Is Ultimate Zombie Defense, Worth Playing?

Ultimate Zombie Defense is immensely fun, but its lack of community makes it almost impossible for solo players to make it to wave 100 without an immense amount of trial and error and/or taking advantage of exploits.

Points of Interest.

Product Details
Genre: Action
Developer: Terror Dog Studio
Publisher: Terror Dog Studio
Price: $4.99
Release Date: 21 February 2020
Supported Modes:
Disclosure: Review Copy We received a complimentary copy of this game for review purposes, however our opinions are our own.

Progression.

Ultimate Zombie Defense allows players to level up four unique classes, each with specialised perks and special abilities, such as engineer class which has access to more powerful turrets, a robot companion (eventually) and cheaper and stronger walls and traps and the specialist class which focuses on defeating bosses which can prove difficult for other classes even after their skill trees are fully unlocked.

While choosing to play as a medic is useful in a group environment when playing solo, it is woefully underpowered compared to every other class, and as such solo players may want to focus on levelling up other classes first, such as the solo friendly engineer or heavy (weapons) classes.

is-ultimate-zombie-defense-worth-playing-in-2023

Image credit Ultimate Zombie Defense - Published and developed by Terror Dog Studio.

Better with Friends.

I have enjoyed my time with Ultimate Zombie Defense; however, I will be the first to admit it would be much more fun with friends, and while there is plenty of accessible content for solo players, knowing I will need to grind lower levels repeatedly to unlock my skills ree as a solo player is daunting.

The possibility of not being able to reach the final waves is a very real possibility, even for a solo player with a fair bit of experience in the genre.

is-ultimate-zombie-defense-worth-playing-in-2023

Image credit Ultimate Zombie Defense - Published and developed by Terror Dog Studio.

Base Building.

While Ultimate Zombie Defense does not have a wide selection of items and could have greatly benefited from Steam Workshop integration, there are enough placable defences to make base planning meaningful and mid-late game encounters intense and rewarding.

DLC Controversy.

Ultimate Zombie Defense is rather light on maps, launching with only three maps, many in Ultimate Zombie Defense’s community feel that the developers were wrong in selling a map DLc shortly after launch in light of the base games’ lack of content.

To make matters worse, this first map drop was advertised as the first of a series of maps, signalling that free updates were not on the books.

Because of this and the developers requiring that all party members own the DLC to play on the new map, it was very unpopular.

As of March 2023, no other maps have been released, and all development on Ultimate Zombie Defense appears to have stalled.

is-ultimate-zombie-defense-worth-playing-in-2023

Image credit Ultimate Zombie Defense - Published and developed by Terror Dog Studio.

Boss Battles.

Ultimate Zombie Defense allows players to face off against a small selection of bosses, each with unique attacks and mechanics; however, these battles make solo players rather unenjoyable, especially once you reach level 20, the first of many stages which force players to tackle two bosses at once, a feat that while possible for a solo player is not very enjoyable and is ultimately unrewarding.

While boss encounters pay out more credits, solo players will find it next to impossible to both defend their base (with its limited sentry turrets) and keep alive at the same time, with repairs from even a lower level multi-boss encounter often costing 200-300% more than the reward for defeating the wave in question.

is-ultimate-zombie-defense-worth-playing-in-2023

Image credit Ultimate Zombie Defense - Published and developed by Terror Dog Studio.

Ultimate Zombie Defense FAQ

Ultimate Zombie Defense is a action video game developed and published by Terror Dog Studio, it was released on 21 February 2020 and retails for $4.99.

Platform Availability.

Ultimate Zombie Defense is available exclusively on PC.

Are The Developers Active?

How Many People Play Ultimate Zombie Defense?

As of October 2024, around 1000 people play Ultimate Zombie Defense on a fairly regular basis.

How Active Is The Ultimate Zombie Defense Playerbase?

Ultimate Zombie Defense is barely active, meaning that while finding full lobbies is possible at peak times in populated regions, matchmaking times are likely to be very lengthy, and for those in less populated regions, finding full lobbies may be difficult.

Is There Group Finding/Matchmaking Support?

Ultimate Zombie Defense offers the following matchmaking options:

  • Server Browser

What Peripherals Are Supported?

The following peripherals are officially supported:

  • PC - Mouse and Keyboard.

Is There Any Mature Content?

Ultimate Zombie Defense is unrated and contains:

  • Gore

Final Verdict.

Ultimate Zombie Defense is fun to play alone and exceptionally fun to play with friends, but for those who dislike grinding solo or have no friends to play it with, there are better (and more active) options on the market.


Richard Robins

Richard Robins

As a follower of Jesus Christ, Richard believes that the message taught by Jesus is radically different from what is taught in churches today, and that the influence of his message can be felt across all creative mediums, including video games.

Richard has been passionate about gaming since 1992, when he received his first console, a Sega Master System II which included a built in copy of Sonic the Hedgehog.

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