The game ZombiU has been labeled as somewhat of a failure according to Ubisoft's standards. While the launch title for the Wii U had some favorable press and marked a lot of potential possibilities for Nintendo's new device, Ubisoft wasn't pleased with the tail-end sales. So they're re-releasing the game on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC on August 18th as Zombi.
And no, this isn't a reincarnation of Italian movie maker Lucio Fulci's Zombi... it's the exact same ZombiU minus a few key features and no physical rendition. That's right, the game will be lacking a few key Wii U features. You can see the new trailer for the x86 version of the game below.
Over on the official Ubisoft blog they explain some of the differences and mechanical alterations the team had to make to the game for it to run on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Yes, alterations had to be made considering that the game was originally designed to take advantage of the Wii U's dual-screen capabilities between the television and the GamePad.
Zombi producer Hélène Henry acknowledged that the experience will be different on the home consoles and PC since the game was originally designed to take advantage of the Wii U's GamePad, stating...
We knew from the beginning that maintaining the tension and feel of the original was one of the main challenges, as the way ZombiU was presented on Wii U cannot be reproduced, […] “We maintain a minimal HUD as much as possible, It disappears when not required, giving the game a very lonely feeling. If you have surround sound, the awesome sound mix from the original still stands and greatly helps immersion. As much as possible, we’ve tried to keep those key elements.
The mini-HUD is a replacement for the GamePad's screen where players would use it to check the map while still having the main game run on the television screen. The backpack and inventory screens were also used on the GamePad as a way to check on gear and collect items, this will now appear on the main television screen as opposed to being relegated to the second screen offered by the GamePad.
Most devastating of all is the removal of the game's unique asymmetrical multiplayer mode that ZombiU had. The game allowed two players to go head to head, with one player working as a “director” of sorts to send zombies after another player who had to survive in the maps. The game originally had one person playing on the GamePad while another played on the television screen.
Ubisoft has opted to remove the feature altogether to avoid any complications. Henry acknowledges that the team focused entirely on the solo-play experience for Zombi on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
As an added bonus (if one could consider graphics options as a bonus) Ubisoft has implemented the ability to modify the FOV in the game, so players who want an up-close and claustrophobic experience can do so while those who would prefer a more zoomed-out experience can indulge in that... if they want.
Zombi is due for release on the PS4, Xbox One and PC August 18th as a digital-only title.
