2009 · Frima Studio · Real-time strategy · Simulation

Zombie Tycoon

PlayStation exclusive

For those who avoid the stock market in times of recession, now you can apply your managerial skills to amassing live brains rather than cold, hard cash. In Zombie Tycoon, living dead videogame aficionados will encounter a completely new set of challenges in their role as zombie overlord. You are responsible for the overall strategy of attack and the well-being of your zombie troops as you attempt to spread the undead across the globe. Along with the fast-paced action found in games where players control more self-serving zombies, Frima Studios has added humorous strategies and managerial challenges into the gameplay for a new take on a classic genre.

Released: 29 October 2009
Platforms: PlayStation 3 PlayStation Portable PlayStation Vita
Genres: Real-time strategy Simulation Strategy Zombie
Developers: Frima Studio
Publishers: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Horror Comedy
Country: Canada
Age ratings: ESRB T

About

Zombie Tycoon is a 2009 real-time strategy developed and published by Frima Studio for the PlayStation Portable. It was released on the PlayStation Network.

Zombie Tycoon differs from most zombie games in the fact that the player is able to control and customize three squads of zombies rather than fighting them off. The game is not a tycoon game as the title suggests, with gameplay closer to being a real-time strategy game. Like Dead Head Fred, Zombie Tycoon uses the Vicious Engine. The game is playable on the PlayStation 3 as it is a PlayStation mini.

Keywords

zombies
tycoon
management
digital distribution
playstation minis

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Zombie Tycoon plays like a real-time strategy game. Gameplay takes place in different cities, each level giving different objectives. Buildings are destructible, but enemies may attack from the building, throwing things such as Molotov cocktails. Special enemies such as bounty hunters may organize a resistance force and must be eliminated quickly.

The player controls three squads of zombies using a flying camera to dispense brains, which the zombies follow. Zombie squads may be equipped with several items to improve their offensive, defensive, or movement capabilities. Hospitals may be destroyed by zombies to increase their numbers, allowing up to 8 zombies for each squad. The game is lost when all zombie squads are eliminated.

Story

Zombie Tycoon's plot is told via voice-acted animated cutscenes as well as in-game text and dialogue. A mad scientist named Brainhov and his two subordinates have finished perfecting "formula Z", a formula that brings the dead back to life and transforms living humans into zombies. After unsuccessfully testing the formula on the hunchbacked subordinate Ernest he decides to test it on himself, turning into a zombie. The other (nameless) subordinate decides to utilize the formula to conquer the world by using the former Brainhov's invention.

Reception

Zombie Tycoon received mixed reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the game holds a score of 68/100 based on 5 reviews.

IGN gave the game a 5.2/10, citing "Frustrating AI, an imprecise camera, and bad AI." On the flipside, Pocket Gamer UK gave it 8/10, believing it was "fun, funny, and very original."