As we said in our Wii U good news / bad news round-up (opens in new tab), ZombiU (opens in new tab) is looking better than it did last time we saw it. But look! You can see that for yourself. In fact, this new trailer for the Buckingham Palace level (that’s where the Queen of England lives… occasionally) is well worth a watch as it contains some rather unexpected gameplay elements. How about Doom-style hidden corridors, crossbows, sniping and molotovs? Check it out:
It also shows off the environmental scanner and the way you can be distracted by the Wii U GamePad, for instance when inputting a security code, unaware that a zombie is approaching you on the main screen. Conversely it also shows how the GamePad can be used tactically to avoid such instances – to scout ahead for safe navigation. Well, comparatively safe navigation, at least.
You can also see in the trailer how well the dynamic lighting is working, with shadows cast in real-time from your flashlight. We also like how the gloomy, musty air around the antique bookshelves is conveyed through a rather accomplished-looking murk filter. And man, are those baseball bat kills brutal?!
It’s getting the atmosphere right, it’s getting the exploration and isolation right… crucially it’s getting the sense of survival right. Could this actually deliver on its promise? We’re guessing it’s not far from release now because there isn’t that much time left this year, so we should have definitive answers soon enough.