Zombasite

Overall it's a fine game that lets us run around like a decapitated chicken, drinking deeply of the new emotional roller-coaster experience of actually having our existence feel needed in a video game, combined with a class system that takes everything we love about Diablo 2 and squares it. Alas that it’s harder than it needs to be due to a poorly designed tutorial system and a lack of proper documentation. For an indie game it’s a good overall buy.

66%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

graphics, optimization

78% User Score Based on 168 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $19.99

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About

"Zombasite" is a role-playing game set in a zombie-apocalypse-themed fantasy world, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The dark elves' attempt to control a powerful zombie parasite, the Zombasite, has backfired, and players must navigate this dangerous and dynamic world in single-player, multi-player, or co-op game modes. With good game mechanics but high grinding, players must fight for survival against the Zombasite and its infected victims.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

graphics12 negative mentions

Zombasite combines elements from previous Soldak games, creating a unique blend of ARPG, strategy, and town management.
The dynamic world and evolving quests keep gameplay fresh and engaging, with meaningful consequences for player actions.
The character customization is extensive, allowing for hybrid classes and a variety of builds that enhance replayability.

The graphics and UI are dated, which may deter some players looking for a more polished visual experience.
The game can be overwhelming for new players due to its complex mechanics and lack of clear tutorials.
Balance issues exist, with some skills and classes feeling underpowered or overpowered, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.

