In Pandemic Express, publisher tinyBuild Games and their co-developers TALLBOYS, have accomplished a well-blended zombie survival and looter-shooter game.
Players start each match as humans in the same area with open-mics (be prepared for many “cyka blyats”) whose objective is to collect loot Battle Royale style en route to escape on a train traveling across the map.
At the start of the round, one of the humans becomes a zombie (basic eater, suicide bomber, invisible-enabled) whose objective is to infect others to become zombies.
Put simply, the game is just fun–both as a human and a zombie. The first game I played I was laughing spraying away zombies with the bullet pushback mechanic, and I was laughing as I used camouflaged positions to surprise unsuspecting victims.Turning from frantic survival to relentless hunting balances out the limited gameplay.
Pandemic Express’ train-survival basis provides for memorable moments nearly every match. A few times I’ve used the bomber zombie to wipe out full trains. And I’ve seen a single human player outplay a horde of 29 zombies inching their way to victory.
The map of Pandemic Express gives a spooky character to the game. Always dusk, eerie vaporwave, and classical Russian music blare as the train is swarmed by clever zombies and exploding barrels. Aesthetically, Pandemic Express nails it.
Also, clever design of the map’s respawn points for the zombies gives advantageous spots to coordinate ambushes from the sky.
Good games engross you in some way, and Pandemic Express plays so well to its strengths that I had a smile across my face the entire first playthrough. But, as a game with only one mode of play, the gameplay can become stale quickly. Pandemic Express leaves you wanting more after your done.
Most games ended in a close struggle, and in my experience, the zombies beat the humans every 2 out of 3 games. Once the game is more figured out, however, the lobbies will balance themselves out and there doesn’t need to be a ranked queue.
Pandemic Express is a game best enjoyed with friends–and furthermore, the streamability of Pandemic Express could lend itself to groups of Twitch influencers bringing a community to the game.
The only concerning aspects of the game are: (1) the loot system that doesn’t innovate, improve, or even match the standards of other looter-shooters; (2) the somewhat wonky controls of slide-jumping (a poor man’s Apex Legends slide), and (3) the ability for the game to remain fresh beyond cosmetic or level progression opportunities.
Finally, optimization of the game throughout alpha has kept lobbies at 30 fps without much CPU or GPU strain. Bugs like hands disappearing were patch fixed frequently.
All in all, Pandemic Express should be added to your watchlist as its ambition tying together looter-shooters with zombie survival has paid off.
Check Out the Pandemic Express Zombie Escape Gameplay Rundown Video:
Pandemic Express will release for PC via Steam in Q2 2019.
Recent Michigan State University grad and current Game Studies researcher who plays fantasy RPG's to escape, Smash to compete, and Stardew to chill. Also have a +1 to rage/toxicity resistance due to the many hours sunk into WoW, R6, and LoL.
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