When Dead Trigger (Free) first came out, it was an instant hit. It had amazing graphics, and it was fun to kill zombies. It was so popular, that the Android version was eventually made free due to the amount of people sideloading it. The downfalls? Extremely repetitive gameplay, enemies that pretty much were cookie cutter of each other, and an annoying paywall grind. But… it looked good.
Madfinger has recently released Dead Trigger 2 (Free), and while it is a great improvement over the original in almost every way, there are still some issues, most of which existed in the first game as well.
After an unskippable and fairly boring video which introduces you to the very basic backstory (that serves as little more than to warrant being another game with zombies, really), you begin in the grand ole U.S. of A. Eventually you’ll trek to another continent, where, surprise surprise, the same thing is happening.
One of the biggest new features is auto-firing. Upon starting the game, this method is defaulted. You don’t aim and shoot at zombies, you just aim, and your weapon will fire automatically. I have zero clue as to why this control scheme was implemented, much less used by default. It’s easy enough to swap to a normal control scheme, but the question of why is still lingering.
Just like the original game, Dead Trigger 2 is graphically very nice, and just as bloody and gory. There are finer details too, such as walking under a leaking spout and having water droplets fall in your vision. Madfinger has also baked in gamepad support, so if you’re the type who enjoys these games with a controller of some sort, you’ll be able to.
The sound throughout the game is decent, from the firing of your gun to the satisfying thwack of knocking some geek in the back of the head. Atmospheric effects are what you’d expect, as is the voice acting; there isn’t a lot of it, but they all sound chipper, considering the situation, which doesn’t fit with the environment they’re trying to create.
Throughout the course of the game, you’ll get to take on zombies that come with a bit more variety this time around, making the world feel a little more alive (hah) than in the previous game. And you’ll be killing these new zombies in new mission types. You’ll have to escort people, or locate items, while still having some of the original mission structures to contend with (kill x amount or survive x amount of time). It’s definitely a nice change of pace. You’ll also be able to control turrets, and go up against super zombies on your mission to save mankind until the next forthcoming zombie apocalypse. Luckily this time around, there is no energy meter that might deter your progress, and you’re free to play to your heart’s content.
Another new feature in this installment is the hideout, where you can build workstations and upgrade items. You can craft medical supplies and explosives, to name but a couple. Each item you craft requires time to produce. This adds a new dimension to the game, as each upgrade increases efficiency, which makes you a faster, better killer of the undead, but because Dead Trigger 2 is a freemium game, you can expect to either spend hours grinding for the necessary cash and parts (such as blueprints, which are random drops), or spending some real money.
The IAP is pretty much the same as in the original, where you can buy gold and cash. You aren’t harassed to buy any either, however, nor are any aspects of the game behind a forced paywall.
Oddly, the game requires an internet connection. For a game with no multiplayer (yet) and no worthwhile online component, this seems an odd choice.
At the end of the day, while Dead Trigger 2 is a nice improvement, it’s still overly repetitive. The new variety of enemies and different mission options are nice, however, the basic structure is still the same, and if you found yourself getting bored quickly with the first one, you probably will with this one.
