Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition: PS4 Review

Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition: PS4 Review

Dead Nation, released exclusively to the PlayStation3 four years ago is the latest game to cash in on those who've got a craving for flesh.

In this, you play a survivor (female or male - it's your choice) after a plague's ravaged the world; one year on and everything's been turned into a post apocalyptic scene with the hordes of the undead everywhere.

Over a series of ten missions, your player (and consequently you) has to survive the ongoing onslaught and use your wits - as well as an entourage of weapons to ensure you don't get savaged by the brain chomping masses. Each undead death gives you points and along with hidden treasure around the (relatively) open gaming environment, there are plenty of chances to upgrade your weapons as well as your armour (which you will need to do constantly).

But if you're thinking that Dead Nation is simply a shoot'em up, then you'd be wrong. It's really not that simple - with only a limited number of bullets and an unending horde, you actually have to plan a strategy to ensure you survive to the end of the level. So that means using exploding cars, gas tanks and the like to your advantage  - and knowing when to run away and when to stand and fight your corner. There's different levels of play as well - from an easy option (which really isn't that easy) to a difficult which is where you'll rely more on strategy rather than simply shooting, there's hours of gaming ahead here.

Dead Nation is fiendishly addictive; with an ominous opening of cinematically shot images of the virus taking hold, the gameplay grips you from the moment it begins. With an eerie soundtrack and chills and jolts being provided in spades with zombies popping up unexpectedly, it's really a game you want to play with the lights on. And the zombies are a mixed bunch too - with the combination of slow rambling killers and speedy runners, there's plenty to keep your nerves shredded and your gaming fingers on edge.

While you can play a solo mission, there's also plenty to benefit from taking Dead Nation online. There's a wealth of content available including the possibility of playing in a co-op or with other players - but the best bit is an option which tracks the spread of the virus across the world. You can see how other nations are tackling the problem and it means that every effort you take directly helps fight the global infection; it's a clever touch from the developers and means that as the spread of the virus stops, yet more content is opened up.

Chilling, devilishly addictive and nerve shredding, Dead Nation is compulsive gaming in the extreme. It's a relative retread of the PS3 version, but still remains eminently playable on the PlayStation 4 platform.