Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip | Xbox One Review

Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip takes the four protagonists from the Zombieland film franchise (Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock) across the country from Pacific Playland all the way to our nation’s capital. Along the way, they meet all different types of zombies from ninja zombies with incredible speed to millennial teen zombies with severe body consciousness (even in death), who will vomit at will to keep their girlish figures. This top-down shooter from Game Mill Entertainment and High Voltage Software can be run as a single-player, or with up to four local co-op players. This game constantly keeps you living out as many best days of your life that you have in Zombieland, but leaves little rhyme or reason as to why between point A and B.

When playing Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip, one must follow the rules of Zombieland:

Rule #1: Cardio

To escape a pursuing zombie you will need to outrun it, and this means being in good shape. You will be constantly moving and fighting in this game, so cardio is of utmost importance. Health will be kept up with the only acceptable method in this land…Twinkies!!!

Rule #2: Double Tap

When in doubt, don’t be stingy with your bullets. In Zombieland, you will encounter a wide range of weapons, and even a couple of throwables. The weapons of choice will each have their pros and cons in reload speed, capacity, and power. Melee weapons include baseball bats, katanas, and even a guitar. Tallahassee approves greatly. 

Rule #3: Beware of Bathrooms

You are at your most vulnerable while sitting on the toilet, so always take extra care. Zombies will come from everywhere including armored cars, ambulances and yes, even port-o-potties. This rule will be very important to remember. In spite of a mission to find Columbus a bathroom during the game, this rule must be obeyed at all times!

Rule #4: Don’t Be a Hero

Possibly the most important rule of all. Don’t risk your own life just to make yourself look good. As you trek across the country, there will be times where you can stand and fight the seaming endless line of zombies. There will be many, many (oh dear, many) times where running for the next objective will be the best course of action.

Rule #5: When In Doubt, Always Know Your Way Out

You will always need to know the way out of every room of every building you enter, in case you are caught unaware. Every nook and cranny will need to be searched out to complete each objective in the game. Beware, you will get turned around quite a bit in meeting the objectives in each level, so know the quick outs to get where you need to go.

Rule #6: Enjoy the Little Things

As well as surviving all the zombies, you’ll also need to maintain a happy and sane state of mind by keeping positive.

The gameplay in Zombieland Double Tap – Road Trip will definitely adhere to this rule. Twin-stick action will keep the player moving while aiming in all directions to keep him/her surviving. The players chosen to take on this quest will have different advantages and special abilities. As mentioned before, the various zombie types will keep you on your toes as you fight each one, and sometimes several types at once.

As you complete each mission, your performance will yield ability points that allow you to increase health, improve bullet damage, and increase the speed that you fill your special ability meter. Not only is there a straight story mode, there’s also a Hoarde mode with various challenges, including a set number of zombies to kill or a  straight forward goal of surviving for a set amount of time. Finish the game, and you unlock other characters and access the New Game+ mode where you keep the abilities that you’ve built up.

Not all is joyous in Zombieland. The storyline is absolutely ludicrous. The journey back across the country as no rhyme or reason to it. Ridiculous protection missions, and a lackluster finish dot the Zombieland countryside; including Columbus’ desire to find a bathroom. The dialogue boxes, which adhere to the comical and blue lexicon of the movies, are too numerous to get through and get very annoying very quickly. Make sure to keep healthy because if and when you die…you start over. NO CHECKPOINTS! A big downer to that feature is you go through those darn dialogue boxes again.

Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip Final Verdict

Overall, the game has good action and keeps your intense attention to survive for the next level. If you’re looking for a story to follow, this game will not be for you. At the $40 price tag, go about half of that and that’s what this game is truly worth.

This review is based on an Xbox One copy of Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip provided by Sandbox Strategies for coverage purposes. The game is also available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.