Game Review: Dead Block (Xbox 360)

Dead Block is your run of the mill zombie game with a twist…it’s not about killing the dead-heads but rather keeping them out for as long as you can.

Set in the 1950’s Dead Block sees a zombie outbreak occurring around the same time as the emergence of rock and roll & the music may hold the key to ending the plague. The aim of the game is defend a variety of buildings from the onslaught of zombies while picking up parts of a sound system to destroy the zombies with rock music.

To keep the zombies at bay you have to blockade windows & doors using wood & other scavenged material lying around. Speed & strategy is key as the zombies keep coming & the materials won’t last forever.

The levels range from a straight-forward 4-room diner to multi-roomed, several levels house, they get more & more challenging but never feel unfair & with the right planning can be surpassed easily.

Thankfully there are more than just wooden boards to help keep the zombies out. There are a number of traps that can freeze zombies as they come in, turn them into your slaves or infect them with toilet diseases as well as many more. Each take a variety of materials to build & getting the balance right of defence & material collecting takes some careful thought.

Three characters are playable: Jack, Mike & Foxy who all come with their own talents & special skills. Not all are available at the start & in some levels you are forced to just use 1 character only. These tend to be the toughest levels of all.

Dead Block’s gameplay is addictive but let down by the lack of variety in challenges per level. Without going for the additional gold ratings in zombie kills, furniture destroyed & looted items you could probably fly through the game in a matter of hours. Even then once you have the permanent wall unlocked it becomes even easier.

The short time it is here the game is backed up by a pretty nice soundtrack that fits the era the game is set.

If you’re looking for a massive amount of content then look elsewhere ‘cause as arcade games go Dead Block is light. No online co-op play but it does have split-screen. There is enough to enjoy & it’s well worth a look if you’re looking for a tower-defence game that does it a bit differently.