Zombie Soup

Let's set the scene. You've graduated from school, finally going on your dream backpacking trip to enjoy the sights and sounds of lands afar. But what's this? The town you've arrived in is overwhelmed by monsters? Zombie Soup is a game that takes what feels like the concept of a B-movie and turns it into an abstract struggle for survival, one that looks slightly more intriguing than meets the eye.

The pure obscurity of how this bullet hell game comes off piques interest. The visuals of Zombie Soup look straight out of a Disney game, the monsters look more ridiculous than terrifying, and some cutesy kids are wielding an explosive arsenal to defend themselves. How is this gameplay going to all tie together? Are we seeing the avant-garde approach to top-down shooters?

Welcome to the Soup Kitchen

Ricky probably didn't know he'd be playing the hero on his backpacking adventures, but here we are. Zombie Soup's central premise is this young lad having his world turned upside-down when he meets a girl, only for her to be kidnapped in a strange town, and his job is to save her. How will he do that? Gathering as many guns as possible and facing these bizarre monsters head-on.

Zombie Soup is standard when it comes to top-down shooter gameplay. Players roam around, dodging obstacles, blasting endless hordes of enemies, and overcoming end-of-stage bosses. While there's nothing groundbreaking about the mechanics, the complementary elements of the game make it so entertaining.

The cartoony visuals juxtaposition themselves against a desperate, horrifying narrative of monsters out for blood and the kidnapping of a young girl. The wild colors, cutesy characters, and obscure monsters create a visual feast, satisfying the high-octane combat throughout the game. Even the continued story of Zombie Soup, although pretty templated, adds a dynamic to the gameplay.

Zombie Soup is essentially one of those bullet hell games done very well. Again, while most gameplay elements feel standard for the genre, there's a nice coat of polish, an exemplary flow about the game, and the core mechanic of combat never fails to entertain. Hardcore gamers will love the difficulty curve, consistently providing a satisfying challenge.

Monster Mash

It usually is easy to toss a game like Zombie Soup on top of the pile of top-down indie shooters we have today. However, it's surprising how the title does an excellent job of standing out. There's a dedicated polish and effort to make gameplay fun, not just producing a rushed job as we see in many games. It doesn't have the same impact as bullet hells like Hotline Miami, but it's memorable.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• A polished top-down shooter
• The high-octane combat is always entertaining
• The bizarre theme and setting make gameplay intriguing

Cons:

• A typical damsel in distress story
• The difficulty curve may get frustrating for some