgia is unbeatable.”
“If you're looking for a fun base defense/scavenge game that is both smooth and technical with tons of replayability, then this journey of a thankfully not forgotten series is for you.”
“While Union City is actually a good shooter, I can't call it an RPG. It's well-made and fun to play, but it suffers from a lack of replayability, and the stat changes did not feel like they had a significant effect on the gameplay, unlike the other two games in the collection.”
“Games have little replayable value, and if you're short on cash, don't buy this.”
“Not much replayability, but the $11 are worth the playing time and fun you'll have through the three games in this package.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game effectively builds and maintains tension, with some players noting its ability to enhance the atmosphere during intense moments, such as zombie attacks. While not particularly memorable, the soundtrack serves its purpose and evokes nostalgia for longtime fans. Overall, it complements the gameplay without being a standout feature.
“The music is good, not particularly eye-catching but it serves its purpose of building and maintaining tension quite well.”
“Zombie screams, weapons feedback, explosions, and one music track that changes tempo when the zombie horde attacks.”
“Now we need the OST from all of them; it was nice playing it again, reminding me of times from 2012 in high school.”
“Because waves appear at random, the sudden change of music jump-scared me a bit.”
“Zombie screams, weapon feedback, explosions, and one music track that changes tempo when the zombie horde attacks.”
“The soundtrack... exists.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that grinding in the game can be excessively tedious and repetitive, often exacerbated by performance issues like lag and bugs. While some players appreciate the nostalgic, old-school feel and the option to bypass unnecessary side quests, others find the grinding mechanics frustrating, especially when compounded by game-breaking bugs. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable for those seeking a straightforward run-and-gun style, but it may deter players looking for a smoother, less grind-heavy gameplay.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“For now, it's a simple, old school style of gaming without any fuss, grinding, massive side quests crap.”
“Riddled with bugs and parts with major lag no matter what PC specs you have, very tedious and repetitive, lots of useless side missions that involve tons of backtracking.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in part 3 of the series is praised for its density and iconic audio, effectively capturing a dark and gritty vibe reminiscent of classic horror. Despite being a mid-2000s flash game, it maintains a strong sense of style and ambiance, enhanced by nostalgic elements that resonate with fans of the genre.
“Surprisingly, part 3 of the series convinces with a fairly dense atmosphere, solid gameplay, and the typical loot spiral.”
“Even though it's a flash game from the mid-2000s, it still has great atmosphere, style, and audio, with every moan, blast, and tear sounding positively iconic for those familiar with them.”
“Put 'Dawn of the Dead' on in the background for extra retro zombie atmosphere.”
“Dark and gritty atmosphere.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, often rooted in nostalgia for earlier gaming experiences, despite initial fears of its horror elements. The challenging gameplay evokes frustration, but also a sense of heartbreak, highlighting the game's ability to elicit strong emotional responses.
“Unlike many here, I never played TLS 1 or 2 as a kid, mainly due to being scared of the horror themes. However, I do have very fond nostalgic memories of the flash game golden age, which made me feel right at home not just with TLS 1, 2, and Union City, but also Aftermath interestingly enough.”
“It honestly is heartbreaking.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting the lack of multiplayer or co-op features and describing the game as repetitive and outdated. While it can be played for free online with numerous ads, the paid version offers an ad-free experience without the need for a network connection, though many still view it as a lazy approach to monetization.
“Avoid this cash grab; it's repetitive, old, and lacks multiplayer or co-op features.”
“This game is just a lazy cash grab.”
“You can still play these games for free on internet gaming websites filled with ads, but this version ensures you don't encounter any ads and requires no Wi-Fi or network connection after downloading.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express a desire for greater depth and engagement in character development and narrative, comparing the game to titles like Left 4 Dead and Fallout in terms of potential. While it may not match the mainstream appeal of its inspirations, it captures a similar essence, suggesting a strong foundation for character growth.
“This may leave players craving more depth and engagement in terms of character development and a meaningful narrative.”
“It's kind of a game that is to Left 4 Dead (and some survival game with character development, perhaps Fallout considering the skill books and such) what Salt & Sanctuary is to Dark Souls; it doesn't look like the more mainstream title that inspired it, but the heart and soul are there.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find humor in the contrast between simple, nostalgic games and the often overproduced titles from major developers, suggesting that the former can be more entertaining and enduring. The humor also stems from a sense of irony in how perceptions of games change over time, particularly reflecting on childhood experiences with games like Union City.
“I'm not sure if it's more funny or disturbing that I find these 'simple' games to be more entertaining and stand the test of time better than almost everything the so-called 'professional' and over-budgeted developers have crapped out to us lately.”
“It's funny looking back now, but when I was really young in computer class, I considered Union City one of the most in-depth and intense games I had played.”