The Unextinguished Undead- Burn, Zombie, Burn Reviewed
Burn, Zombie, Burn for the Playstation 3. Developer: Doublesix, Publisher: Playstation Network
Within the current generation of games, zombies, have become to uninspired developers what princesses and castles were to developers of the NES era. Burn, Zombie, Burn joins the onslaught of new unimaginative games with campy, rehashed zombie themes as an arcade-style shooter that harkens back to the days of Commando and Smash TV.
You play as Bruce: a rockabilly redneck that appears to be a cross between Johnny Cash, Bruce Campbell and Jimmy Neutron. You start in the middle of a 1950’s-suburban-themed kill-box and are assaulted by wave after wave of zombies, without end. The only goal is to rack up as many points as possible to unlock the next 1950’s-suburban-themed kill-box. The game masquerades as a twin-stick shooter, but sheds the title by replacing the right-stick with an auto-aim button, so as long as you mash the X button, you’ll hit a zombie. The auto-aim works alright, but subtracts depth from the formula that Geometry Wars and Everyday Shooter established before it.
The game’s unique mechanic is the burning system. Bruce carries a torch with him, and at any time he can hold it out to become invincible set zombies on fire. When a zombie is on fire, he is faster and stronger, but he also drops better items. Also, your multiplier is determined by how many zombies are on fire at a time. So if there are 75 zombies on fire, you have a 75x multiplier, but at the same time you’ve unleashed a pack of super-zombies that will probably eat you before you can make much use of it.
BZB does a couple of things very well. There is a wide variety of weapons, such as the Brain Gun, the Cricket Bat and the Dance Gun, and each one feels unique. There are tons of different zombie types, each with their own personality and often their own strategies. The burning system itself is a lot of fun too. Deciding whether or not to slaughter a pack of flaming zombies or to let them wreak havoc to increase your score adds tension to the otherwise repetitive game play.
For all the things that BZB does right, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. There are 6 levels in all, but each one is essentially a big square with a button in the middle and different coat of paint on each one. Even though I’ve praised the variety of weapons and zombies, that fact is quickly glossed over when you realize that the starting pistol fees like the most powerful and effective weapon in your arsenal and that the individual groups of zombies all clump together into one big indistinguishable mass. Each level feels long and drawn out, and although there are 3 different play modes, each one feels more or less the same. The game supports local, split-screen multiplayer, but no online multiplayer, so expect to share your screen real estate with your friend.
Burn, Zombie, Burn is not a bad game, but it’s not really a great game either. The generic flavor and repetitive nature of the game clash with the innovative burn system to create an experience just north of HoHum. I could see this game doing quite well standing next to Gauntlet Legends and Dynamite Cop at a bowling alley, but as a solid home experience from PSN, Burn, Zombie, Burn does little to pull my attention away from Crash Commandos or Noby Noby Boy.
I love the name, and still might have to try it.
I thought this was one of DE’s reviews reading through it, as it was well written. Congrats, Mr. SeanNOLA!
I like the look of the game, from the font to the characters.
Six levels? wow, that’s disappointing. How long did it take to finish the game?
How does the framerate hold up with 75 enemies and two players?
You guys are getting big time. Tech-Gaming is now a ‘blocked’ site at my work. Congrats!
Nice review. Thank god, for proxy surfing!
Sounds like a game that has one great concept stretched just a bit too thin. If there’s ever a demo, I’ll have to try it.
Can you have custom soundtracks while playing? Need ‘Firestarter’ in the background.
Buying this today. Sounds good. Great review.
Yep, I used to be able to go to the site directly until last November. Is there any way you guys can fix that?
I bet there will be DLC to extend the game. just wait.
I’m confused, do you use the X button of the right stick to shoot??!
I’ll take that bet!
Good review, SeanNOLA!
Flamethrowers, chainsaws and zombies? I’m there!
Looks like Grabbed by the Ghoulies for some reason.
can u say Monster Madness rip-off? great article, don’t own a ps3 so it’s a no-go for me, even if I had one, I think I would still pass.
