What Splatter - Zombiecalypse Now is
Splatter - Zombiecalypse Now is a top-down shooter set in an apocalyptic city, with a film-noir singleplayer campaign. You fight hordes of zombies and other monsters with a large arsenal of weapons, and the combat leans on physics-based splatter effects and a destructible environment. The story mode covers 16 levels with fully voiced NPCs and dialogs, animated cutscenes, boss fights, vehicles and dozens of side quests. Along the way you explore the surroundings to find new weapons, resources and secret areas, and you spend the money you collect to upgrade your guns and unlock new weapon features. The zombies fear light, so your flashlight becomes a tactical tool: use it to carve out breathing room in a fight and to expose hidden weaknesses in your enemies. Lights and shadows add a tactical layer to the battles overall.
Playing it together
The story mode is a singleplayer campaign, so one person drives the plot while others watch or take turns. For group play, the survival mode is where you team up: it supports local multiplayer for up to 4 players with controllers, mice, keyboards or whatever you have on hand, and you fight the horde together. Remote Play Together is also listed as a Steam feature, so friends can join in over a connection rather than sitting at the same machine. Arcade game modes with online leaderboards let you compare scores against your friends once a run is over.
Before you start
Expect challenging fights against varied zombies and monsters, with gore and splatter effects throughout. The campaign is built around voiced dialogs, cutscenes, bosses and side missions, so there is a story to follow between the shootouts. Destructible environments can be shattered, and resources are occasionally hidden inside them, so it pays to look around rather than rush past. Weapon upgrades change how your guns behave as they level up, which is where much of the tactics come from against the different enemy types. Survival mode is score-driven, so repeated runs are about beating your own best and your friends' numbers.