XBLIG: Mike NunezTitle: Dead Pixels
Format: XBLIG
Release Date: September 15, 2011
Publisher: XBLIG
Developer: CSR Studios
Price: 80 MS Points
ESRB Rating: This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=3/3, Sex=3/3, Mature Content=3/3.
Shooting zombies these days become nothing but of the norm. Weither it be watching an intense zombie movie, TV show, or just blowing some zombie brains out to release your inner rambo self. A 2D side scroller that is sure to have you grasping your controller, Dead Pixel is a cheap, fun and cool zombie shooter that makes any side scroller fan feel pleased. But does CSR Studios game live up to its other zombie predecessors? .... (That means keep reading to find out)
A side scroller with mediocre, but fun, gameplay, Dead Pixels delivers what classic 2D fans want in a 18-bit game. From the beginning of the game you will find that Dead Pixels plays very similar to Valve's Left 4 Dead series, Giving its players a horror movie feel, gameplay and action thrill as you begin your quest. Just like in Left 4 Dead, from the menue screen you will be given options to choose from the three different game modes that are available even without beating the game. Which i find very satisfying since most games require you to do one play through, inorder to unlock these modes. The three modes that are available are: Dead Pixels, The Solution, and Last Stand.
Dead Pixel is your basic story mode, which i found to be fun and exciting. As you begin your story you will notice the vintage film filter that has been implemented throughout the game to give it that classic horror look. Which doesn't make the game scary, but adds a cool classic 80s effect to it. You are, like in any zombie game, a survivor trying to find your way out of the city and locate other survivors to understand what the hell is happening. From the information the cut scenes give you, The city was pretty much littered in toxic waste that the government gave to craps about. Fast forward days later, and you have yourself dead people rising from their graves to infect the whole city. kind of a repetitive story if you ask me, that delivers nothing new to the table. As you progress through the game you will have to collect money and spend it wisely on ammo and upgrades. Collecting money is the only way to progress through the levels, as the difficulty is increased as you get closer to the final level. Selling Weapons and items all get you money. Different items and weapons are with more depending on the value of the item. Zombies also drop money and depending on the type of zombie you kill, more money is dropped. Scrolling on through the zombie infested streets, you will find random empty stores that when checked, could hold some valuable loots that will earn you extra money. Since your guy is not as buff as The Rock, you can only carry a certain amount of items before it starts to effect his speed. If you are familiar with Skyrim's system of storing and looting items, then this game is pretty much the same.
The level difficulty ranges from Easy to Hardest. I played my first run through on easy and even that it self was a challenge. when choosing the difficulty you will notice that the number of levels till Salvation increase, making the gameplay last longer with a bit more of a challenge. My tip is to play with a partner. The good thing is that their are saves! but only when you visit a trade store will you then have the option to save, which is still better then starting all over.
If you know the gameplay modes in Left 4 Dead then; The Solution and Last Stand are pretty much mini representations of the same game modes in L4D. Also keep in mind that all modes are playable with another player, but only locally and not through Xbox Live. In a way i'd rather have it as local co-op because it keeps that sense of old school gameplay and it can't get any better then having a buddy play right next to you as you both scream mercy!
Upgrades can be bought at a number of trade stores throughout each level. As with the name, upgrades enhance almost all performances from the ability to negotiate prices with the clerk, to the ability to boost your luck with killing zombies.
As you progress through the game you'll notice the number of streets you have until you reach salvation. Or the random people that pick you up in a random helicopter, which i dont understand why they could not before.
Gameplay for Dead Pixels is simple and straight forward. You shoot with your basic right trigger, throw grenades with the Right Bumper, and melee with the B button. The D-Pad is used to select your weapon of choice while aslo selecting your med-kit, and grenade type. Moving is as in any game, using the Left Thumb Stick, but with side scrollers typically the Right TS does nothing.
Their are certain issues that i have with the controls while playing through the game. You will notice that you cannot shoot backwards while going forward. inorder to do so you must use the LT to shoot to the left side, and use RT to shoot to the right. While this does not seem like a big disruption, it makes more since to just use one trigger to shoot in all directions. The same goes for grenades.
Art style in the game is fantastic. You will find buildings in bright colors that bring back that classic side scroller look. Now what is great is the 18-bit cartoony feel and look of the game as well. Going back to the 80s, Dead Pixels does a great job to maintain the art style of games that we all have grown up playing back when we were young lads. Mind you that you will see repetitions of the same buildings and art on the walls, but thats how it's supposed to be, and quite frankly i do not mind it at all. The game's art kind of reminds me of the arcade game; Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, also on XBLA.Music in every 2D 18-bit side scroller is a must have, especially in a game so horrific as Dead Pixels. the music delivers indeed, with a nice melodic beat that fits in perfectly with the game itself. my favorite music in the game is the one in the trade stores. When fighting zombies in the streets, the music stays true to a 18-bit infused hardcore metal beat, that has you pumped while blasting bits and pieces of brain mush into the air.
My final thoughts of the game are what my initial thoughts came to be. This classic 2D side scroller horror zombie survival game is really really fun to play. Giving you that thrill of a zombie game all while maintaining that classic feel of the old games we still love to play. And for the price of 80 MS points, roughly $1 USD, you cannot complain or go wrong. it delivers a lot for the price it sells for. I would surely recommend this game to a zombie fan out there who is looking to have some 2D fun with his/ her's buddies.
S&S Rating: 8/10 Email: [email protected]
