Ray's The Dead

Been waiting for 7 years for this spiritual successor of Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse from Xbox Originals, I am not disappointed!! I am a lil over an hour so far in the game and can easily tell you its a labor of love with a very small yet dedicated and passionate team, Game has a beautiful artwork and a fantastic soundtrack, very fluid level design and some interesting yet simple puzzles, game plays equally well with either keyboard and mouse or a controller, environments looks very colorful and even though its somewhat linear there is still some room to explore. If you are a fan of Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse, You really need to play this, Its all that you love about Stubbs and then some more, Its fun to run your own zombie horde for change while solving simple puzzles listening to an amazing soundtrack than just shooting zombies like every other game out there, Shooting zombies is fun but this is really fun too!! You gotta try it.

[table][th] Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces [/url] - The greatest games of all time on Steam. [/th][/table] You have died, but the game just starts. You are resurrected, and have to beat a few nasties. The beat'em up is ok, but not very sophisticated. You don't have many moves. One, if I remember right. I already assumed this is a rather boring beat' em up without much variety. After winning the first boss battle, you begin to resurrect other zombies, who follow you in your ever growing zombie army. And suddenly you play a completely different game. It is kind of Overlord, you send your zombies to attack or destroy structures. Really cool. But then - something completely different. You begin to remember your past. And suddenly you are a teenager and help an injured bus driver, lead your friends through a raging wildfire and even save a doggy. And then you are a zombie again, fighting punks at the graveyard, if you didn't get run over by Christine (or whatever was the cars's name). This game certainly is not boring and repetitive - recruit and lead a zombie army, solve little puzzles, beat up nasties in close combat while you follow the narrative and find out who resurrected you (and why) and also relive through key events of your past life. So, is it a masterpiece? No, probably not, but it is a great horror comedy while it lasts. [u][b] Conclusion:[/b][/u] Humorous Overlord-inspired action game with a story full of pop culture references.

Been waiting since 2013. So far the first hour was pretty fun I actually had to force myself to put down the controller. The art style is great and the music is outstanding. There is a few minor things however, such as the pause screen freezing the game for 10 seconds then loading in and menus being wonky all around. Also the fact that I can't turn off Vsync or the game will crash. Other than that I'm having a lot of fun.

I don't really find the game all that fun, the first boss fight I had real trouble with. I know what to do, but I felt that the controls weren't that responsive, or very good. I did manage to beat the boss, but now stuck on a later level. I have big issues with trying to stay alive. That once you have chipped the health of enemy, you can eat their brains to refill your HP gauge. However, the amount of time you can do this is very tiny, also the controls aren't that responsive. So generally, I don't get to refill my HP gauge, and must carry on. Also enemies with weapons are too strong, they can simply stun the zombies that you can control. So I have had my fill of the game, and will likely uninstall. I did back it on KS. But unless the controls are better tuned. I don't think this is a fun game to play.

Ray's The Dead is a game of hope. "I hope Someone will make another game about playing as a zombie after Stubbs the zombie" YEP "I hope the game will be released less than 6 years after the kick-starter finishes." NOPE "I hope it is exactly what they promised in said kick-starter" YEP "I hope it is possible to beat the bullfight boss without having to collect +90% of the "optional" upgrades til' now." NOPE "I hope the story is rich, emotional, and funny all at once" YEP "I hope there isn't another game breaking glitch." NOPE "I hope there is gameplay variety to keep the game from getting stale" YEP "I hope this timed puzzle doesn't require superhuman luck, speed, and sub-pixel perfect movement." NOPE "I hope the ending is satisfying" YEP "I hope the developers listen to the community and work on these bugs" So far so good T.L.D.R. Overall good game, wait for updates, will update review if things change

-- REVIEW IN PROGRESS -- So far, after 3+ hours spent on Ray's the Dead, I find it to be incredible in terms of atmosphere, story, and how strongly it resonates with the '80s! The excellent soundtrack also contributes vastly to the bygone era this game seeks to emulate, and I can safely say that (while by no means same in terms of gameplay), Ray's the Dead can stand proud hand-in-hand with Hotline Miami as the best depiction of this ultra-cool time period. As for gameplay, if you played Pikmin or Overlord, you'll find yourself right at home with how you control your zombie horde in the present/friends in the past. So far, aside from slightly unresponsive main menu, the game didn't surprise me with game-breaking bugs and everything runs smoothly. Overall, if you want a narrative-driven linear adventure with (some) moral choices, loaded with smart pop-cultural references, zombies, and oozing that '80s style from its every pore, Ray's the Dead is the game you should get! P.S.: I still cannot believe that it hasn't picked up traction given how much passion was put into the game, but this can be attributed to this new "Twitch" era of marketing... a sad affair, for Ray's the Dead may be bound to become your classic sleeper hit with cult following.

