a90skid.com
  • Shop
  • Reviews
  • Shop
  • Reviews
0
A 90s Kid
  • Shop
  • Reviews
Zombieland Loading Screen
  • Review

Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is, Surprising No One, Not Very Good

  • October 16, 2019
  • Matthew Owen

Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is a video game tie-in for the Zombieland movie sequel, dropping the same week that the film hits theaters. At a mid-tier price point, the game offers everything you might expect from an obvious cash-grab. Lackluster gameplay, an underdeveloped plot, and low-quality visuals are all included in this twin-stick shooter. A game like Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip may have made sense in 2009, the same year the original movie released. However, when compared to other mid-tier games (and even budget indie titles), Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is almost laughable.

Zombieland Double Tap Title Screen

Always Follow the Rules

The story in Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip follows four playable characters: Columbus, Tallahassee, Witchita, and Little Rock. The plot is an utter mess, barely introducing the characters and lacking any sort of focus. Either solo or with a party of four players, you’ll travel across the United States on a “campaign trail” road trip, as Tallahassee has decided he wants to become President. This requires you to travel from California to Washington D.C., stopping at ten different locations along the way. The entire presidential campaign plot is a barely funny running gag, which acts as the entire narrative focus.

Zombieland Double Tap Four Main Characters

Since each of the four main characters are based off of popular actors and actresses, the voice-work is as shoddy as you’d expect. It’s obvious that none of the cast returned to their roles for the game, leaving us with mediocre impressions. Most of the story plays out in small dialogue sections, with character portraits and text popping up on-screen. Most of the character portraits resemble the original movie actor, with the exception of Witchita (originally played by Emma Stone). It almost seems like they were able to convince everyone to sell their likenesses for the game, except for Emma Stone.

Zombieland Double Tap Dialogue

Zombie Fodder

Since the plot is ultra-thin and fails to be funny or scary (both key factors in the Zombieland movies), the weight of the experience rests in the gameplay. Unfortunately, that’s just as sloppy and uninspired as the story. Apart from exceptionally slow movement speed, characters feel decent to control. Blasting zombies is a pretty simple affair, since there’s a handy indicator that shows where you’re currently aiming. Each character has a special ability to use, which can be activated once you’ve killed enough enemies. These range from ineffective to completely over-powered, depending on which character you choose. For instance, Little Rock becomes essentially unstoppable during her special ability, as she constantly regenerates health and gains increased fire-rate and damage. On the other hand, Columbus can slow-down time, making the experience even more tedious than necessary.

Zombieland Double Tap Gameplay

There are a dozen or so different weapons to find and use, although most of them feel exactly the same. With the exception of the mini-gun and shotgun, most guns do the same amount of damage and have similar shot patterns. This is especially true for the handful of melee weapons in the game, which beyond having a slightly altered attack animation, feel completely identical.

Zombieland Double Tap Escort Mission

Although the main gameplay in Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is functional, the problems quickly start to arise. Out of the ten main missions, most of them are either incredibly brief or annoyingly long and repetitive. There are two individual escort missions, both of which see you escorting an ultra-slow grandmother through hordes of zombies. These missions are obviously played for laughs, but that doesn’t stop them from being completely dull and arduous. Worse yet, levels have no checkpoint system. If you happen to walk into an environmental hazard to get stuck in a group of zombies and perish, you’ll be sent all the way back to the start. I first discovered this during the tutorial mission, which set a tone for the experience to come.

Undead Atmosphere

When you’re not listening to the lackluster dialogue and unfunny jokes, you’ll enjoy the sweet sounds of silence matched with an occasional zombie grunt. Apart from the main menu, there’s an obvious lack of background music or sound design, resulting in an oddly quiet experience. In fact, the most prevalent sound I heard while playing Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip was the incessant buzz of my controller vibration.

Zombieland Double Tap Map

While the game promises a “road trip across the United States”, what it actually delivers is quite the opposite. While most levels are different environments (a carnival, a gas station, a neighborhood), they mostly look similar, utilizing the same muddy textures and art. The graphics themselves resemble a mobile game more than they do a modern console game, which is a further insult to the price tag. While not overtly horrendous or glitchy, the visuals lack any sort of imagination or personality. Much like the rest of the game, the presentation in Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip leaves a lot to be desired.