Noby Noby Boy kicks ass. Why is there not more love for the game?
Good review, pretty insightful.
Either the editor is too young to have owned an NES or just doesn’t appreciate old-school shoot-em-up style gaming like Smash TV. Sub-par review IMO.
Also, FYI this is from the developer that worked on Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved for the DS and Wii.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXzuCp7SJ_Y
Some people are loving this game. One challenge has to kicking around a exploding zombie head.
A “C” grade seems way too low.
This editor is old enough to have owned an Atari and a NES and has played “Smash TV” and “Total Carnage” extensively. I’m even a fan of “Geometry Wars: Galaxies” for the Wii, and DS. Never heard of “Retro Evolved” for those systems 😉
As for my writer, he liked the game, but felt it was a bit too repetitive, thereby netting an average score.
I would hope its an improvement. Man, that game sucked. I spent $10 on it and felt like I got took.
Why do i get the feeling you are one of the developers of the game?
You guys should do ‘second opinions’; having two people review the game, as I’ve heard some people are enjoying it, and others aren’t.
If Sean likes Crash Commando he probably like retro games.
I felt C was an adequate score for an average game. The base mechanics were there, but the game was repetitive and lacked the charm to make it stand out. C means worth taking a look, but not necessarily a must have.
I did indeed own an NES and played Smash TV extensively (more in the Arcade than at home though) and I felt that the boss rooms in Smash TV as well as the game show atmosphere added depth and character that I felt this game lacked.
Id buy that review for a dollar 🙂
No need to get all ‘Cresente’ (defensive) Write a review and stick with it, you don’t have to explain yourselves.
Too harsh, even for Xbox fanboys like yourselves.
LOL. Kotaku bans my sarcastic comments.
A “C” really is a tad low. I’m *really* enjoying this game.
Some of your suggestions are on-point (Eg. similar “look” to the levels, no online), but other responses make very little sense.
You said the pistol feels like the “most powerful and effective weapon in your arsenal.” Really? With the choice of an uzi, chain saw, shot gun, chain gun, and lawnmower, you think the pistol is the best choice? Well, I can’t say I agree…but it is your review…
Similarly, you said that the levels begin to feel “long and drawn out,” which is indeed a strange comment considering the levels are “infinite,” ending only when you die 3 times.
I also find it hard to call unimaginative when it has so many unique qualities, that to your credit, you do list.
Is it the best PSN game available? No. But I think it deserves at least a “B”. It’s all I’ve been playing for the past week, except for “Worms.”
For anyone on the fence, I think a demo is coming out this week. Even with the “C” rating they gave it here, I think they’d agree it’s worth a free look at the demo.
Hmm, I guess it’s not exactly the PS3’s Dead Rising as a few of my friends were predicting.
Actually, the elevated camera and swarms of zombies reminds me of the Java game, Left 4k Dead, the 4kb clone of Left 4 Dead.
Looks like a decent game, I would have given it a B- for the idea. I haven’t played a game that combines Smash TV elements and zombie burniing before.
Great Review Man!
I thought the game was fun for about 10 minutes but it just really lost it’s appeal quickly.
Yeah, it’s a thirty minute wonder. “C” grade is def. deserved.
I liked this review, I just didn’t find this game to be my style. I give it a D.
Thanks
I will never get sick of zombie games, doesn’t even matter what kind. they will always be amusing to me
Looks to be another dud,but might be worth picking up when it is on clearance.
It’s a shame this game didn’t live up to the expectations I had for it. Hopefully a really good zombie game is released sometime soon though, there haven’t been enough lately. What you said about the pistol made me think of Halo:CE’s in that they both seem to be the only weapon you really ever need, which isn’t a good thing.
Between this, Zombie Apocalypse for XBLA/PSN, and the Zombies vs Plants game, this genre is booming big time. My wallet is going to kill me. However, I’ll have to take Burn Zombie Burn into more consideration following this review.
Looks like an interesting concept, will more than likely check this out. Arcade games on Xbox live/PSN, seem to be getting better and better. I will definitely consider buying this game.
Are you going to review All Zombies Must Die?