World War Zero has an interesting premise - World War One did not end when history recorded that it did - in fact it went on for 50 years. World War Zero is set in 1964 - the war is still raging. The sides have changed a little, and technology has progressed, but it is still the same war.

World War Zero is a fairly standard FPS, with a single player campaign and the usual multi player modes such as deathmatch and capture the flag. The campaign in my eyes was rather short and not that satisfying. The core of the game is well done, however, and the multi-player does save it.

Graphically, World War Zero is nice - the animation is smooth, the people realistic, and the weather / environments convincing, from paved streets to desolate, snowy wastes.

The sound is nice also, with each weapon sounding different, and the background noise being convincing.

It is hard to fault World War Zero technically - there is a wide choice of weapons - more than just your standard pistols, machine guns and rifles - you can use a variety of grenades, including hallucinogenic ones that alter your keys and disrupt your vision. There are also fixed weapons such as gun turrets to play with.The game-play itself is smooth and the controls are easy to pick up. The terrain over the entire game is varied enough to keep you interested, the visual effects are nice, and there is plenty of action, but the game itself just feels a little empty.

The main problem is the mundane feel of the single player campaign. The premise is sound enough, but it feels like you’re just walking around shooting people to finish the mission and get on with the next one. Theres not enough feedback to give you a sense of accomplishment, and the ‘enemy’ is just a bunch of soldiers with no identity, just a uniform different to yours. Perhaps if you had more to identify with, or to hate, you would feel more engaged. When you consider the number of first person shooters out there, and the number of World War X games, it just doesn’t stand out.

That said, the game feels well constructed, and the multi-player has enough modes to keep you playing for a while.

If you already have an FPS of choice, I can’t see this pulling you away, but if you are in need of a change then it is worth checking out.

Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Single Player: 6/10
Multi Player: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10

Overall: 7/10