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Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green
Publisher: BrainBox Games
Platform: X-Box
ESRB Rating: Mature
Game Type: Action/Adventure

Review by: Tuxxer

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

One of these days, I promise to review a game that wasn't based on a movie. (Kind of an odd turn considering I don't care much for movies based on video games.) Road to Fiddler's Green is a prequel to George A. Romero's latest Dead flick. (Read our review) It's a game I've been itching to try since I heard it was coming out in the first place. I like Zombies. Zombies are good n' creepy, and on that, the game delivers.

Good graphics, great music, both of which are a damn good start. The zombies are slow, plodding, and will pound through doors with zeal if they think you're in the room you're hiding in. They're good at smashing through, and even breaking through walls in some cases.

You've got all the weaponry you'd expect, including a magnum revolver, M-16, shotgun, so forth. You can also pick up melee weapons, but only one at a time: baseball bat, golf club, axe, there is even an option to learn kung fu! The problem? Your own measly fists won't do jack. Not without the kung fu.

A word on the guns: you do have to reload, and unless the gun's a semi-automatic, there will be moments between shots where you can't fire. Not the best position to be in when surrounded by the walking dead. A good detail!

The zombies will throw themselves at you, flailing vomiting, biting, so forth. Unlike the movies, their bites won't infect you. You can get sick briefly, but it only throws off your aim and lowers your reaction time.

The zombies don't take kindly to being shot. Headshots are your best bet, of course, but it will take more than one shot! What the?! Having never shot anyone in the head, I can't contest that point too much, but you'd think one bullet would do the trick.

Did you see the 2004 Dawn of the Dead? Did you like the scene where Andy was taking out the zombies left and right with a Sniper's rifle? You can have that experience for yourself. You will also have a level where you're mounted on the back of a truck with a minigun. Enjoy. The aiming stinks, but it's still good clean zombie fun.

Ammo's fairly plentiful, as are first-aid kits. Course, that's on the 'easy' setting. They may be fewer and farther between, in harder settings.

Speaking of settings: You can adjust the controls as you see fit, including the joystick's sensitivity. Makes aiming a touch easier...

I really enjoyed this game. I don't know about replay value, since the bad guys don't get harder to kill, just more plentiful, but it's a very good game. Rent it, see what you think.

You can order this game directly from Amazon.com.

Article ©2005 MillionairePlayboy.com.