Limbic Software’s original Zombie Gunship ranks right up there with games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja as one of the most successful and sticky mobile games released in the earlier days of the App Store. In fact, the way that it has maintained popularity in the nearly 6 years since its initial launch makes it seem like there’s no need for a Zombie Gunship sequel. However, 6 years is a long time and sometimes it’s nice to be able to start fresh using all the knowledge you’ve gained from having such a successful app. That feels like the case with Zombie Gunship Survival (Free), the sequel that’s a collaboration between Limbic and Flaregames that we’ve been following for the past couple of years and which just went live worldwide today, two days ahead of schedule. On first blush it doesn’t seem too far removed from the first game in terms of core mechanics, but there are many new features added in and a brand new structure that makes it more well suited to today’s free to play market than the original game ever was.

If you’re not a fan of typical free to play elements, you’re probably not going to be a fan of Zombie Gunship Survival. There’s grindy things like collecting parts to unlock and upgrade your weaponry or unlocking scrap to build out your shelter base, and things like item crates which have timers attached in order to open them. If you’re pretty comfortable with that sort of thing though, Zombie Gunship Survival is a huge improvement over the original. Base building actually makes sense within the setting of the game, and the levels are bite-sized enough that they’re perfect for quick sessions and grinding. And of course the actual AC-130 shooting is just as fun as ever. The only major downside so far is that the game now requires an internet connection to play, which is a big sticking point for a lot of people. Other than that, though, I’m enjoying my time with Zombie Gunship Survival a bunch so far.

So if you’re in for a more meaty, complex take on Zombie Gunship and you aren’t adverse to typical free to play shenanigans, definitely give Zombie Gunship Survival a spin and be sure to stop by the forum thread to add your own impressions or see what everyone else is saying about the game.