In the game, you're one of several survivors in the town of Festerville, a place overrun with undead. Your job is to seek fellow survivors, do away with any zombies that get in the way and level up so you stand a chance at surviving the apocalypse.
When you first begin your adventure, you're able to customize your character. You can change your sex and appearance, and once you earn enough in-game currency through battles and completing missions, add to your wardrobe with extra shirts, pants and more. The customization engine is delightful, with hundreds of options available, ranging from a ragged doctor's outfit to a fuzzy Soviet cap.
Once your character is set up, you'll immediately take part in quests, locating fellow survivors and finding extra goods, such as cash and experience points. You'll also battle zombies, highlighting these creatures and deciding which attacks to use. Various weapons become available over the course of the game, including a cool buzz saw bat and assault rifles. Since Zombies Ate My Friends is free-to-play, you may need to spend a few bucks if you're in a hurry to get premium items and resurrection serums. Otherwise, prepare for a good grind session.
The gameplay works comfortably enough, between accessing items in your backpack, navigating your way around the city with help of an in-game map and fighting enemies. Unfortunately, the zombie battles become repetitive. You hit them, they hit back and every once in a while a random event, like a dodge or strong counter-attack, pops up. At least you can liven things up by changing your weapons, such as a shotgun that does massive damage to stronger enemies.
One of Zombies Ate My Friends' best assets is its art style. The characters in the game are quirky and likable, and even the zombies have something to offer. The city was designed well, giving you room to explore and complete additional missions. There's also a conversation system that serves up a few laughs, though the choices you make don't have much of an effect on how your adventure plays out.
Zombies Ate My Friends serves up an enjoyable amount of fun for players of all ages. It's not perfect, but it satisfies like a good, cheap dinner.
