Game Review: Welcome To Paradize [PS5] – Soundsphere magazine

This game is a fun, zombie survival game, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s an alternative take on the zombie apocalypse, where you live in Paradize, and humans are back in control…with zombie security guards. What could possibly go wrong?

The graphics are cool, kinda like Days Gone meets Zombieland but the zombies here…ARE YOUR SLAVES!

The overall atmosphere is great – simple controls make killing zombies a (literal) blast for the player, as you attack with clubs, and various other brutal weapons. While it’s not as flashy as the aforementioned game, it certainly has a lot in common with Rebellion’s classic (in my view) Zombie Army games, from a top down perspective. Simply, but definitely effective for long-time fans of the genre, with crafting and RPG mechanics.

The backstory is of particular note, a famous billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Allan Tusk (definitely nothing in common Iron Man), creates a haven for people from zombies, where the zombies are controlled via helmets. As you might imagine, it turns out not to be the…erm, paradise that it’s promised to be, and quickly becomes a fight for survival.

There are some nice satirical elements here (in the form of really decent animated infomercials that help you understand the game’s background), and it’s nice to see the game doesn’t take itself too seriously from the jump, as you will build armour from leaves and twigs, and fight zombies with airguns at various points!

Clearly there has been some effort assigned to the lore of the game, and at regular points you will see different elements that hint at what Paradize used to be, which is a cool touch. The landscape itself is probably one of the most admirable things about this game on the whole. Like a 50s theme park, with a cool acoustic funk soundtrack playing regularly!

Another nice addition here, is that in combat, you can attach a hacking helmet to a zombie (which will become your zombot) and make it your ally, and you can assign your zombie various tasks in and out of the mission. You can also program your zombie to perform close combat with various weapons, have pillow armour and much more. Experimentation is clearly something that this game wants from its players, and that is to be commended.

Once your zombot is killed, you will be able to attach another hacking helmet to a different zombie, so you can have your own undead army throughout to support your gameplay style. These zombies can heal you, forage for you, or go kamikaze when on low health. You can have two zombots following you at the same time, and your zombie mate will even help you attach a hacking helmet to a new zombie if needed, a feature which I think adds a lot to the game’s uniqueness.

The crafting elements is another standout feature, as you progress through the game, you will eventually have enough blueprints to build a weapons bench, walls, traps and a home for yourself, giving you a safe haven of sorts. If you build a zombot pylon, you will also be able to summon an undead workforce to help you feel all warm and snuggly in your post-apocalyptic abode. Building your defense force is particularly important, as your home base will be under attack fairly regularly, and you may not always be around the base to stop the assault.

As mentioned, I enjoyed the simplicity of this game in terms of fight mechanics, and the fun I had building up my skill tree over time. Again, the game doesn’t take itself to seriously, and this contributes to its charm, at varying points you will fight zombie hordes, but you will also come across a zombie elephant, so y’know….enjoy that. I am actually really looking forward to introducing friends to this game as part of the Online Multiplayer Mode.

It’s important to mention while there is much to love about this game, it has a couple of flaws worth pointing out – namely the menu design, as sometimes pop-up menus obstruct the view when you are trying to build. It’s minor, of course but it can get annoying the more you try to edit your zombies and characters with cool clothes, or weird weapons.

Overall then, this game is a fun take on your more traditional zombie killing spree, and the ability to hack zombies to help you in combat is an inspired idea to change the dynamic. More missions will be most welcome in DLC, but if you’re a fan of zombie shooters, and the top-down genre, then it doesn’t get much more fun than this on those specific terms.

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