Zombie Chickens HD Review

Developer: Benjamin Selby
Price: Free
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4S

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Overall Rating:

The most disappointing aspect of Zombie Chickens is just how quickly the idea of zombie chickens ceases to entertain. Protecting barns from undead chicks, roosters, and turkeys while listening to their death clucks can only go so far. After that, all that’s left is an unfortunate goose egg.

After an unknown outbreak (bird flu?) turns nearby poultry into ravenous killers, players hop inside a tank to fend off the hen hordes. Tapping anywhere on the map causes the tank to slowly move to that location and crush any smaller enemies in its path. To take out larger threats, players must swipe in their direction from the tank. While it’s possible to move and shoot, there is still a slow awkwardness to the controls that feels somewhat appropriate for a deliberately paced survival horror game. However, aside from later stages when enemies truly become overwhelming, instead of making things tense, the controls just leave Zombie Chickens pretty dull. There are some mild weapons upgrades to collect and new traps, like the especially useful egg mines, to set. But, seeing as moving, shooting, and salvaging ammo are the main things a player can do, the experience gets kind of one-note after a while. 

Between a 20-chapter campaign and an infinite survival mode, Zombie Chickens doesn’t skimp on content. But, with a presentation as repetitive as its gameplay, there’s little incentive for repeated play sessions. At first, the foggy, sketchy, bloody aesthetic makes the game look fresh while still zombie-relevant. With nearly no variation in enemies and backgrounds though, even the most novel visuals start losing their charm. At least the sound carries its weight. The music is spooky in a fun way, and it’s pretty hard to make chickens not sound hilarious.  

Zombie Chickens’ biggest problem is that the funny concept just makes it easier to notice how much its gameplay drags. It’s sad, but the idea is more entertaining that the game.