L.S.S II

Actually a small hidden gem

really had fun with this, so glad a 2nd one came out :D

This game might look like a little rough around the edges, because it is, but it's actually well worth the price of admission. The gameplay is simple but enjoyable, the sound design is pretty good for the most part, and while the graphics are probably the weakest aspect, I personally see a bit of charm in them and think they fit the style of the game. Even the time you get from just exploring all the maps and trying to learn the best strategies for each makes this worth it. Lots of ideas are borrowed from CoD, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Don't get me wrong though, there are enough changes to keep things fresh and interesting for an experienced Zombies player. First off, the gameplay is very reminiscent of CoD Zombies: Survive increasingly difficult waves by buying better weapons, perks, and staying ahead of the hordes. The perk-a-cola mechanic is carried over, but with slight changes and additions that are fun to try out. Stamina and health are also slightly reworked, but maintain the same basic concepts. I'd say where it most differs is the difficulty. Rounds 1-4 compared to 5+ are like night and day, and from someone who is used to the gradual buildup of CoD, it's a bit jarring. After playing a few times and getting used to it though, I do enjoy it. It's worth sticking through. I was almost turned off by it, but I'm glad I came back to it. The sound design feels surprisingly good. Most of the weapons feel punchy, and the zombies go down with a satisfying crunch. It also extends to other parts as well. Shooting a barrel will cause it to ring out. Hitting a plastic water tank makes a dull thud, accompanied by some green ooze spilling out. The purchasing sound effect seems almost ripped from CoD, but it works there and so fits in this game as well. The rapid fire drill of your gun after getting the double bullet upgrade also feels rewarding and fun. The only place this feels underwhelming is with the zombies. These moaning sounds feel pretty generic. Also, the music is bare bones, and the menu song repetitive, but I do like the guitar track after a match ends. Overall solid with some noticeable exceptions. I think the graphics are going to be the biggest turn off for people, which is understandable but I advise against it. I find the bright aesthetic to be fun, but the textures definitely clash is some places. Again, I feel the zombies suffer the most here, and aren't particularly interesting to look at and can be kind of ugly. Overall though, it's worth getting through for the game. And now for some personal thoughts and experience on this game. The developer really seems to care about this game. It really does feel like an indie developer with only a bit of artistic experience putting a fun game together first and figuring out graphics after. Part of my reasoning for saying this: I bought this game on my own, and after playing a bit I convinced my friend to buy it so we could play together. He did, but the multiplayer was broken; the zombies wouldn't spawn and we were stuck running around at round 1. So I posted my issue in the discussion page for bugs, and within a day the developer responded and fixed the issue. (You can see this now on the discussion page). Don't get me wrong, this is still a rough game with bugs and issues, but it certainly doesn't feel like a cash grab asset-flip. For $3, I think it's worth checking out. TL;DR: A simple, fun, cheap game for a cheap price. You won't find the next big indie hit here, but stick with it past round 5 and you'll get some fun out of it.