Return of the Zombie King – First Impression (PC)

Return of the Zombie King is a 2D-Runner developed by Return to Adventure Mountain, a studio consisting of a single developer whose goal is to develop games for the casual player. In this retro runner, you play as a former king who has been left for dead after being removed from power. This king then finds himself seemingly reanimated by a shadowy figure and tasked with traveling to your former lands in order to rebuild your stash of riches. Using said riches, you’ll purchase back not only your limbs but also some new abilities as well. That, in turn, will help you defend against all manner of beasties and retake power. 

When I first sat down to play Return of the Zombie King I was immediately let down by the lack of color and music in the game. On top of that were my frustrations about the gameplay. Once you’ve entered the stage you’re given a limited amount of energy which is used for not only jumping to collect coins and avoid enemies, but also just moving in general. Because of this, even if you’re incredibly precise with your platforming and try to conserve your energy, you’ll more than likely run out before getting anywhere near the end of a stage. 

Needless to say, my initial impressions of this game were mostly negative. But it was then I realized that these issues were not oversights but instead deliberate gameplay features. You’re meant to die multiple times in an area before purchasing new upgrades. Upgrades are the name of the game and can give you the added boost of energy you needed to cross the finish line.

In the beginning, you’re just a skull bouncing around and not really capable of doing anything. Once you’ve purchased a pair of legs the game begins to open up and take shape. The same can be said about the purchase of more energy and, most importantly, ears and eyes. Receiving these upgrades grants the abilities to see in color and hear sound effects.

I’ve admittedly only played a small amount of Return of the Zombie King. However, after realizing what this game is really meant to be I’ve completely turned myself around 180 degrees. What I initially thought was poor game design was actually one of the most creative pieces of gameplay I’ve seen in recent years. And for a meager price of $4.99, I’d recommend everyone give this game a try. Of course, you’ll need the added caveat that this is not an endless runner – but instead something very different and, in my opinion, much more creative.