The Bottom Line on Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip

Unless you consider yourself a Zombieland mega-fan who needs every piece of licensed merchandise, you probably shouldn’t buy this game. The plot is messy, the gameplay is uninspired and repetitive, and there’s barely any music or sound to comment on. The entire product feels rushed, with a few RPG mechanics and a “horde” mode tacked on so the mid-tier price point doesn’t feel like a complete rip-off.

Zombieland Grocery Store

The ability to play with up to four players on one console is commendable, as many modern games lack local co-op. However, beyond playing a level or two out of curiosity, I doubt any party of four will find it to be a worthwhile experience. Besides some easy achievements and an odd nostalgia for bad movie tie-in games from the PlayStation 2 era, Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip doesn’t do much to impress or entertain. While it’s not the worst movie tie-in video game I’ve ever played, Zombieland: Double Tap – Road Trip is remarkably underwhelming and feels as lifeless as the zombies it features.

Rating: 4/10

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • high voltage
  • twin-stick shooter
  • zombieland
Matthew Owen

I'm a life long gamer and an overall media junkie. In addition to writing great articles like this, I host a gaming/comedy podcast called "Super Gamecast 64" available on iTunes and Stitcher. I also watch an unhealthy amount of movies, and try to spread as much love into the world as I can. Hope you enjoyed the content!

You May Also Like
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Opinion
  • PlayStation
  • PlayStation 5
  • Review
  • Xbox Series X

Hogwarts Legacy Review – Wizard’s Creed

  • Matthew Owen
  • March 3, 2023
SpongeBob Riding a Seahorse
View Post
  • 3 min
  • Opinion
  • PC
  • PlayStation
  • PlayStation 4
  • Review
  • Xbox
  • Xbox One

SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake Review – Back to Bikini Bottom

  • Matthew Owen
  • January 31, 2023
God of War Ragnarok Eclipse Scene
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Opinion
  • PlayStation
  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation 5
  • Review

God of War Ragnarok Review – Once More Unto the Breach

  • Matthew Owen
  • December 28, 2022
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Opinion
  • PlayStation
  • Review
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Series X

The Callisto Protocol Review – Sci-Fi Gore Galore

  • Matthew Owen
  • December 20, 2022
Return to Monkey Island Title Card
View Post
  • 4 min
  • News
  • Nintendo
  • PC
  • PlayStation
  • Review
  • Xbox

Return to Monkey Island Review – A Pirate’s Life for Me

  • Matthew Owen
  • December 10, 2022
The four teenage mutant ninja turtles
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Nintendo
  • Opinion
  • PC
  • PlayStation
  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation 5
  • Review
  • Xbox
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection Review – Pizza Time

  • Matthew Owen
  • September 16, 2022
Destroy All Humans Crypto
View Post
  • 5 min
  • PC
  • PlayStation 5
  • Review
  • Xbox Series X

Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed Review – Summer of ’69

  • Matthew Owen
  • September 6, 2022
ESO High Wood Idol
View Post
  • 5 min
  • PC
  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation 5
  • Review
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle Review – A Knightly Vacation

  • Matthew Owen
  • July 22, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

A90KID.COM

VIDEO GAMES COMMUNITY & ENTERTAINMENT

A 90s Kid is an active website and media channel, dedicated to providing you information and entertainment related to the video games industry

Navigation
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund and Returns Policy
Recent Articles
  • All about FIFA 2026 – Dates, Hosts, and More March 16, 2023
  • Hogwarts Legacy Review – Wizard’s Creed March 3, 2023
  • First Look at the New Spooky Scooby Doo Pinball Machine February 10, 2023
  • SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake Review – Back to Bikini Bottom January 31, 2023
  • How competitiveness drives gamers to be better January 27, 2023
A 90s Kid
© 2022

Input your search keywords and press Enter.