Zombie Night Terror
Overview -
NoClip is a new and very small developer based out of Marseille, France. In partnership with Gambitious, Inc, NoClip's first game is 'Zombie Night Terror.' 'Zombie Night Terror' takes a very zombie movie approach to a PC classic, 'Lemmings.' Of course, it wouldn't be much a of zombie game if there weren't humans.
Humans then are one of the game's biggest obstacles, and, at the same time, one of the player's most important resources. Spreading the zombie apocalypse requires lots of warm bodies.
Video Review
I'm clearly a sucker for a good use of grayscale. It's not a beautiful game, and I'm sure a bigger team could achieve more visually by applying more character detail and animation, but what we have is a success. The levels are basically flatly lit, but the environment detail and touches have been spread out in a rewarding way that only cultivated design (and not procedurally generated) can achieve. The simple stadium level bears out this less is more style as well as almost anything in the game. Naturally, the simple characters let the gore be cartoonish.
Audio Review
The music is good, and doesn't grate. There's only some Charlie Brown like muttering and few screams and explosions beyond that. Sounds are kept to being mainly useful audio cues. Like the overall game, there's little to distract the player during a level.
Final Thoughts
'Zombie Night Terror' makes for a delightful challenge, one that is worth revisiting in the future even after conquering all of the levels. Many of the human characters in the game are in need of grisly end, and zombies are certainly primed for that. The game falls short of excellence, but it's still an easy recommendation for anyone who might enjoy an action-puzzler with zombie b-movie humor.