Zombie Slayer Mod for Doom III Zombie Slayer Review review

If you are reminiscent at all to the golden age of modding, please do yourself a favor and play Zombie Slayer right now. The Doom 3 mod was started two years ago by Bryan Henderson, the mastermind behind the project who led, directed, animated, and coded the project. Henderson's vision was very clear from the beginning. He wanted to create a game that was simple to play but yet immersive and story driven. Thus, he created Zombie Slayer, which definitely isn't breaking any new boundaries, but captures the retrospective feeling that no mod has done for me in a long time. This mod is most definitely a wakeup call to remind gamers and developers alike that games don't necessarily have to be overly complicated even in this ever-changing age of technology. Zombie Slayer gets straight to the point. By the start of the game you'll understand that this is survival one oh fucking one, and there is certainly no time to waste. Players will take control of John McAllen, a mercenary stationed at a research outpost. As it turns out, the facility is overrun by the infected and it's up to you to guide him to his escape.

The entire mod itself is considered a cinematic. Similar to the classic Dragon's Lair or even the cut scenes from the recent Resident Evil games, players must push the corresponding key button at the right time as it flashes on the screen. Unlike these other titles, Zombie Slayer does in fact have a health point system where if the player screws up three times then McAllen dies, preventing the frustration of sudden death. If the mod happens to be too difficult, a checkpoint system was also implemented into the game so the player doesn't end up watching the same portion over and over again. As a result, the difficulty of the mod is a little bit too easy. Most players will likely get through with a breeze. However, some of the action sequences really make up for that – they look and play wonderfully, often times gave off the familiar sensation I got while playing Duke Nukem 3D back in the day. The camera work is flawless - there is never a moment where you can't tell what is going on. Most of the kills are very satisfying and the different shots and angles make it possible. You'll see what I mean once you get a chance to play it. The interface is small, but it's clean and sleek. Every aspect of the game is pretty detailed, except for some of the lighting and level design, which really could be showing how the doom 3 engine hasn't aged well.

The whole feel of the game play is very polished and almost rejuvenating to be experiencing old school roots. When you start up the game you'll notice the setup of the menu and death screens are all very arcade-like. The music keeps the player pumped from start to finish with progressive fills and tones. The script will keep you entertained and laughing throughout, like an over the top action movie. It's intentionally corny, and that's what so great about it – the mod doesn't take itself too seriously, but remains enjoyable. The voice acting doesn't exactly sound top notch compared to today's standards but it accompanies the mod wonderfully, aside from one of the lead characters, whose voice is distorted and fuzzy throughout.

The other nice thing about Zombie Slayer is that it plays very consistent. There are four chapters in the game, and each chapter is broken into two subsections: the first being a non-playable sequence, and the second being playable. Each sequence is carefully timed, so there was never a point where I found that there was too much dialogue overlapping the game play. My biggest problem with Zombie Slayer is that it is so short. Don't get me wrong, the experience is truly worthy, but by the time it's over, you'll wonder, "Is that it?"

That being said, Henderson still delivers a very solid project, and while it is short, it is also very sweet. I'd definitely love to see more but Zombie Slayer has come a long way, and I still find my experience satisfying. My only real complaint is that it just isn't challenging enough, especially for the short length. Regardless of its flaws, you could still tell that there was a lot of time and effort spent on the project.

I really hope and anticipate seeing more like it because it really brings back all sorts of memories to the early years of mod and independent game design. Zombie Slayer is a complete cinematic, but it still justifies itself a game as opposed to the recent trend of tech demos.

Doom 3 may be hidden somewhere in your closet, but if you do own it I suggest you dig it up just for this. It's also worth noting that Henderson included a set of executables for those playing in widescreen, so getting the mod started is quick and convenient. So what are you waiting for? Download it and check it out!