Zombies continue to be a popular subject of Windows 10 and Windows Phone games. Route Z is one of the more recent offerings, available from both the Windows 10 and Windows Phone Store, and has you battling the undead from behind the wheel.
The game has three different landscapes, eight unique vehicles and plenty of upgrades to help you destroy the Zombies. Graphics and animations are well drawn up and overall, Route Z is an entertaining time waster of a gaming title.
Route Z opens up with a splash screen that offers you access to the game's settings and an option to jump into game play. Options include settings for sounds, controls and graphic's quality. You also have the ability to dial down the blood and guts, as well as to turn off the game's notifications.
When you jump into game play, Route Z transitions to your garage where you can upgrade your vehicles and/or unlock additional vehicles. All of which will take gaming coins that are earned during game play. You can upgrade the vehicles fuel capacity and armor, as well as improving your ride's weapon system.
You begin game play with a junker of a vehicle and an additional seven cars are available as you progress through the game. They range from VW Beetle to a Hum V. Weapons systems include a minigun, shotgun, flamethrower and rocket launcher. Along with blasting the Zombies into dust, you can always run over them with your car.
Game play will cost you a Zombie key as the price of admission. Route Z provides you with six keys that are replenished over time (one every ten minutes). There is an option to opt out of the Zombie key system, but I kept getting a connectivity error when I pursued that purchase.
The goal of the game is to drive your car down the road, blasting Zombies along the way and avoid dangers scattered on the roadway. You travel as far as you can before your fuel supply is exhausted and impact with obstacles will eat away at your armor. Hit too many barricades, abandoned cars and such, your ride will explode, ending your journey prematurely.
Your weapons system fires automatically but does have a limited supply of ammo. Along with blasting the Zombies with your weapons, you can always run over them with your vehicle. Steering is controlled one of two ways. You can use the Windows Phone tilt sensors or tap the left/right side of the screen to steer.
The more Zombies you eliminate and the further you travel before running out of gas, the better your score. You also have mission objectives to pursue that will increase your experience levels. These objectives include tasks such as killing a number of Zombies, traveling a set distance, etc.
There are three different environments and several booster to buy that will help your chances at survival. Both are progressively unlocked as you advance in experience. Zombies, for the most part, are staggering down the street and are easy targets. You do have Zombies that will hang on to your vehicle and can only be smashed by scraping them off your car with the road barricades.
Overall Impressions
Route Z is a decent arcade game where you can dust a bunch of Zombies. The game reminds me a lot of Zombie Derby but is played from behind your car, instead of from a side view. Route Z does rely more on your ability to weave around obstacles, which can be rather challenging.
Graphics are well drawn up, but I would have liked to have seen better detail in the Zombies. It's not a deal breaker but does make it a little more challenging to pick out your targets as you zip down the road.
Overall, I cannot think of any reason not to try Route Z. That is unless you have had your fill of Zombie games. I do believe that the game plays a little better from a Windows Phone, but the Windows 10 version from a tablet isn't too shabby. Beyond a tablet, the Windows version can get a little cumbersome.
Route Z is a free, ad-supported game with a few in-app purchase opportunities. The game is currently rated at 2.5 Stars in the Stores with the most noted issue being stability issues. In playing the game on my Lumia 830, I did not experience any stability issues other than not being able to remove the Zombie keys. Game play ran smooth and we'd put the game at the 3 Star level and if you have tried Route Z, let us know what you think of the game in the comments below.
- Download Route Z from the Windows 10 Store (Free)
- Download Route Z from the Windows Phone Store (Free)
