Zombie Panic: Source Review

Zombie Panic: Source is a multiplayer Half life 2 Modification and also the arch rival of another zombie online game Zombie Master. Obviously, the two factions you can play as are the humans/survivors, and the zombies. There are many new mechanics and features for both sides and games never get boring.  The team that developed this game have put there heart and soul into this game and it really shows. There are more then six creative maps that come with the game and a whole lot more custom maps. Including that is a very creative item management system and a weight and stamina system for the survivors. Zombies can not only claw helpless humans, but also have other abilities such as lunging, zombie vision, and even infecting other survivors.

Common to many other online zombie games there's your standard infection mode. There are many survivors and only a few zombies but as the game progresses the human number's dwindle and then you must play as zombie after you die. Humans win if the zombie count at the top left runs out but it can be replenished whenever a zombie successfully kills a human player. It's not as bad as it seems to play zombie but it can be frustrating when you die since human is so fun. It doesn't mean zombie is downright horrible to play as, but in my opinion, playing as survivor is the best part of the game and takes the most teamwork. Trust me on this, sometimes even well coordinated human teams are no match for the overwhelming player zombies. Along with infection, you also have objective modes where the humans must complete all the objectives before getting to the escape vehicle. This is also a great game mode to play and the objectives are unique to each map. Probably the funnest objective game is Biotic and takes place in a research facility. It not only looks great but the objectives are really fun to do. Chances are, for every game-type, humans won't win most of the time but its still very enjoyable to play even if you lose horribly. However, once your team finally gets it together and wins a match for once its undeniably an awesome experience to... experience.

Update: New game mode called ZPA which involves two equal teams of humans and zombs. You do not turn into a zombies if you die as a human but you instead respawn 1-20 seconds later. Goal of ZPA is to control as many points as you can, similar to King of the Hill. Humans that capture points can be rewarded with weapons and ammo. Zombos that capture points can be rewarded up to 2 Whitys. (No infection in ZPA but instead of "wounding" which is basically poison.) The more points you control, the more points the team gets which is represented at the top of the screen. Don't expect the same from ZPA then you would expect from ZPO or Standard since instead there is unlimited respawning. This leaves you more willing to go on melee rampages against a horde of zombies. It's a silly gamemode, and it's really hilarious.

Once you join a server you may choose to be either human, zombie, or spectator. You do this by walking into their respective gates. If there are not enough zombies once people join there team a random person automatically gets chosen to be zombie. I once got chosen zombie four times in a row in a 24 player server and it definitely annoyed me. Once the game starts every human gets a random pistol and a random melee weapon. (And of course a flashlight toggled by "F") Pistols not only differ in model and name but some have larger clips then others, from the PPK(7) to the Glock.(17) There are also a ton of different melee weapons you can use that all differ in looks, strength, weight, reach, swing time, ect. Already this mod has a lot of variety to it. As the game progresses there are also many other items scattered about such as health kits that heal from 15 to 50, barricades, armor, two different explosives, magnums, three different rifles, three different shotguns, and of course objective items. (Variety's of weapons differ in stats. Some are more powerful while some have different capabilities or side-grades) Ammo is also scattered about randomly, (Pistol, Rifle, Magnum, Shotgun ammo) according to the map. Same goes for other items so every match is different.

The developers did a wonderful job of encouraging teamwork. Each item you carry in your inventory is represented at the bottom of your screen. You can carry up to 18-100 ammo for each weapon and I believe up to 5 guns/explosives, melee weapons, or whatever other carry items the developers decide to add. However, along with this comes with the weight system. Every item you can possibly carry has a weight. Usually weapons weigh the most and you can check it's weight by looking at how much the item takes up at the bottom of your screen. You can also be weighed down by carrying too much ammo. What this does is force you to drop your items or give them to somebody else. This pretty much stops almost all weapon and ammo hording, since even with that much fire power, you will be too slow to do anything and you will be targeted first by zombies. At the top-right also lies your stamina meter. Running depletes it and the lower it gets the slower you go according to how much stuff your carrying. The only way to replenish it is to stay still or walk. (Shift at default) All this diversity to the game really adds and makes this mod feel so fresh and exiting.

Humans also get a function called the panic button. What this does is drop absolutely everything you have except the item you are currently wielding and its clip. You will also get a short burst of speed. (Followed by your character's pansy remark.) Its funny to use and its a great way to escape from zombies. However, you will eventually slow down and panic won't save you then.

If you happen to be on the zombie team, you also get a few tricks up your sleeves. Not only do zombies usually outrun humans, but they have twice as much health. (200hp) Pressing "F" also lets you use your zombie vision which not only lets you see better in complete darkness, but any survivor in your view will glow red. The redder they are, the more stamina they have lost. Survivors that glow green are also infected. (Which means they will turn into a zombie in about a minute. There is no cure and of course its advised to not harm them.) Survivors can also press shift to have a slight burst of speed to use against speeding humans. (Uses feed-o-meter which is replenished by attacking survivors) Right clicking objects also lets you swing away objects that may happen to barricade a doorway. (Shifting while right clicking results in a more powerful swing.) Every zombie including the special whitey zombie gets these abilities.

UPDATE: Berserk mode added to zombies. Every human attacked without lunging gives you "berserk" bars. Once filled, you may deploy it to have increased attack and run speed.

The Whitey zombie is a special zombie and is randomly chosen. Only one whitey can be active at a time and that player will always be whitey unless the match ends or if he/she leaves the server. Not only is this zombie a milky white and scarier, but they have 50 more health then standard zombies, and can inflict 35 damage with each swipe unlike a standard zombie which does 25. The most unique ability the Whitey has is infection. With every successful hit upon a survivor there is a 10% chance he may be infected. As long as zombies have their zombie vision on they are notified of this. However, the other survivors do not know including the infected player. (At first, but there are obvious symptoms. A survivor can kill another infected survivor right before he transforms.) This aspect of the game can lead to some really hilarious moments. Be careful who you barricade yourself with.

The thing about zombies it that one zombie, even Whitey, is pretty useless against a well-coordinated team. The zombie's most powerful asset is swarming.

All these ups and downs for each character, weapon, is unbelievable. There are many strategies you can discover and its up to you to find out which one works best for you. However, the learning curve of this game can be frustrating and you will find that you're pretty useless until you get better. There are so many other things you do in this game such as the barricade tool and other zombie functions that you should just discover by yourself.

The game looks amazing, as some nice new music, voice acting, models... just everything fits together and it has the content and presentation of a game you would normally buy for money. If the developers added more flair and concepts to this game and increase replay time then I wouldn't mind paying for this. At all. Zombie Panic!: Source is a must play. You won't be disappointed. (At least in the long run)

Pros:
-AWESOME new models and environments
-Great music, atmosphere
-Unique refreshing weapons, items, tools
-Interesting and creative pros and cons for humans and zombies.
-Well thought out weight and stamina system that encourages more teamwork and less lone wolves
-Good replayability
-Great concept, menus, and in my experience, a good community.

Cons:
-Although still fun, not as enjoyable as human to play as zombie.
-Long learning curve and it can be frustrating. A tutorial would be nice within the game.

Nitpicking:
-Zombies win almost every game unless the zombie team is inexperienced
-Some maps aren't up to par with others.

Zombie Panic! Survival Guide: Youtube.com
Official Forums: Zombiepanic.org