Lovecraftian shooter Z War 1: The Great War of the Dead targets Kickstarter success

Set at the tail end of WWI, ZWar 1: The Great War of the Dead, is an award-winning alt-history shooter like no other. The Great War has ended; the Allies and Central Powers have now united against a common foe. An army of weaponized undead and worse, is sweeping across the former battlegrounds of Europe. And in the fog of the shattered battlefields of lurks something altogether more troubling: Giant, tentacled, Lovecraftian monstrosities, summoned by the games ‘big bad’ – the ‘Black Reverend’.

The game’s Kickstarter campaign has now begun, and so we thought we’d run through what to expect from Ether Games’ promising new title.

On a basic level, it’s an intense wave-based shooter, which mixes tower defence elements, with light RPG mechanics. You as a machine gunner and your squad must stand your ground and defend your position from an onslaught of undead troopers and nightmarish creatures.

Thankfully, you’ll have an authentic selection of powerful, satisfying WWI-era weapons at your disposal. As you progress you can unlock upgrades for each machine gun, including ammo capacity upgrades, optics, coolant, rate-of-fire and muzzle booster upgrades.

You must also ensure your squad is suitably tooled up. You can equip them with gasmasks, armour and helmets, weapons range from bolt-action and semi-auto rifles, submachine guns, anti-tank rifles, flamethrowers and close-quarter melee weapons and grenades for when it comes time to take on the tougher levels. And when things inevitably take a turn for the worse, you can call down an earth-shattering artillery barrage, or call forth last-minute air or armour support.

The game aims to be as immersive as possible creating a believable, unsettling atmosphere. The action is suitably brutal. Your squad can be eaten alive, swarmed by rats, brutally shot, stabbed, and blown up. It’s a gruesome, horror-fuelled experience which stays with you.

The team's Kickstarter campaign is now underway and will run until October 31st. As I say, it sounds extremely promising, so if you'd like to give your support to see this one over the line then be sure to head over to Z War 1's Kickstarter page to make your donation.