ZombiU is a survival horror/action game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and is one of the Wii U's launch titles. In 2012, the city of London has fallen victim to a large scale zombie apocalypse. A famed prophecy by astronomer John Dee called the Black Prophecy foresaw the large scale destruction beforehand. A no-nonsense, military man known simply as The Prepper helps lead various survivors out of the city. The player assumes control of randomly generated survivors at each life, and must escape the city with their lives.
The game could be considered a return to form of survival horror, but how does the game's features stack up against other zombie franchise games? Be sure to vote on which feature wins out.
| Setting |
ZombiU takes place in modern day Lodon at the outbreak of a zombie Apocalypse. The general setting stays within the realms of the large city, with players exploring different buildings within it. There are several underground subway and subway lines that allow players to travel through these new areas. The player will also see and visit various historic areas/landmarks throughout the city. | 
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The first Resident Evil takes place in the rural town of Raccoon City, after the small viral outbreak that eventually leads to the creation of zombies. The player explores the large and imposing Spencer Mansion, filled with traps and mysterious, as well as discovering hidden areas in underground caves, attached residentals, and laboratories. |
| Zombies |
The zombies in ZombiU resemble normal, slow moving, brain dead zombies. They are not capable of fast speeds, but can become very deadly in groups. Dispatching them takes some serious attacking. The zombies of ZombiU do not fall easily to melee attacks, as it takes about 4-6 well placed hits to put them down. They are attracted to lights and noise. They swarm into crowds easily. | 
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The zombies of the Dead Rising series of games are also slow and lumbering zombies. The settings in these games is often in large crowds, so it pits several active zombies at once. They can be easily dispatched with 1-2 melee attacks. They can easily swarm and prevent the character from moving. |
| Special Zombies |
There are a handful of special zombies that can be dispatched in ZombiU. Some zombies for instance are clothed in protective wearing that makes killing them difficult, usually with helmets or body armor. There are also special infected that can cause more of a ruckus than normal, one of them being a spitter zombie that can spit damaging goo at the player. | 
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Left 4 Dead has a collection of special zombies that can really cause problems. Some of these infected include the Boomer, which spits bile that attracts zombies, the Smoker which uses its long tongue to trap players, and the Tank, a massive behemoth that destroys all who get in its path. |
| Gameplay |
ZombiU follows the character as they attempt to escape out of the wreckage of London. The player must fight or avoid zombies by utilizing short range and long range weapons, along with a variety of other tools. The player uses the GamePad controller to play the game, and the unique qualities of the controller add another dimension while playing. Having to look towards the second screen when browsing items, moving the Gamepad around to scan the general area, and other features help increase immersion. |  |
Dead Island features an open world and focuses on an action/role-playing experience. Combat is carried out with melee weapons and firearms. Melee attacks are emphasized, and a stamina bar hinders players who exhaust their character too qquickly. The skills and strengths of a player are determined by the XP gained, and what skills they wish to increase. |
| Multiplayer |
ZombiU contains an 'asynchronous multiplayer' which pits two players against each other, one controller with a normal controller and the other using the Wii U GamePad. Player one takes control as a human, and must attempt to collect as many flags as possible. The second player uses the GamePad to set zombie enemy placement in an effort to thwart the first player from his objective. The first player can unlock more guns as he progresses, while the second player can unlock special infected to throw into the mix. | 
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Left for Dead 2 includes several multiplayer modes. The first is a typical head-to-head survival match, where players take turns controlling humans and infected. The humans must progress through the levels without being defeated, while the zombies must strategically place their spawns and hunt the humans. Other game modes such as Scavenge, where humans must collect gasoline for a car, are included. |