Fighting the undead isn’t new for a Souls-like game, but Ed-0: Zombie Uprising adds a spin to the genre. By adding mystery dungeon features and multiple characters, it aims to give players various options as they fight the undead. Zombies have arrived in medieval Japan and it’s up to you to stop them. Along the way you will encounter the mystery behind their arrival and get stronger with every adventure.
The mix of the Souls-like and mystery dungeon genres provides gameplay that is intense and varied. You can experiment with different characters and find a playstyle that works for you. While the difficulty is high and the learning curve is steep, there’s a good experience to be had. If you give the game a chance, you will find a decent take on the Souls-like experience.
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is available on PC for USD 29.99.
Story – Zombies Invading Medieval Japan
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising has a different story than most zombie games which is refreshing. Around the time of foreign arrival, zombies have come and invaded Japan. Special beings known as Zom-beings are doing their best to address the threat. You take control of a samurai as they begin their quest to find the culprit. But every Zom-being has another reason for fighting and it drives their journey.
It’s a refreshing take on a Souls-like that throws you into a world without much context, like Elden Ring. While it isn’t a deep dive, every character you encounter has a reason for their actions. It’s a standard plot that drives you to keep playing. Nothing stands out, but it does set up a story nicely.
The story is told through images and special narration.
The story is told through a traditional Japanese form of storytelling before you start a mission. It’s a nice touch, though it slows down the voice acting. You also can’t fast-forward it without skipping it entirely, which forces you to sit through it. It would be perfect if you could skip text one scene at a time.
But you aren’t playing Ed-0: Zombie Uprising for the story. You are playing it to slay zombies and stay alive as much as possible.
Gameplay – Mystery Dungeon Zombies
In a manner similar to Deflector, you are going into generated worlds and fighting a series of enemies. From buildings to open villages, you are going through environments that will put your skills to the test. Zombies are slow but there are several variations that keep you on your toes. There will always be situations where even familiar enemies will pose a problem.
Just like a Souls game, the combat will be intense. Zombies may be slow enemies, but some move quickly. Others are massive juggernauts that can take a beating. Even regular zombies can be difficult in swarms. Let your guard down and you will take large amounts of damage. Fortunately, there are ways to make things easier.
Different characters allow you to test new playstyles.
You can use various skills to give you an advantage over enemies. Eat medicines that increase your stats as you progress through the different floors. There are also different gate choices per floor that allow you to pick the benefit most relevant to you. Charms and other items boost your abilities or allow you to affect enemies.
In the typical mystery dungeon format, you can throw items at enemies for various reactions. It’s primarily damage, but you can sometimes weaken or stun them. It’s fun to test various items on enemies because it can save your life. Finding new reactions that give you an advantage is also useful.
While Souls-like games have various methods of hurting enemies, Ed-0: Zombie Uprising makes that variety accessible. You are encouraged to experiment just like a mystery dungeon game.
Variety – Choose Your Own Combat
While it’s not available in the beginning, having three characters gives players a lot of flexibility. Being able to utilise charms and objects on your enemies opens up possibilities for combat. Different skills let you solidify your playstyle when confronting enemies. You can also configure upgrades before every mission that you think will help.
There’s a lot of flexibility in how you approach combat which helps when you are in a pinch. It’s rare for you to not have options on how you should proceed. Even if you are weak or underequipped, there are several gates that grant you benefits to power up. While some playstyles carry considerable risk, they also have great rewards if you use them correctly.
Bosses will always be challenging to defeat.
That variety prevents you from getting stuck and lets you try new things. It’s fun to explore and make a new discovery that grants you an advantage. The worst you can do is start over and that isn’t as bad as it sounds. Thanks to the Souls-like inspiration, there are few penalties for starting from scratch.
Unfortunately that Souls-like and mystery dungeon mix is a double-edged sword. While variety makes things interesting, this game is also a long grind.
Grinding – Much Longer Than Usual
One flaw of Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is that you don’t have equipment or a powerful suite of upgrades. While you can upgrade your base stats, you don’t get access to stronger weapons like a regular mystery dungeon game. You start at zero every time, reacquiring your stats and abilities with every mission.
This will be a common scene that you must get used to.
Apart from upgrading your base stats with large amounts of money, you don’t have many paths to get stronger. You must grind money to get stronger, then hope the mystery dungeon’s luck swings in your favour. This wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t for the Souls-like difficulty. Even the slightest moment of carelessness will get you killed, forcing you to start over again.
This means you will spend a lot of time grinding since you must make up for low stat growth. Ed-0: Zombie Uprising will be a time sink and there’s no way around it. Even with better ways to earn money, it’s still going to take a while.
Audio & Visuals – Simple Visuals With Traditional Audio
The visuals in Ed-0: Zombie Uprising work well with the audio. You probably won’t notice the music in the background unless you are paying attention. What you will pay attention to are the zombie noises. You will quickly pick up on powerful enemies who make loud noises. If anyone throws bombs or has a unique attack, you will hear that too.
Some zombies have different coloured glows which indicate the attacks they resist. Others will be on fire which damages you if you stay around too long. Seeing these visual touches is nice and helps you survive a bit longer.
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- Creating distance is sometimes the best option.
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- Bright lights indicate items helpful for you.
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- Every character has unique benefits.
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- Upgrades help you keep up with enemies.
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising was reviewed on Steam with a code provided by ICO Partners.
