Dustoff Z

Genre: Arcade

Players: 1

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Review:

The Dustoff franchise is a series of Arcade-style games that started with Dustoff Vietnam in 2014 on mobile devices, but has since seen multiple sequels and has spread to other platforms, with the zombie-themed Dustoff Z coming to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2020. As with prior games in the series, this game uses 2D gameplay with 3D visuals and has you taking on various missions in a helicopter in a conflict-torn landscape, only this time that conflict is in the form of zombies and other zombie-like creatures.

The presentation in this game is good in its own limited way. The game’s 3D visuals are boxy and reminiscent of the countless “voxel”-style games that have been influenced by Minecraft’s success, but Dustoff Z manages to set itself apart by having a lot of activity going on in its stages, whether it’s the horde of zombies themselves, a failing aircraft crashing in the background, massive tentacles reaching out of the sea to pull a cruise ship into the depths, or buildings catching fire and exploding – what this game lacks in quality of graphics, it tries to make up for in the quantity of interesting stuff happening on screen. This is backed by a generic rock-sounding soundtrack, and topped off by menus that clearly speak to this series’ mobile game roots. The result isn’t going to impress anyone, but it still manages to have an appeal of its own.

When it comes to the gameplay, players are treated to a good variety of mission types, whether that is fending off an invading horde to protect a base, heading out to rescue stranded survivors, or even taking on massive boss characters. Dustoff Z manages to find ways to keep things interesting despite a fairly simple control setup. As you progress through the game you’ll earn multiple in-game currencies (another vestige of the game’s mobile roots) that can be used to upgrade your helicopter or improve the gunners you have along with you for the ride.

Unfortunately, those gunners really are just along for the ride – you can tell them to shoot, and you can train them to shoot more effectively, but you can’t influence their aim. This means that if there’s a particular zombie you want to take out in a horde (such as a boss), you can only bring them in range, tell them to shoot, and hope that they target the one you want. And while I’m complaining, I’ll say that I also felt that the game restricts players too much in how high they can fly their helicopter, though I’m sure this was done to keep players close to the action at all times.

In the end, Dustoff Z is still a fairly simple game and while it does have its flaws, it also has its charms as well. There’s a certain joy in seeing this game’s boxy vision of a zombie apocalypse, and the gameplay variety is great. I do wish players had a bit more control over that gameplay, but regardless this is still a fun Arcade-style game worth trying.

tl;dr – Dustoff Z is an Arcade-style game that has players flying a helicopter through boxy-looking zombie-infested levels trying to complete various missions. The game is simple and not very impressive-looking, and the lack of control over your gunners is frustrating, but the game offers a good amount of variety and charm too.

Grade: C+

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