Pros and cons of Zombies Run!
Pros:
Excellent storyline, clever radio segments, gamified elements provide ample motivation to run.
Cons:
Occasional hard-to-understand voice overs, minor run log inconsistencies.
It's not really a game... but it is... makes sense? It's an interactive app based on physical fitness with a detailed and convoluted story, so I guess you could call it a fitness app/game/audio book. Either way, it's quite unique and makes running far more interesting at the very least.
Zombies Run! game app review
Zombies Run! combines actual running with an engaging storyline and undead chases with the help of GPS. When heading out for a run, put in your headphones, swipe your screen to start your mission and Run Forrest, Run!
The first mission of Zombies Run! will introduce you to the Abel Township, a relatively safe place in the middle of a Zombie apocalypse. You are the latest arrival to the fortified farm as Runner 5 in a collective group of athletic couriers and messengers sent out in search of supplies
and information.
As you run the story plays out through audio and voice acting without any need to look at the screen. When you start each run, you'll be informed of what you are searching for, whether it is hospital supplies, a lost child or even to incite a zombie chase to lure the undead away from an entry gate.
Once the briefing is complete, the Zombies Run! app will play a song from your chosen playlist followed by another story segment. During the music sections, a voiceover will notify you when you've collected an item such as bullets, bandages, laptops or various other bits and pieces that you take back to base. Each of these missions lasts 20 minutes to half an hour depending on the length of the songs.
If you want to add a little extra excitement, you can choose to play with random zombie encounters, where occasionally you'll need to pick up the pace in order to outrun a pack of brain swilling zombies. These can be switched off for a more basic experience, but it's way more fun to let your imagination run wild, plus you'll actually get more out of it fitness-wise.
Voice-overs will warn you if zombies have been detected, followed by a series of beeps that increase in speed as your pursuers get closer. Once they are within reach you'll hear growls and moans and if you can't get away in time, you'll lose some of the supplies you've collected by dumping them as distractions. GPS is used to track your speed and supposedly you need a 20% increase to get away.
If you happen to finish a mission before you've completed your run, the Zombies Run! app switches to radio mode with a post-apocalyptic radio show drawing on songs from your playlist and hosted by an entertaining and funny duo, Jack and Eugene, providing news, commentary and jokes.
When you have finished your run, simply tap 'Stop Mission'. This is the point at which a tweetable summary of your run presented by the game which is permanently stored in a reviewable log. This log includes total time, distance, and pace together with a listing of items and zombie mobs encountered.
Zombies Run! is more game-like because returning to the base screen allows you to allocate the supplies you've collected to different buildings in the township, upgrading the armory, communications station, and more. Any item can be assigned to any area, but if the supplies are allocated specific to the needs, the buildings will upgrade faster. New missions can be unlocked as the township improves and the population grows
The descriptions of characters, buildings, supplies and special items you've collected can be seen in the game's codex. These special items are nothing but clues which tell the cause of the zombie outbreak and it extends to tracking down Twitter accounts and emailing strange addresses which help to uncover more of the mystery.
Zombies Run! is very good, the voice acting is well executed and the gaming elements are fairly standard but nicely pieced together. It all makes for a unique arid clever experience where you feel compelled to find out more about the story. This of course encourages running, so the developers have done a really great job of melding exercise, gaming and book like engagement into one intuitive app.
Specifications of Zombies Run! app game
Price: $7.99
Category: Games
Updated: Mar 22, 2012
Version: 1.1
Size: 222 MB
Languages: English
Seller: Six to Start
Compatible with: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later
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