gameplay
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
76%
5%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring innovative mechanics and a deep system that can be enjoyable if players invest time to understand it. However, many users criticize its unpolished and clunky execution, with issues like a confusing UI, balance problems, and a lack of intuitive tutorials detracting from the experience. While it offers unique elements and a satisfying core loop reminiscent of classic ARPGs, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, making it feel dated and sometimes frustrating.
- “It's got great classes, an interesting hybrid class that lets you combine any two subclasses, and the gameplay is like Diablo with factions.”
- “Defeating enemies feels satisfying and the controls are responsive; Soldak improved upon the gameplay tremendously and it feels far smoother than Depths of Peril or Din's Curse.”
- “Zombasite offers more depth and gameplay features than pretty much any other ARPG in the industry, making Zombasite quite a lot more attractive to people who want a bit more than the usual Diablo-esque grind.”
- “The in-game tutorial provides no answers, the manual provides no answers, and the gameplay is just mediocre, in all honesty.”
- “While this has lots of good ideas and fun mechanics, it's just too unpolished and clunky to enjoy.”
- “Don't buy this crap; the game has been in alpha for ages and gameplay is still the same nightmare. This game is a massive fail and the devs don't listen to any feedback from the community from what I've seen.”
story
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
90%
4%
The story in Zombasite is largely absent, with players navigating a chaotic world filled with dynamic quests and faction interactions rather than a cohesive narrative. While the game features a procedural quest generation system that creates a sense of urgency and consequence, many players feel overwhelmed by the lack of a clear goal and the shallow nature of the quests. Despite its ambitious mechanics and the potential for engaging gameplay, the overall experience is marred by a disjointed story and a focus on loot and combat over narrative depth.
- “Zombasite is a living world ARPG that has different factions you can ally with and quests that will progress and escalate if you don't act on them fast enough.”
- “The living world, the quest system to influence factions, and the many possibilities of building your character are all nice, and that's the root of Soldak's games in my opinion.”
- “The quest generation system can keep you busy enough that you have to prioritize your objectives and go back to the other quests later as their severity escalates.”
- “There's no story to speak of; instead, you're given a few victory conditions and the goal is to accomplish one of them.”
- “What this means is that instead of looking up what quests you have, going to the relevant place, and searching out the monster you have to kill, person you have to save, or whatever, you probably just look at the map, see that there are fifteen quests in a given place, go there, and kill monsters for a while until a bunch of quests just finish on your own.”
- “The dynamic quest system is overloaded, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging narrative experience.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
63%
19%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and lacking polish, with many users noting issues such as poor textures, clunky animations, and a user interface that feels antiquated. Despite these visual shortcomings, players often emphasize that the engaging gameplay and mechanics more than compensate for the graphics, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize gameplay over aesthetics. Overall, while the visuals may not impress, they are deemed serviceable enough to support the game's core mechanics.
- “Mechanically deep with presentable visuals.”
- “The graphics here are not AAA, but completely serviceable.”
- “The graphics aren't cutting edge, but they are made up for in gameplay, mechanics, and replayability.”
- “Realistically, this game has a ton of flaws, from missing quality of life features to dated graphics to laughable model animations and an incredibly old UI.”
- “The graphics are bad, the textures are bland.”
- “Obviously, the graphics here are about a decade behind the state of the art.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
Overall, players highlight the high replayability of the game, often citing its randomly generated maps and diverse character builds as key factors. Many reviewers recommend trying the demo, noting that the game offers extensive replay options for a low price, making it particularly appealing for fans of the genre. The combination of challenging gameplay and the potential for varied experiences contributes to its reputation for infinite replayability.
- “If you are looking for a game with great replayability, this game is for you.”
- “I used to love Soldak; the game Din's Curse is a masterpiece in its own right, the game with the highest replayability I have ever played, and I've played a lot of different stuff.”
- “I highly encourage playing the demo first, but you'll rarely find a game of this caliber and replayability options for $9.99 (US).”
- “This game has all the best features from previous Soldak games like Depth of Peril and Din's Curse; it is not expensive, has lots of content, and replayability potential.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for solid performance and lack of bugs, especially considering its small development team. However, some users report significant performance issues, particularly on Mac and in multiplayer modes, with stuttering and lag that detract from the experience. While improvements in graphics have been noted, they seem to have negatively impacted optimization, leading to a call for future updates to address these concerns.
- “And it also has quite a lot of different enemies, the models and animations are pretty good, and it's pretty well optimized, considering this is a game that runs on its own engine and was made by a very small group of people.”
- “That said, their games are rock solid for performance, and I haven't come across a single bug or crash yet.”
- “Edit1: On Mac, I started having serious performance problems late game with my first character and clan. I'm not sure if the cause was having too many summoners with too many summons in the clan. The higher the level, the more each summoner has summons, and some other clans have summoners too.”
- “But until the unbearable stuttering and lag are fixed in the game, I would definitely not recommend this game until they make some serious performance updates.”
- “The game performance is really bad at the moment, especially in multiplayer.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has a nostalgic 90's vibe that some players find charming, evoking a sense of fun and nostalgia, while others feel it lacks depth and could benefit from improvements. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some appreciating its subtlety and others criticizing it as needing an overhaul.
- “The music is taken from the 90s and has that nostalgic jumpscare feeling, which I find absolutely golden.”
- “The music is pretty good; it comes in and out at certain moments, enhancing the experience.”
- “It's not an epic soundtrack, but it's refreshing that it's not overly dramatic like some can be.”
- “The music is taken from the 90s and has that cheap jumpscare feeling, which for me is absolutely golden.”
- “The sounds and music (or lack thereof) could use some improvements.”
- “Sound and music could use an overhaul.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect in this game is a mixed bag; while some players find it engaging and less tedious than typical ARPGs, others note balance issues that can make leveling feel like a chore. The game offers a unique twist with enemy retaliation mechanics, but players may experience slow XP gains if they linger in low-level zones. Overall, it appeals to fans of procedurally generated RPGs and loot farming, though potential players are advised to try the demo first.
- “This mechanic doesn’t work in this game because of all the balance problems; leveling is a tedious nightmare.”
- “Not horribly grindy, but sometimes your XP gain slows down if you stay in a low-level zone too long, which is normal.”
- “A certain type of monster, say imps or orcs for instance, could actually go to war with you if you kill too many at once (think they will just let you keep farming them? Hey, why shouldn't they fight back?).”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding it fun and funny, while others view it as infuriating and annoying. The visuals and sound effects contribute to a comedic atmosphere, but many feel that the overall execution detracts from the experience, making it less enjoyable than it could be. Despite its humorous elements, the game's design flaws overshadow its comedic potential.
- “The visuals are derpy and the sounds are funny.”
- “Don't let the graphics or funny title of the game fool you and give this a shot (free demo).”
- “It can be fun, it can be funny, it can be infuriating, it can be stupid.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game is praised for its integration with strategic town management and diplomacy, creating a unique blend of gameplay elements. While the character design is considered basic, the party system and dynamic quests enhance the overall experience, making it engaging and enjoyable.
- “Great mix of character development and strategic town development, with excellent diplomacy and warfare with other clans generated by the game.”
- “It seems that Soldak took all the best elements of their games and combined them, creating a super fun mix of ARPG, character development, clan management, and diplomacy.”
- “Very basic character design, but the party system and dynamic quests make it an interesting, if somewhat unusual, game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I was disappointed by the limited growth options for characters; it feels like they don't evolve throughout the game.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to engage me emotionally, which detracts from the overall experience.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game's presentation may not meet modern standards, leading to a diminished emotional impact during key events, players appreciate the emotional depth it offers, allowing them to feel a sense of purpose and connection within the gameplay. The combination of chaotic fun and a class system reminiscent of Diablo 2 contributes to a unique emotional roller-coaster experience.
- “Overall, it's a fine game that lets us run around like a decapitated chicken, drinking deeply of the new emotional roller-coaster experience of actually having our existence feel needed in a video game, combined with a class system that takes everything we love about Diablo 2 and squares it.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability has improved significantly since its release, with the developer actively addressing issues through multiple updates. While some minor glitches remain, they are not game-breaking, allowing for a smoother gameplay experience. However, players may still encounter instances where characters freeze when stunned.
- “If stunned, your character simply freezes in place.”
- “Since release, the developer has been very active, releasing multiple updates to fix most problems. Now there are only a few glitches, and nothing game-breaking.”