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[Review] Video Game ‘Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip’ Finds Itself With Two Flat Tires

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Believe it or not, movie tie-ins are still a thing for video games. With Zombieland: Double Tap now in theatres, Maximum Games and High Voltage Software have teamed up to release Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip. You and a few buddies can take on the role of either of the film’s four main characters – Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock – plowing your way through loads of zombies. While Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip has the potential to be a fun party title, its lack of depth holds it back from being as enjoyable as it could be. 

As a top-down shoot ‘em up, Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip offers a range of weaponry to go up against a range of zombies. Each character has a pistol with unlimited ammo, but can also pick up machine guns, shotguns, swords, grenades, and more. There are various zombie types players can engage with; you have the “Ninja” who can move fast, the vomit spewing “Vombie”, a clown zombie who has projectile weapons, and others. The gameplay itself is simple; in regards to console controls, one joystick moves the avatar, the other aims the weapon, and then you have your trigger, reload, and weapon pick up buttons.

Along with a health bar, each character also has a bar that represents a special ability; the more enemies one takes out, the more the bar fills. For Tallahassee, he has the ability to spin around like a top, mowing down any foes who get in his way. For Wichita, she can leave behind a clone that zombies may gather around, with said clone exploding after a certain time. You accumulate points throughout each level, allowing you to build upon different stats at the end; these stats include extending your health bar, how much damage you can deal, and other ability traits. 

The game offers two modes; one is a horde mode, the other a story mode. Horde mode plays out almost as you would imagine, but offers a fun twist. While you do have to survive waves of zombies, waves are broken up into objectives; during one wave you may have to kill a certain number of zombies; during the next wave, you may have to just last a certain amount of time. These goals update with each wave, providing a fresh take in each encounter.

Story mode is where things get a little grisly for Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip. For starters, the voice acting is terrible. It’s comical to hear how badly these actors are trying to emulate the tone of the actors from the Zombieland films; the attempted dorkiness of Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus is cringe-inducing. I get that the idea behind this voice acting is to recreate the vibe of the films, but it primarily comes across as boring and corny. 

The missions that make up the story mode are also lackluster; for the most part, each mission follows the group on random misadventures. The second level sees you guiding the group to find… a bathroom; Columbus needs to go to the bathroom, so you need to find a bathroom. Then there’s the following level that has you guide an older woman to and from objectives. Certainly there is an element of fun cheese to be found from time to time, but the execution in attempting to recreate the Zombieland film world mostly fails. Given its delivery of action and the ability to play with others, the game would make for a joy to play with friends – if only it weren’t for the price tag. 

While there is the story mode, horde mode, and the ability to download additional playable characters, there is not enough content or depth to justify a $39.99 price tag. For anyone who can remember that top-down version of Call Of Duty: Black Ops’ zombies, this Zombieland game is essentially a repurposed version of that. The gameplay feels more centered on that party atmosphere where friends jam out for 20 to 30 minutes; the game doesn’t offer itself to longevity since there is no depth to it. Maybe you could argue a $20 price tag for this kind of content, but for $39.99, you really ought to find a game that provides a hell of a lot more content. 

It’s a shame because Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip does have the feel of a good party game. Its variety of enemies and weapons, as well as the flow of combat, all lend itself to a consistent ride of adrenaline. But even if you ignore the sometimes cringy elements of its voice acting, there’s just not enough content for such a basic experience to justify the price of Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip.

Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip review code for PS4 provided by the publisher.

Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is out now on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Michael Pementel is a pop culture critic at Bloody Disgusting, primarily covering video games and anime. He writes about music for other publications, and is the creator of Bloody Disgusting's "Anime Horrors" column.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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