Zompiercer
- April 3, 2020
- DDDimanN
- 17h median play time
Get on Steam"Zompiercer is an action-packed single-player game with compelling gameplay and pretty visuals. Take control of a train, build and customize your home on railway cars, fight off hordes of zombies, and explore the story of a zombie apocalypse world through carefully handcrafted locations."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique concept of surviving on a train in a zombie apocalypse, providing a fresh take on the survival genre.
- Engaging crafting and building mechanics that allow players to customize their train and base.
- Active developer who listens to community feedback and regularly updates the game.
- Performance issues, including low frame rates and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
- Combat mechanics can feel unbalanced, with zombies being overly difficult to defeat early on.
- Lack of tutorials or guidance for new players, making it challenging to understand game mechanics.
- gameplay48 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique zombie survival premise centered around operating a train, which adds an engaging twist to the experience. While many players appreciate the core mechanics, crafting, and atmosphere, there are notable criticisms regarding the combat system, lack of depth in mechanics, and the need for more guidance and balance. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation with enjoyable elements, but it requires further updates and refinements to reach its full potential.
“It's hard to say if it's suitable for everyone, but if you're into the idea of literally bringing everything back to your safehouse and battling zombies, you can expect at least 15-20 hours of engaging gameplay.”
“The core of this game is built around a nice premise and gameplay is pretty solid.”
“Overall, this game is relatively basic when it comes to the survival mechanics, but the train adds a unique and entertaining twist to it!”
“The combat system is too basic, close to terrible - no dodging mechanic, and the hit-box of the simplest zombies is currently terrible.”
“It's very sad that the train remains nothing more than a gimmick rather than an actually useful mechanic.”
“Aside from the lacking content, the mechanics are still a bit half-baked; one thing that really drove me crazy was the fact I have to keep the train throttle up in order to keep moving, even on a downhill!”
- graphics40 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique, cartoonish art style while others criticize the overall quality and optimization, describing them as grainy or poorly rendered. Despite the shortcomings, many acknowledge that the visuals are impressive given the developer's limited resources and express hope for future improvements. Overall, while the graphics may not compete with AAA titles, they offer a charming aesthetic that some players find enjoyable.
“The graphics are cartoony in some ways, but realistic in other ways, yet it achieves a good balance of this and creates a really nice looking game.”
“The graphics are good for being kind of cartoony but in a charming way for sure.”
“Using the train to get about and its your mobile base is excellent, the graphics are pretty and the sound quality is good.”
“Graphics are bad, UI is bad, zombies are disgusting 'Shrek' looking things, no tutorial, no jump, and the list continues.”
“Initially, I wanted to give it a no, because the graphics were utter garbage and very grainy.”
“It's art style seems mismatched, an odd mix between sorta realistic graphics and the Subway Surfers mobile game, nothing too intensive you would think, but it still runs like hot garbage and made my computer sound like it was going to explode with how fast my fans were running.”
- story32 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is seen as a promising but currently underdeveloped aspect, with players expressing a desire for more depth and content. While some enjoy the existing narrative and the unique train-based gameplay, many are eager for future updates to expand the storyline and introduce additional quests and characters. Overall, the foundation for an engaging story is present, but players are left wanting more.
“I love the concept of the game, where you have your own train traveling from outposts to towns scavenging for what you can find in order to upgrade your train, skills, etc. There is a little bit of story here which is okay; it's not groundbreaking, but it is nice to have a little mystery to unravel as you go.”
“The story provided is pretty good.”
“I can't wait for the story to fully be released.”
“So far the story is very underwhelming.”
“If I had looked more and seen the story is not complete, I would have waited to purchase.”
“It needs a map, NPCs, and a storyline, and the updates keep arriving late and broken, and now they are asking for more money.”
- optimization29 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and long loading times, even on capable hardware. While some users note improvements following updates, the consensus is that significant optimization work is still needed, particularly for those with lower-end systems. Overall, the game is seen as having potential but currently suffers from poor optimization that detracts from the experience.
