Taking inspiration from Vampire Survivors, Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship is a top-down casual game that puts you in command of a vehicle where you, as you may have guessed, roll over zombies. I got to try out the game at PAX West, and the demo I played piqued my interest.
The first thing that stuck out to me is the art. Zombie Rollerz Pinball, you’re familiar with the bright and cute design. The designs on Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship pops - bright, colorful, and fantastic.
The game's premise is that you steer a “ship” on wheels, running over zombies while your crew uses the turrets mounted on the ship to fire at the zombies. Like Vampire Survivors, you don’t need to control any attacks; they operate independently. However, you can assign the crew to positions like captain, medic, mechanic, and gunner. Each crew member has different stats to help you decide which class is best for them. But your strategy will soon change as crew members die; you must resign the remaining members to different stations to continue your run.
It’s an endless wave defender, so you’ll continue to get attacked by waves of zombies. A storm will form to add to the challenge, which will close in on your character, forcing you into a smaller space. If you enter the storm, you’ll take damage.
There are also puzzle pieces in the level; if you take them to their matching place on the map, you’ll unlock new weapons. As you continue to play, you’ll unlock new vehicles, parts, and weapons to add to your ship. You receive a score after your run. I asked the devs if there are plans for a leaderboard, and they confirmed that’s the case.
Overall, I enjoyed my hands-on Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship demo. If you are a fan of Vampire Survivors, keep an eye out for this game.