Into The Dead Review for Windows Phone

One of the highly rated games of iOS and Android has made it’s way to Windows Phone, Into the Dead is developed by PikPok . It’s a First Person Endless Runner where you have to battle hordes of retarded slow moving Zombies. You can either run for World Peace without killing anyone or just go with all the Bells and Whistles killing everyone that comes in front of you.

Gameplay

When you start the game for the first time, it asks for a control scheme. My favorite being the “Thumbstick” where left half of screen’s portion is allotted for moving the character and right half for shooting. You only have 3 controls to take care of, moving left & right and touching the screen once for shooting. There is a variety of terrain like open fields, close corridor corn fields and trees infested forests which provide quite a challenge and a variety in gameplay.

The game has no story, no cut scenes. As soon as you start the game you see a Helicopter crashed in a field with zombies all around. Your only aim being to run for your life by dodging and shooting those zombies. You are unarmed at the start, instead you have to collect a weapon from glowing boxes found on the ground.

Zombies are slow moving creatures who are unarmed but they will grab you and kill you if you get closer, glancing off them will make you stumble. Although all this seems easy, the bleakly atmosphere of the game coupled with low visibility makes it difficult especially at higher speeds. Ammo is limited so use it efficiently.

You get a set of 3 missions per level, completing them will increase your level and unlock new weapons and modes. If you have no time to complete missions you could just use coins to complete them to progress faster. The game utilizes “Fast Resume” feature of Windows Phone which is quite beneficial when you misclick the Start button.

Bells and Whistles

Perks – Before starting the game you have an option of choosing any or all of the 5 perks available. They can only be used for 1 game and they cost 100 coins each, so use them wisely.

The available perks are –

Armed Start – Start with a weapon
Head Start – 1500 meters boost
Ammo Boost – 50% more Ammo
More Crates – More weapon crates
Companion – Dog which kills Zombies

Weapons – The game provides you with a variety of weapons which are unlocked by completing missions or by buying them straight away with coins earned during game. The available weapons are Pistol, Chainsaw, Shotgun, Revolver, Submachine Gun, Grenade, Rifle, Assault Rifle, Mini Gun and Grenade Launcher.

Modes – Classic mode is available straight from the start as the default mode. While Massacre and Hardcore modes can only be accessed after you reach a specific level by completing missions. Your aim in Massacre mode is to kill zombies and score points, running for a longer distance won’t increase your score in this mode.

In the Hardcore mode, the number of Zombies and your running speed is increased while ammo and weapon pickups are decreased providing you with more challenge and a different set of high score. It seems Flashlight mode would be added in an update.

Graphics

The developer has used a smart way of improving graphics and increasing the number of zombies by using a dull, greyish atmosphere with a lesser viewing distance. The game looks gorgeous on a 768p screen on Lumia 920. Antialiasing is great and the performance is superb with no drops in frames whatsoever; I have never experienced a crash while playing. All these things take a huge toll on the battery life, better think twice before playing the game while travelling.

Music

The Music goes hand in hand with the intense gameplay and provides altogether a stellar experience. You could hear the player breathing as he is running, gasping for breath at higher speeds. Zombies make dreadful voices when u glance off them.

Payment Model and In App Purchasing

The Windows Phone version is priced at $0.99 (Rs. 55) quite different from Android and iOS versions which are free. Although the game is same, the major difference is in ads which is found in iOS/Android versions while there are no advertisements on Windows Phone version. The ads on iOS/Android versions are not just shown in menus but even in between rounds which breaks the continuity of the game.

Coins is the currency of the game which you earn by the distance you cover in the game, zombies you kill & the missions you complete. You have an option of buying permanent 2x Coin doubler for $1.49 (Rs. 80). Some items like Zombie packs could be bought by coins earned in the game which some rare items like Grenade launcher and dogs could only be bought by real currency. Similar to other games, coins could be purchased by real currency. The purchases could be restored if you change the phone or delete the game.

Overall Impression

Into The Dead gives a fresh new aspect to endless running genre which has recently infiltrated the Windows Phone Store. The game doesn’t support any advertisements whatsoever which is reflected in the price.

Refreshing gameplay coupled with stunning visuals and a rock solid performance, this game is a must buy. The only drawback being poor battery life which I think is dwarfed by the visuals and gameplay.

The game was reviewed on Lumia 920 which has 1 GB RAM, performance may vary on other devices.