The Last Stand: Aftermath

Oh, look, another zombie survival game! It's not like we haven't seen one of those before. You see these announcements and wonder if anybody could simply offer something new sometimes. But let's also remember, the public isn't sick of zombie games yet. Perhaps that's why The Last Stand: Aftermath is looking to take the genre to the next level.

So is there a distinguishable difference in The Last Stand: Aftermath that propels it above other zombie games? It's hard to tell. It looks like it's got all the mechanics of survival. But the genre take is a little different than the standard FPS we're used to. This game will take the vise of a top-down rogue-lite, and there seems just enough curiosity about gameplay to drag users in.

Same Zombies, Different Game

'The Last Stand: Aftermath hasn't got a release date yet, though we have been treated to a demo. The first thing that strikes out about the game is how fluid the animations feel. The environments are dark, gritty, and apocalyptic, suiting the theme, but something is refreshing about the movement and combat. It flows better and makes survival tactics less frustrating to implement.

The visuals are all aligned to your standard zombie survival game. The interface is clean, the objectives are clear, and the survival mechanics are traditional. You'll fight, defend, craft your way to glory, building weapons, bolstering base defenses - the complete works we've come to expect from these games. The core gameplay remains pretty relative to most zombie survival games, with added pluses.

The gameplay is much more fluid which is a nice twist. The extra survival mechanics include infections and the permadeath of party members should they face a wretched fate. While it looks fantastic and feels good to play, the arguable case is The Last Stand: Aftermath offers little difference to the plethora of other zombie games out there.

If anything, the game is the core value of survival gameplay with a new perspective and meticulous refinement on mechanics. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that player engagement may have a quick expiry date. If everything feels too samey, it won't be long before players move on to the next 'big thing' in zombie games.

Standing Tall

Having honed in on its similarities, it's definitely worth giving The Last Stand: Aftermath a shot. Why? It does feel like it's an attempt to better all the things that older zombie survival games could use improvement upon.

The gameplay does feel fluid and entertaining. It's also much more immersive than similar games like Nation Red, building a story around your experience rather than focusing on combat.

Pros:

• Beautifully designed post-apocalyptic environments
• Well-refined zombie survival gameplay
• Fluid animations and a clean interface are refreshing

Cons:

• Does have the mechanics of other zombie survival games
• The game is single-player only