“I have nothing but good things to say; performance is not an issue if you use a computer that meets the required specs. I run a GTX 1070, 16GB RAM, and an i7 7700K, and on max settings, it runs perfectly.”
“Update: The devs have made several major updates, and the game is now really very well optimized and much better, with several new items added to make it more fun.”
“Still needs some optimization work, but it is early access; remember that.”
“The game suffers from incredibly poor optimization and blackscreens on loading.”
“The game could use a lot more optimization and while in early access you can expect performance to be affected; however, after 6 months, the game still needs more work to be an acceptable experience.”
“Sadly, performance is abysmal, and seemingly it gets worse if you have high-end hardware.”
- stability20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent bugs and glitches, such as freezing during loading screens and issues with train mechanics. While some players appreciate the developer's responsiveness and note improvements over time, others find the game still requires significant work to address its stability issues. Overall, it seems that while the game is enjoyable, its current state is marred by persistent technical problems.
“What a cracking fresh game this is, and it runs great on the deck; just needed a few button adjustments.”
“The game is incredibly stable, providing a smooth experience without any crashes or glitches.”
“I appreciate how well-optimized this game is; it runs flawlessly even on lower-end hardware.”
“No, this game is severely buggy; sometimes dodge works and sometimes it doesn't.”
“Unfortunately for me, I'm guessing either my laptop can't process the game or there is a bug because every time I try to start a game, it freezes and won't ever respond.”
“Great game could spend hours playing, but this is why I do not recommend the game; it crashes and freezes on loading screens between the different zones.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the ability to customize the difficulty of grinding by adjusting zombie health and farming amounts, making the experience more enjoyable. However, there are concerns about resource balancing, as some find the crafting requirements can become excessively grindy, leading to a tedious experience. Overall, while the gameplay is generally enjoyable, a more balanced resource system could enhance the experience.
“I really would like to see a solid balancing between resources needed for crafting items because sometimes it gets too grindy.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its self-referential moments, such as the original author struggling to play, which many find amusing. Players appreciate the blend of relaxation and comedy, noting that the game's mechanics can lead to unexpectedly funny situations.
“What the trailer shows is the original author failing to play this game, which I find just hilarious, but my wallet doesn't.”
“It's very relaxing and funny too.”
“It just made me laugh when I shot it.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is minimal, with a focus on cold silence that enhances the atmosphere of lurking danger, rather than relying on jump scares or eerie soundtracks. While the audio quality is described as "okay-ish," players are advised to limit other programs to ensure a smoother experience.
“The music creates an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
“The audio design, including the music, is well-crafted and adds depth to the gameplay.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the game's themes and keeps players engaged.”
“No jump scares, no eerie music, just the cold silence and the knowledge that there are zombies down here with you.”
“Having any other programs running (i.e. music player, internet browser) will cause problems across the board as Zompiercer will demand more attention to keep it running smoothly.”
“Okay-ish audio (music and sound effects).”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game features a fun open world, but its linear progression limits replayability somewhat. While there is potential for improvement, current reviews indicate that replay value is somewhat lacking.
“Fun open world, but it takes you down the same path, which limits replay value a little bit.”
“There isn't a significant amount of replayability at the moment, but it's still early access.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique take on the zombie survival genre, featuring solid environmental design that enhances the experience, particularly in darker settings. Players appreciate the immersive elements that complement the base building, crafting, and survival mechanics, contributing to an engaging overall ambiance.
“Unique twist on the zombie survival premise, solid atmosphere, base building, crafting, and survival mechanics, and a very active developer to boot.”
“The atmosphere in this game is great, especially in very dark areas.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users suggest that the monetization model could be improved by adjusting gameplay mechanics such as movement speed, ad placements, and resource management, indicating a desire for a more balanced and user-friendly experience.
“The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and not worth the value they provide.”
“The constant ads and prompts to buy items disrupt the gameplay experience significantly.”
