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
- The game features a unique concept of using a train as a mobile base, which adds an interesting twist to the zombie survival genre.
- The gameplay is engaging with a variety of zombies and crafting options, keeping players on their toes.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively works on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The game suffers from performance issues, with low frame rates and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
- Combat mechanics can feel unbalanced, with zombies being overly powerful and melee combat lacking precision.
- There is a lack of tutorial or guidance for new players, making it difficult to understand game mechanics and objectives.
- gameplay47 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring a unique train mechanic that adds an interesting twist to the zombie survival genre, but suffers from various issues such as a lack of depth in melee combat and tedious resource management. While many players appreciate the simplicity and fun of the crafting and survival elements, they also note the need for better mechanics guidance and balance. Overall, the game shows promise with its engaging core concept, but it requires further refinement and content updates to reach its full potential.
“I think the mechanics are great and the concept of surviving on a train is really cool.”
“The gameplay loop of going from town to town, finding secret locations and rare loot, and fighting for your life for it in certain cases, is very fun.”
“Overall, this game is relatively basic when it comes to the survival mechanics, but the train adds a unique and entertaining twist to it!”
“It's very sad that the train remains nothing more than a gimmick rather than an actually useful mechanic.”
“The bad is that it can be a bit tedious with the back and forth carrying things; the weight mechanic is very annoying.”
“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!”
- graphics37 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed feedback, with many players appreciating the unique, cartoonish art style while others desire more realism. Some users noted that the graphics can be demanding on hardware, leading to performance issues, but overall, the visuals are considered charming and well-suited to the game's theme. As the game is still in early access, there are hopes for further improvements and optimizations in the future.
“Deceptively good graphics, unique building (custom train building), hunger/thirst/health/stamina/tiredness meters, more than 10 types of unique zombies, multiple crafting stations/tools/weapons, much more to explore than you'd expect, drive at your speed too.”
“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.”
“On higher graphic settings, RAM usage bumps up to 100% (16 GB), which results in massive lag.”
“It's art style seems mismatched, an odd mix between somewhat 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.”
“Initially, I wanted to give it a no because the graphics were utter garbage and very grainy.”
- story32 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is seen as a mix of creativity and potential, with players appreciating the unique zombie themes and train-based gameplay, but many express disappointment over its current underdevelopment and lack of depth. While some enjoy the existing narrative and the freedom to explore, they eagerly await further content and a more complete storyline. Overall, the foundation is promising, but players hope for significant expansions and improvements in the future.
“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.”
“Pros: the game offers something new as it has a storyline but also freedom to explore.”
“The story provided is pretty good.”
“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.”
“Do you like half a storyline?”
- optimization27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and long loading times, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some players with high-end systems experience smoother performance, many others find the game poorly optimized overall, with a need for significant improvements. However, there are indications that the developers are actively working on optimization, and some updates have reportedly improved performance for certain users.
“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 well optimized and much better, with several new items added to make it more fun.”
“I rebought it after the optimization, and I could finally play it with medium settings.”
“The game suffers from incredibly poor optimization and blackscreens on loading.”
“Sadly, performance is abysmal, and seemingly it gets worse if you have high-end hardware.”
“Poorly optimized at the time of this review; I wouldn't say I have a great PC, but I meet the recommended specs and I get 21 fps max on minimum settings.”
- stability20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting various bugs and glitches, including freezing issues and train malfunctions. While some players appreciate the developer's efforts to address these problems and note improvements over time, others find the frequency and severity of the bugs detract significantly from the overall experience. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further refinement to enhance stability.
“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've played for hours without any issues; the stability of this game is impressive.”
“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.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the simple gameplay and crafting mechanics are enjoyable, the resource management and weight mechanics can lead to tedious back-and-forth tasks. Some users express a desire for better balancing in resource requirements to reduce the grindiness. Overall, the game may require significant time investment for those looking to progress.
“The bad is that it can be a bit tedious with the back and forth carrying things; the weight mechanic is very annoying.”
“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 amusing moments, such as the author's own struggles with gameplay, which many players find relatable and entertaining. Additionally, the game's relaxed atmosphere contributes to its comedic appeal, making for a lighthearted experience that elicits laughter.
“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 rather than jump scares or eerie soundscapes, enhancing the tension of being surrounded by zombies. While the audio quality is described as "okay-ish," players are advised to limit other programs to ensure smooth gameplay.
“The music creates an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, adding depth and emotion to each moment.”
“The audio design, including the music, is well-crafted and contributes significantly to the game's tension.”
“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 areas. Players appreciate the immersive elements brought by base building, crafting, and survival mechanics, all supported by an active development team.
“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 certain gameplay mechanics, such as the speed of movement and the impact of ads, as well as addressing inventory management and save features. These changes could enhance the overall experience and potentially make the game more appealing.
“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 and take away from the fun.”
