Dead Alliance Review

​Better Off Dead
​By Lee Marcussen
Reviewed on Xbox One
​Released on August 29th, 2017 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC
​Developer: ​IllFonic
​Publisher: ​Maximum Games

Most games today have zombies that you simply kill, which is all good and fun. But Dead Alliance changes it up and gives a great spin on the first-person shooter genre, adding in zombies for a better twist all while still maintaining that first-person shooter team deathmatch style. The game is set years after the zombie apocalypse where the different military fractions developed ways to use the zombies to their advantage.
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The game is all multiplayer with several modes to choose from; Team Deathmatch, King of the hill, Capture and Hold, Free For all, Capture the Flag, and Attrition. These modes were all pretty familiar and similar to what you may be used to in traditional shooters. Where Dead Alliance is different is the added in threat of zombies. While you’re used to only worrying about the enemy team, Dead Alliance changes things up by adding zombies that are walking all around the maps. Although the zombies on the map can kill you quick, they can kill your enemies quicker if you use them to. This comes from the assorted items that you can use to distract or weaponize the zeds. The use of grenades is very important for using the zombies as weapons. One grenade called PAM, which releases fermion that puts them in a frenzied state and sends them to the nearest enemy, is a huge asset. If used correctly, it makes the zombies stronger and faster when attacking enemies. A grenade called “Targeter” releases slime that can splash on enemy targets, acting as zombie cat nip. Another one called “Hunter” only effects one zombie but makes them much stronger and increases their health.
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You also have the specialty items that all aid you throughout combat. One called LRAD sends out noises that attract the dead where you then can throw a PAM grenade and turn several zombies as yours. Other items deactivate turned zombies or send out signals to block zombies from an area (which is great in a king of the hill game mode). As for the weapons there are a variety of pre-made loadouts that range in character style and abilities. Light, Medium and Heavy are the loadout character styles which set the style of primary weapon available. With the lighter class’ you don’t have much health or armor but run faster while the heavy classes allow more health but slower running.  The class loadouts determine which weapons you can pick. Light classes can choose from crossbows to sniper rifles, medium classes are all assault rifles, while Heavy classes are the light machine guns and shotguns. You can make custom classes through buying additional weapons with in game money that is awarded for doing well and winning multiplayer matches. You can use the in game money to buy additional weapons, weapons attachments, grenades, or equipment.

The gameplay in Dead Alliance isn’t the greatest but it does give the games concept a nice try. The multiplayer modes are all at random unless you host a custom match. There isn’t a multiplayer lobby that allows you to create classes, to do this, you must back out of a multiplayer match to get to the menu to change weapons on your classes. The game modes have the spawning system that spawns you literally all over the map. I know that a common complaint with shooters is the whole random spawning but Dead Alliance really does this at an alarming rate. I noticed in almost all game modes where you had a team colored side, the enemies spawn right next to you and it doesn’t allow either players to create the altered zombie weapons against one another. The actual gun play is very blocky. Even with the sensitivity adjusted, aiming and focusing on targets at any range doesn’t flow. You also don’t have the ability to check your stats in game. The only time they pop up is at the end of the match with no way to look at previous stats. Graphicly Dead Alliance is alright. There isn’t anything that really wowed me away graphics wise. There are some animations when you stab a zombie with your melee attack where they might stab the zombie in the head or the mouth but it’s nothing over the top.

Overall, Dead Alliance really presents a great idea of a shooter where you can use objects around you as additional weapons against enemies. While at the same time, they some objects can be turned against you. You not only have to keep an eye out for enemies while trying to complete objectives, but also worry about zombies. This idea is great and I really wish that the gameplay could have helped push this to be a great game. For being a straight multiplayer game there isn’t any multiplayer structure that we are used to seeing with shooters in this era of gaming. I really tried to get into Dead Alliance and I dig the concept, but overall this isn’t the greatest shooter. Not by a long shot.

​*Note: A copy of this game was provided for the purpose of the review
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Final Score: 4/10

+Great Concept
+Cool Technology To Control Zombies

-Poor Gameplay
-Weak Structure
-No Customization Options
-Subpar Graphics
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