Zombie game is probably one of the overly used genres in the mobile game market. We got different forms of horror survival but only a few managed to excellently deliver. Dead Zed is another zombie game published by NotDoppler, a company that I still clearly remember during the flash game era. Now that the flash game platforms are slowly dying, it is interesting to see them venturing into mobile gaming. Interestingly, Dead Zed started as a browser game and is now adopted into the mobile platform. Generally, Dead Zed is a first-person shooter and your goal is to clear all the stages by killing all the approaching zombies and undead. If you think you have the guts to survive this terror, feel free to explore Dead Zed and see what else this game has to offer.

The Gameplay

The mechanics for Dead Zed are very simple and easily manageable yet much like any first-person shooter games, the players are strongly encouraged to exert the best of their visual reflexes and to show off their impressive eye and hand coordination to maximize his chances of surviving. Everyone who has experienced playing first-person shooter game should know the drill. Here’s how the game works. As soon as the first level begins, it prompts you right away to the first map. The waves of zombies will start to arrive in the area and you must start killing them all before they break through your defenses.

As far as the game controls are concerned, Dead Zed follows the basic ones. You can aim for your target by dragging the crosshair or the reticle of your weapon towards the target. Tap the bullet icon to shoot and double-tap the same icon to reload. You can also magnify the view by tapping the magnifier. You can also switch your primary weapon to secondary weapons and vice versa. The level is cleared when all the zombies are terminated and of course, if you still have lives remaining.

Old School FPS

With so many great First-person shooter games today, where exactly Dead Zed fits in? As far as the visuals are concerned, Dead Zed managed to capture the eerieness. The silence and the enigmatic atmosphere makes you feel that you are really fighting for your survival. Unfortunately, the graphics are not as polished as other games. It actually reminds me of the old school browser-based FPS. It is not really surprising since Dead Zed originated as a browser game and they just captured the exact gameplay to the mobile platform but unfortunately, it was not executed perfectly and there are many notable downsides.

One of which is the aiming. If you are using the mouse cursor on your browser, then targeting the enemies will be simple but if you are using your wide fingers, it is a different story. The aiming for Dead Zed is not just bad but it also makes the game extremely challenging and somehow frustrating. Zombies are just too small to be killed from afar. What makes it worse, the magnifier is not as helpful as it should. If only the developers can do something to improve it like stretching the screen for a better and closer view of the target. That could make the game even more engaging.

Upgrade Weapons and Daily Challenges

Another notable downside of Dead Zed is the slow progression. It takes several attempts or levels before you can finally earn a new weapon or before you can upgrade the weapon to its maximum potential. Apparently, the game is not generous enough when it comes to the reward system. The only best way to earn bigger rewards is by watching a rewarded video. You can double the amount of money you earn per level by watching a short ad but still, the amount is not good enough. Every time you completed three levels, you will get a chance to open a crate which will give you random prizes.

There are three crates to choose from. You can only open one but if you are not satisfied enough, you can open another one but you must watch another reward video. Upgrading your weapon is necessary as it dramatically increases the weapons basic attributes such as damage rate, accuracy, reload speed and ammo capacity. The game also comes with Daily Challenges which allows you to win more valuable prizes. It is also interesting to note that in order to unlock a new map, you must complete the previous stage 20 times which makes the game too much repetitive.

The Verdict

Dead Zed has many notable downsides but it doesn’t mean it is any less engaging. The game is still fun and surprisingly addictive despite the overly repetitive gameplay. Appearance-wise, Dead Zed managed to deliver an old school FPS atmosphere and enough eeriness to set the mood right. Interestingly, the game also works well even without an Internet connection and unlike other FPS, this game will not consume much of your phone storage. Currently, Dead Zed is available for both Android and iOS devices and you can download this horror FPS game absolutely for free. Good luck!

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