Kids vs. Zombies Review

Zombie games have invaded the App Store... again! And the dilemma is not where to hide, but which one to buy! You can't go wrong with Kids vs. Zombies, a unique zombie killing game that not only boasts good graphics and depth, but also offers up plenty of undead waiting to get blown to pieces.

The kids are allright

You play as three kids -- Marcus, Scarlett and Dexter -- who are stuck in the middle of a zombie invasion. The goal is to fend off wave after wave of zombies from within a base as they walk toward you. This starts off simple, but gets increasingly harder as time goes on.

Each of the three kids has a unique playing style, allowing you to play a more strategic game than most zombie shoot-em-ups. For example, Scarlett kills zombies from afar with a slingshot, Marcus rocks close range with his machine gun and Dexter's cherry bombs should be enough to weaken large groups. Learning and utilizing each of their abilities is the key to success. You can switch between the kids by tapping one; the other two will be controlled by the computer. At the end of each level you are given some statistics and upgrade options, such as base health, ally intelligence and weapons. Everything is well integrated so these upgrades will make a clear difference in the outcome of your next round.

The game’s controls aren't perfect, but they work considering the game’s forgiving nature. You shoot by moving a targeting circle around the selected kid until it lines up with an unfortunate zombie. The most noticeable issue we found was that it was tough to hit a zombie when it was far away, but what do you expect from a kid with a slingshot?

Is that Michael Jackson?

Kids vs. Zombies' biggest issue is its repetitive gameplay. Throughout the majority of the game, you are killing the same enemies with the occasional oddball thrown in. Gameplay mechanics and strategy remain constant throughout, which tends to make the game too easy. At times it felt overly tedious to complete a game. The hardest part is dying, and even when you do, there are plenty of continues.

A key omission from this game was online scoring. In a game where your final score matters, this is very important. While its absence doesn't diminish the game’s value completely, we hope it will be added in the future.

When it comes down to it, Kids vs. Zombies is one heck of a good zombie game that we can recommend to every shoot-em-up lover. Now get out there and shoot up some brains!