Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom

Based on the hit young adult book series and Netflix show of the same game, The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom is a zombie survival game for the whole family. Yes, you read that right: this is a game that has players dispatching the hordes of the undead in a kid-friendly setting. Times have changed indeed.

One thing is for sure: despite its shortcomings, this is still a very entertaining game, especially when played in couch co-op. That said, is this game’s simplicity a bit too much for the more experienced players? Let’s find out.

Family-friendly Apocalypse

One of the most interesting aspects of the game is how it adapts the classic multiplayer survival zombie game into a setting that can be enjoyed by gamers of any age. There’s no blood or guts in this game: every character looks cartoony, and so does the weapons and the overall violence.

The art style mimics the one from the Netflix show: bright colors and cartoony characters are everywhere. Being a game aimed at young players, the gameplay in this game is as simple as it can be. Basically, players will have to battle hordes of zombies in a semi-open-world setting, much like a PG 13 version of Dying Light.

Gathering resources will grant players parts to craft improved weapons and armor. It all sounds great so far, but sadly, the game can’t distance itself enough from its kid-friendly roots. Most of the looting and customization are pretty barebones, with only the most basic elements thrown in to justify the game’s existence.

Back to Basics

This post-apocalyptic brawler plays mostly like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance: it’s a mostly top-down game where players bash their way through hordes of enemies. Unfortunately, the game falls victim to a mistake that most games like this suffer from, and that is its repetitive gameplay.

Button mashing can be fun for a while, but when that’s as far as your game goes, then you got a serious problem on your hands. This is made even worse when you notice that you’ve been fighting the same three types of enemies for a while, which is just what happens with Last Kids on Earth.

As a couch co-op game, the simplicity of Last Kids on Earth’s gameplay can be understandable: this is a basic game that’s meant to be enjoyed by players of any age. However, the same could be said of games like Mario Kart 8, and that game is anything but basic.

Visually Undead

Although the game mimics the visual style of the Netflix show, one can’t help but notice how lifeless the game feels. Character models (main characters and enemies alike) lack animations and fluidity in their moves. Textures are also quite basic, and alpha effects lack the polish that we’re used to seeing in most modern games.

Last Kids on Earth might not be a looker, but it’s almost redeemed by its voice talents. Featuring the voices from the actors of the Netflix show, the main cast feels like a real group of friends having a blast at the end of the world.

Pros:

• Entertaining multiplayer
• Solid voice acting
• Charming character design

Cons:

• Rustic presentation
• Shallow gameplay
• Can get repetitive really fast