Zombies, it would be fair to say, have had a pretty rough time of it when it comes to the world of video games.
The litany of indignities rained upon the undead community by gamers – since they were first led off a cliff in the 1984 ZX Spectrum game Zombie Zombie – would make even Bruce Campbell blush. Exploded heads. Severed limbs. Cranberries songs. Never mind the continued, malicious portrayal of anyone who rises after death as a brain-hungry fiend.
Undead Knights, then, will please many by taking a kinder view to the living dead. It's a by-the-numbers hack-'n'-slash in almost all respects, with one caveat – this time, the zombies are on your side. It's a clever twist, and one that adds some spice to a fairly pedestrian format. Rather than just mashing the "hit with sword" button, enemy soldiers can be zombified to fight on your side. Your gang of reanimated recalcitrants (ahem) can then be "sicked" on enemy soldiers or used to dismantle large obstacles. You can even pick them up and throw them – and you really can't say you've lived until you've chucked a zombie.
Sadly, this pleasing novelty is soon undermined by deeply unimaginative level design. Almost every stage consists of some soldiers, an obstacle or two, perhaps one larger foe, and little else. Because of this you're unlikely to want to play all the way through the game once you've experienced the few different abilities and upgrades available, even if you're drawn in by the hokey narrative. The game offers you the chance to repeat levels to complete them in faster and faster times is, but this is pretty unappealing.
Graphically the game holds up well, the cut-scenes are as good as any I've seen on the PSP, and there's a pleasing chewing noise as enemy soldiers get munched on. You'll quickly get bored of the drab, repetitive landscapes, but with the large amounts of soldiers and allies you can have battling at once, it's probably more important the game runs as smoothly as possible. Controls-wise, I had some issues with the camera, but in general your character is pleasingly responsive. It's vitally important in a hack-'n'-slash that combat "feels" authentic, and Tecmo have done a very good job of ensuring that here. Every blow landed feels satisfyingly meaty.
Multiplayer mode also works well – essentially allowing you to throw zombies at your mates. It's probably here where the game has its most enduring appeal. While it may not reinvent the wheel, Undead Knights at least brings some originality to a well-worn format. And while its replay value is questionable, it is genuinely enjoyable in short bursts – and for a handheld game that may well be all you're after anyway. Who knew zombie empowerment could be so much fun?
