Zombie Fever

Forget what you know about zombies. Sure, they're mindless, shambling hordes of undead with an unquenchable appetite for brains, but Stubbs is of a different breed. He's got charisma, smooth moves, and a shine for a certain female figure at the top of the Punchbowl, Pennsylvania social ladder. And it's your job to take over the town that planted itself on his grave. Read on for a taste of cranial action in our preview of Stubbs the Zombie™ in Rebel without a Pulse™.

Note to self: Don't shake humans before opening.

Welcome to Punchbowl
The story of Edward "Stubbs" Stubblefield begins in the Great Depression. A traveling salesman down on his luck, Stubbs wanders into Punchbowl, PA and is never heard from again. Years later, he rises from the grave and finds himself creeping around in a city of the future. Flying cars, monorails, and robotic gas attendants called PumpBots (which possess a disturbing sense of enthusiasm for their jobs) populate this once backwater town. What is compelling Stubbs to awake from his death slumber?

It's your job to guide the unassuming zombie king through the town that claimed his life to find some answers. Along the way you encounter a zany cast of characters that includes varsity lettermen, policemen, scientists, and flying barbershop singers who will do everything in their power to put you back underground. And who knows? Stubbs might just find love where he least expects it ...

Role Reversal
Most zombie games force you to annihilate hordes of the undead, but Stubbs breaks tradition and lets you go after the establishment. Andrew Monday, architect and Mayor of Punchbowl, catches wind of your zombie insurgency. As you defeat and convert scores of local townspeople and civil servants to do your bidding, it quickly becomes impossible to hide. The mayor won't stand for you ruining his fair town, so you'll have to track him down and confront him once and for all.

Dine out with a friend.

Stubbs is an action game at heart. Though the protagonist is a member of the walking undead, he can move with ample speed. He has a variety of melee and special attacks at his disposal and you'll soon discover that each one comes in handy in special circumstances. Regardless how you take down an opponent, he'll eventually return as a zombie and follow you around. Before you know it, you'll have a sizeable posse shuffling behind you. Your comrades are somewhat stupid (they're brainless, after all) but they can detect and attack human threats on their own. In some cases, you'll need to hide behind your army (or at least let them draw fire) while you flank around the enemy's defenses for a quick takedown.

Zombie with a Halo
Though the developer, Wideload Games, is a new studio, it sports a roster of talented staff members. At the helm of the fledgling company is Alex Seropian, founder of Bungie Studios and master architect of the Halo® franchise. A few minutes into playing Stubbs the Zombie, you'll realize his signature touch in the writing, gameplay mechanics, level design, and vehicles. (Take note of the police chief's name and you'll see what I mean.)

Greetings from the Hoover Dam.

The comedic vibe in Stubbs is similar to THQ's Destroy All Humans! You'll find it hard to keep a straight face when you knock back a cluster of lab coat wearing scientists with a burst of undead flatulence, or when you interrupt the captain of the football team while he's trying to score with a cheerleader. Jokes run aplenty in Punchbowl, but they never feel forced or contrived. While you may not purchase the game for its great voice acting and writing, you'll still appreciate the team's efforts.

Article by Franklin Beans

• Wideload Games official site