Review code provided by the publisher
It’s needless to say that zombies are awesome. We’ve seen them in endless droves by so many games over the last decade but what we haven’t seen is a comedic take on them as we did in 2005’s Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without A Pulse. I was a young kid when the game originally released so I never had the chance to play it, but hearing about its re-release made my ears perk up. Having now played Stubbs The Zombie, I can totally see the cult following that it has amassed. It’s silly, gory, and has an originality that I found so refreshing in its B-movie essence and gameplay.
Story
Stubbs’ tale is ambiguous for a major part of the story and it isn’t until about half-way through the game that we even have an idea about who this man-eating monster really is. Even with that being said, it’s just a game that does its best to make fun of the decade it’s set in with all of the troupes and character types that we know from 1950s Americana. I found myself liking the characters even more than I thought I would and that even includes Stubbs’ walking meals.
Gameplay
Another aspect of Stubbs that I wasn’t expecting to love so much was its gameplay. While it treads the same waters often, there’s a lot of tweaks made within the game’s levels to keep them feeling fresh each time you get to another one. There is also a sizable number of attacks that Stubbs himself can pull off. Those aspects keep the gameplay feeling renewed from level to level with sluggishness creeping up very rarely.
Most of the time you’ll find yourself melee attacking your enemies until you can finally overtake them and either eat their brains or rip off their arms. Eating their brains turns them into a member of the undead who can follow you and eat the rest of the humans running around. Ripping off arms gives Stubbs an over-powered attack that’ll take out enemies in a single swipe. Both methods are extremely satisfying and truly made me feel like a zombie.
Some of Stubbs’ other attacks include his remote detonated gut grenade, his exploding head that he can roll like a bowling ball, stunning farts, and his detachable arm that can possess enemies. Each one of these attacks is more than meets the eye and I would always trying to recoup these quickly to use them again and again. You get to use these attacks by building up their meters as you consume human brains. Some are easier to get than others but that’s because some are just more powerful thus need more brains.
The use of these attacks and their originality is still so awesome even over 15 years later. It just goes to show why this game is so beloved by its fans and part of the reason why it’s being re-released in the first place. I’m actually happier that I’m able to experience this game as an adult so that I can appreciate it more because I feel like this still stand-alone against new games. More and more games are becoming so cookie-cutter that it really shines a spotlight on that issues and the growth still possible for future projects.
Most games’ enemies get on my nerves more than anything but I had a different reaction to them here. They’re the biggest stereotypes of the characters that they’re trying to display. The dialogue that they say while attacking or dying always had me invested in what was going on. I actually liked coming across new enemy types and seeing what would happen because of their involvement. New gameplay mechanics would even come into play because of them as well.
Most levels within Stubbs take place in tightly tailored linear paths that offer a ton of combat. A lot of the time you’ll really want to utilize Stubbs’ removable hand and take over an enemy around you. You can use their gun to shoot down their comrades which then makes it easier for Stubbs to raise more undead and overrun the surviving ones from there. There’s a great amount of difficulty in some areas of the game that constantly forces you to change the way you play from one spot to another.
There are also more open linear areas that make vehicles a new and very important aspect of combat and traversal. Things like army jeeps, tractors fashioned with pitchforks, and even tanks are at your disposal to kill as many humans as possible. The game adds a little spiciness here and there with mini-games or tasks that need to be carried out in creative ways as well. There’s never a dull moment.
Visuals
This is a game that released in 2005 and while maybe the graphics themselves could be improved on, they stand the test of time in their overall art style. This is a cartoony title that still manages to look relevant and I never thought that it looked outdated as I played it. Stubbs, the NPCs, and enemies look so perfect in the settings around them and it made this feel like a real and living world, mostly.
Audio
I had heard that the punk covers of the game’s 50s music were great and luckily, I wasn’t disappointed. They make their way into the game every so often but it’s the dialogue that really fleshes out the world that Stubbs shambles around in. I’ve spoken about the enemies already but they honestly made a real impact on the game for me. They’re all hilarious in their own ways. The sound effects in the game are really well done as well and exude the 50s-like quality that the devs were going for.
Replayability
The fact that this title is being re-released over 15 years after its initial release should serve as an achievement in how replayable it actually is. It has very great gameplay, characters, and levels that keep players wanting more even years down the line. And of course, the story is two-player as well. I really hope that this re-release signals a sequel because I don’t feel done with this character or his world.
What It Could Have Done Better
Just because I love the game, doesn’t mean that there aren’t any issues with it. I noticed some audio issues here and there where characters’ voices didn’t start or a sound glitched out. I also experienced two game crashes as well. One at the half-way point of the game and one at the beginning of the very last mission. I also didn’t find the zombies that I created to be very attentive when I’d want them to follow me. Some of the time I felt like they were ignoring me entirely.
Verdict
It’s never too late to enjoy something from long ago, and nothing encompasses that more than Stubbs The Zombie. It manages to add so many spins and creative ideas that make it more than just a simple zombie game. You can tell that this is a project that was made from top to bottom with love and passion, and it shows. That’s why it’s so beloved by fans of the past and why it’s going to be loved by new fans like myself. Games from this era of consoles need to continue to be re-released, remastered, and remade for all of us to enjoy for years to come. I will eagerly be awaiting a follow-up to Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without A Pulse on this next generation of consoles.
