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Stubbs
the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse
Publisher: Aspyr
Developer: Wideload
Platform: Xbox, PC and (gasp) MAC!
Players: 1
Genre: 3rd Person Action
Reviewed: Xbox Edition
If
you asked Beaver Cleaver to describe what he thought the
year 2006 might look like, he would probably describe an
idyllic metropolis filled with happy white people driving
around in their hover cars listening to doo wop music on
their radios. This retro-futuristic utopia is the inspiration
for Punchbowl City, where our story unfolds.
During
the great depression, Edward Stubblefield made his living
as a traveling salesman until the day he wound up on the
wrong end of a shotgun blast. Two decades after being buried
in a makeshift grave, "Stubbs" returns to Earth as a shuffling
minion of the undead.
Punchbowl
City has thrived since his death and is now a great City
of the Future. Andrew Monday, the world's richest man, has
financed much of the growth of Punchbowl and today is the
grand opening ceremony.
Behind
the city's glossy façade of floating cars and talking robots,
however, lies a cabal of secret experiments and mad scientists
whose true motivations are as yet unknown.
However, to
Stubbs the Zombie none of that matters. All he knows is
that his hunger for love is almost as great as his hunger
for brains. Sweet, succulent brains.
Eating brains
is priority number one as you control Stubbs through his
adventure. Each terrified citizen of Punchbowl that you
manage to get a hold of will not only sustain your carnivorous
rampage but will also become a loyal follower. Together
you will terrorize the police, military and general populace
of Punchbowl City while shambling your way through a genuinely
original and funny plot.
Most
zombies have a limited set of skills, but Stubbs is no ordinary
zombie.
In addition
to grabbing people and brain slurping, he has the ability
to throw (and regrow) his pancreas which acts a grenade
of sorts. Also in his arsenal is his colon bomb,
a short range attack that stuns nearby attackers, making
them easy targets for brainectomy.
The
last trick in his armory is Stubbs' ability to remove
his own arm and move it about like Thing from The Addams
Family. His arm can get into places Stubbs can't and
can possess unsuspecting humans, thus making them throw
switches, unlock doors or just use their guns against those
who wish to harm zombie folk.
Built with the
Halo game engine, Stubbs runs great on the Xbox and the
controls handle like a dream. The graphics would be nice
if the developers hadn't made the choice to give everything
a nostalgic hue that borders on grainy. It's a cute effect
but after about an hour of play you'll wish you could see
everything a little more clearly.
The monotony
of brain consumption is broken up with various vehicle and
"remote hand" missions as well as entertaining boss battles
including a memorable dance contest with the chief of police.
Most of the
fun of Stubbs comes from the absurd plot and the
funny one liners your victims scream before dying. While
not a very long game what there is is very enjoyable.
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