My heart weeps, because I think some love was put into this. But in the end it felt sluggish and clunky. Felt like your character was clunky and keeping your zombies out of harms way was a chore, while the human flashbacks felt like padding. I did NOT play Stubbs The Zombie, I DID play Pikmin, I WAS a kickstarter backer (lower tier), according to the chapter list, I finished a little less than half the game before writing this.

A tentative recommendation. I backed the title on Kickstarter all the way back in 2013, which raised a measly ~$50,000, the money quickly dried up leaving the game in limbo. After seven years of bedroom coding in their spare time the developers deserve a pat on the back for their efforts to create a game that is more ambitious than I was expecting. The art-style was the original draw to the project for me and I’m very pleased that it has retained all the charm of that original pitch. The music is wonderful, some great 80’s synth-wave inspired tracks that help keep the feeling of pace and progress, even if the game's pace often doesn’t live up to that awesome soundtrack. The developers over did it on story; we play as Ray a newly resurrected zombie attempting to discover who he is and the origins of his rebirth. Throughout he story we flash back to important moments in Ray’s life which in turn incorporates tutorials on new powers, and abilities as you progress which can be a bit overbearing. We’re constantly flipping back and forth between the present and the past and it really breaks up the flow of the gameplay, there are the occasional “levels” that feel like nothing more than glorified cutscenes. The worst point in the game is where Ray is strapped onto a slow moving conveyor belt, with only one action possible, and each time you enter the next section of the building we get a flash back to the past, it both literally and figuratively slows the game down to a crawl. Gameplay wise it feels a lot like Pikmin or Overlord; but instead of cute carrots or quirky minions, it’s the rotting undead. You direct them to do actions and you’ll gain new special types of zombies as you progress adding some needed complexity to the proceedings. Control wise things feel unresponsive and clunky, to the point where even on the main menu there is noticeable lag in response to input, outside of a few glitches (that reset upon death) it’s still a perfectly playable game. The story also I think gets in the way of the gameplay, the way the game is structured we can’t gain access to new zombies until we’re at a point in the story where we meet person X to gain ability Y. So you’re never really given the chance to explore the mechanics of the game, coupled with often cramped maps it gives the game a very claustrophobic and limited feel. Which is not to say they haven’t attempted to mix things up with some odd choices of mini-games and missions with special objectives. These are hit and miss, some are going to be a highlight (a bizarre saxophone solo), pretty good (a stock-market simulator) to painfully tedious (stealth sections). So I think the game offers enough variety to keep you going until the very end of the game. So yeah it’s a flawed game, a little bit janky, but I think it still has charm and humour. It’s certainly offering something a little bit different.

[quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6142328/][b]Like this Review? Follow The Cpt Froggy Club Curator Page for plenty more![/b][/url][/quote] Ray's The Dead: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is always bliss to have a good night’s sleep! Occasionally, you might wake up suddenly, from a nightmare, from a loud sound that erupts close by (such as thunder) or simply from being startled by your partner for fun (I must say, I thoroughly enjoy the last one, although not as the recipient. Mind you, after having had a laugh, I may well suffer as a consequence for quite some time!) So, imagine being in the eternal sleep of your final resting place inside your tiny 60cmx200cm residence (coffin) when suddenly someone tries to suck all remaining moisture from your body. After managing to crawl out of your small, sweet home, you are then confused by the complexion of your skin, which is surprisingly green, and find yourself feeling overwhelmingly hungry, with an irresistible urge to jump on everything that moves, mouth wide open, constantly feeling hungry. And you can’t even talk! I guess you’d feel pretty peeved! Well, in the case of Ray La Morte, in addition to this rude awakening, he has also been scalped, and has a lightbulb sticking out of the top of his head! Why, oh Why, did we Ray’s The Dead? Ray’s The Dead is an action/adventure game developed and self-published by Ragtag Studio on the 23th of October 2020 on the Steam platform. You’ll be playing two different periods of Ray’s life: the present (which is when Ray finds himself as a zombie after being awakened from the dead), and the past (where you will find out the cause of his death). You’ll start the game in the present or after Ray crawls out of his tomb and finds himself in the town cemetery, right in the middle of Halloween festivities (which is probably the only good news he’s had so far!) Here you’ll learn how to revive and use one of the four types of zombie under Ray’s control: the normal zombies, and then as you progress through the game, the dogs, assassins and heavy zombies. I must say, I had a ball playing Ray’s present, as you encounter plenty of fights throughout each of the levels and the bosses fights are quite fun too. Ray’s past or memory flash-backs are more or less the basis of the story, where you find out who Ray was hanging out with while alive, and the friction that his group of friends had with another group led by a guy named Chaz. The character-building is excellent, and the dialogues are fun all the way through. But the gameplay during these sequences is pretty much just to avoid Chaz’s goons in the early stages, try not to be seen by scouts in Ray’s camp recollection, and a few mini-games. There are also one or two stages like that in Ray’s present, but the present is mostly fighting, which I personally thoroughly enjoyed, especially when Ray encounters a new type of enemy and discovers which one of his four zombie-types are more likely to inflict the most damage to these new foes. More than once, a well-combined attack with a couple of specific groups of zombies is the way to go. In some cases, and with stronger enemies, the combo tactic will be useless, and Ray will need to find the enemy’s weaknesses in order to beat them. If you keep sending Ray’s zombies against a stronger opponent, they will keep getting knocked back and will freeze until you unfreeze them with a boost of your energy, which is the same energy Ray uses to revive the dead or run faster with his group for a short spell! Bear in mind that all zombies, with the exception of Ray’s personal Zombie friends, can die again. For example, they can die by being hit too many times by a stronger opponent and you don’t want to have Ray convicted for a double homicide. Ray will also need to be careful of his own Zombie state of health. Every time he is hit by an enemy, his health will take a sharp decline which you’ll be able to see with the gauge located on the top right of your screen. Don’t freak out, Ray can gain his health back by jumping on the back of an enemy and eating his/her brain before they crash down onto the floor. You’ll have a few seconds to activate each of these moves, so be quick! They are a couple of other things Ray will find in the levels: tombs and batteries. As most of the levels you’ll play in the past and the present will be in an outdoor setting, you’ll find tombs placed around each of the stages. These tombs will have a small yellow light in front of the headstone; you must read them, and to be honest, there are some amusing ones that will give you the giggles for a while. It’s hard to miss them so you shouldn’t have any problems here. The batteries are usually in radios, and some are pretty difficult to find despite being large items. Sometimes the batteries are inside boxes, for example, so make sure you smash anything everything and anything you can! Yes, there are puzzles in this game, but they are extremely simple! I enjoyed playing Ray’s The Dead; the graphics are excellent and the story is brilliantly put-together with plenty of humour. The Soundtrack is also very good. In terms of the controls, you can play the game with your mouse and keyboard, but I strongly recommend using a gamepad for this game. They are a couple of audio and visual options, and that’s about it. It also seems to be only available in English, which is a bit of a shame! Positives: ~~~~~~~ + Great graphics with plenty of charm + The story is brilliantly put-together and full of humour + Fun and easy to play, especially with a gamepad + Control four types of Zombie + Fun Zombie fighting + Achievements Negatives: ~~~~~~~~ - No trading cards as yet - I found Ray’s past gameplay too repetitive Relive the past and present of Ray’s The Dead! Well put together and full of humour! 7/10 Key provided by the developer/publisher for review purposes. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own! [quote][url=https://www.zeepond.com/reviews][b]READ EPIC REVIEWS FROM “THE CPT FROGGY” AND MATES, UP NOW ON ZEEPOND, THE HOME OF THE ALMIGHTY FROG![/b][/url] [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/thecptfroggyclub#curation][b]FOLLOW THE CPT FROGGY CURATOR PAGE HERE[/b][/url] [url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZchpsMdA2hDYJKZgOPdo_w?view_as=subscriber][b]SUBSCRIBE TO THE CPT FROGGY YOUTUBE CHANNEL[/b][/url][/quote]

Disappointing. I love the graphic style and kept playing way after I should have given up. I really wanted to know what was coming up next, because this game has good ideas, but bad bones (pun intended). You don’t expect the controls to be tight when playing a zombie, but there is a noticeable delay between pressing a key and the character responding. This is fine until the first boss fight where you have a [spoiler]bull-and-pillar[/spoiler] mechanic. The stun lock in the first boss battle is also problematic (though to be fair, that may be a bug rather than intended as I encountered little of it on subsequent fights). I defeated the baseball ground mini-bosses several times, only to be faced with a game over screen being told each time I didn’t have the 3 required zombies to continue. At one point I had around 7 minions. It doesn’t count stunned zombies or dead mini-bosses you haven’t resurrected yet. Checkpoints on some places take you back too far, and deaths on the boss battles all force you to sit through the unskippable in-engine cut scenes for 20-30 seconds before control is released to you again. The game should also be marked Controller required. Ray moves with the classic WASD controls but faces (and attacks) in the direction of the mouse. The mouse uses absolute positioning (where the pointer is on the screen) rather than relative (the direction you move it). The mouse cursor is the standard Window’s arrow pointer (seriously!) and is very easily lost in the visual noise and confusion. As is Ray in larger Zombie fights and in the non-Zombie levels. Also, no wide screen support (1980x1020 is the max resolution). For my sins, I was a KickStarter backer. 6/10 Pick it up on sale.