In the alternate history of 1854 Japan, Lancarse presents us with a unique blend of action, roguelike gameplay, and historical references in their latest release, Ed-0: Zombie Uprising. Published by D3Publisher, this game takes players back to the Edo period, where the arrival of Black Ships from the West brought not only new technologies but also a devastating zombie plague. As one of the enigmatic “Zom-beings,” players must face hordes of the undead, making tough decisions, and surviving in a randomly generated world. It spent some time in Steam’s Early Access program, but we tested the PlayStation 4 version of the game.
The game’s premise is truly captivating, offering an excellent concept with potential for wild and subversive storytelling due to a mix of history and fiction. The alternate history twist, likening the influence of Americans to a zombie plague, adds depth to the narrative. However, Ed-0 falls a little short of fully exploring this potential, opting for a more traditional roguelike approach with minimalist storytelling. Players might expect more impactful encounters with historical figures, but instead, they mostly face generic bosses throughout the game.
Ed-0 offers a slower-paced, methodical combat system, reminiscent of classic roguelikes. The violence and combat, especially with limbs being severed and blood splattering, align well with the B movie-style aesthetics. The game’s loot system is very much inspired by other roguelikes, with an abundance of items to manage and utilize strategically. The cursed items that you come across add an interesting twist, requiring players to be mindful of their inventory choices. But while the gameplay loop is initially very addictive and lures you in, the lack of variety in items can lead to repetitive runs over time.
Visually, Ed-0 has an initial average and dated appearance. However, there’s a shader option that provides a very neat hand-drawn visual style, adding a unique and appealing touch to the game – the developers should have leaned into that a lot more if you ask us. The game’s dark and brooding horror theme, combined with its intense violence, fits very well with this aesthetic option, with the atmospheric settings contributing to the overall appeal of the experience.
The blend of action and roguelike gameplay creates an addictive and strategic loop, where players must carefully manage their inventory, use charms, and master special strikes to survive. But despite the engaging concept and core gameplay, Ed-0: Zombie Uprising misses opportunities to fully explore its storytelling potential. Difficulty spikes and minor technical flaws, like unpolished components and occasional performance issues, can also be frustrating and impact the overall enjoyment of the experience.
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is an intriguing and quirky title that blends action and roguelike gameplay with an alternate historical setting. The game delivers an addictive and strategic loop with captivating aesthetics, but it falls short of fully realizing its potential and faces some technical hiccups. Despite these drawbacks, players who appreciate quirky experiences like this may find a lot of enjoyment in Ed-0’s undead-filled world. For us, it was a nice throwback to the PS3 era of action games, where weirder concepts were more often embraced.
Score: 7.5/10
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