Saber Interactive's World War Z has taken players by storm with its intense zombie action, but there are a few things that could make the game even better - whether those things are gameplay mechanics or level designs. World War Z is great, but it's certainly not a perfect game. With a little more work, World War Z could evolve from one of the breakout hits of 2019 to a classic co-op action game for all-time.
World War Z, based primarily on the movie of the same name rather than Max Brooks' novel, features four "episodes" set all over the world, each with a unique cast of characters. Furthermore, each level contains thousands of zombies to kill. The numerous "swarm" sequences are unlike anything else in gaming, with the endless tide of individually animated zombies being matched only by a coordinated team using big guns to blow the beasts to bits.
As much as World War Z succeeds, there are still a few trouble spots in the experience. Some of these issues are minor, and some are more pressing, but World War Z, like most games, would benefit from a bit more work. Saber Interactive has already laid out a roadmap of where World War Z is headed in the coming months; looking ahead, here are eight things that would make this game even better:
8. Don't Skimp On The New Levels
Saber Interactive brings the first major addition to World War Z this month, which includes a new enemy type, private lobbies, and - most exciting of all - a third chapter in the Tokyo episode. DLC levels have a mixed history in gaming, with some being worthwhile additions to their base games, while others feel like little more than half-baked afterthoughts. If Saber does their job right, Tokyo's third chapter will feel like an integral part of World War Z, and just as relevant as any other level in the game. Saber's plans for future episodes are unknown; if further episodes are in the works, Saber needs to make them as big and fully-featured as the existing levels.
7. Smooth Out Online Play
At launch, World War Z experienced online connectivity issues. While the majority of these problems have been solved, there still remains a few trouble spots which need to be fixed. Anecdotally, PS4 party chat drops out in a regular basis. This might be something to do with the PS4 itself, but since it doesn't happen with other games, it stands to reason that online issues with World War Z haven't been fixed entirely.
6. Add More Classes/Abilities
It would be tricky for World War Z to rejigger the existing classes. That being said, some abilities are more useful than others, and the Exterminator class would benefit from being altered so that it gets some of its better abilities a little earlier; compared to other classes, the Exterminator doesn't start to differentiate itself until much later in the game. Perhaps a better option would be to add new classes for players to level up. The current six classes certainly have all the bases covered, but we would like to see weird new builds for characters, like a team-focused player with no specialized skills for themselves, but a plethora of buffs for allies.
5. Increase The Number Of Weapons
There are a lot of guns in World War Z, and most of them feel different enough from one another that firearm fanatics have plenty to enjoy. Nevertheless, a game like World War Z, with its co-op focus and semi-random weapon placement, could always stand to receive new weapons. There are a limited number of melee weapons; everyone starts out with a machete, and a chainsaw is available as a power weapon. While we don't think World War Z should go overboard with the silliness, we would like to see a greater assortment of swords, sledgehammers, and other melee tools. If not as equipable weapons, then perhaps these bladed and blunt objects could be used as one-off pickups which are consumed after a single use.
4. Add More Special Zombies
In addition to a new Tokyo level, the update scheduled for June 3 will also include a new special zombie type which will appear all throughout the story mode. One of the immediate gameplay criticisms of World War Z was its relative lack of special zombies for players to fight in addition to the default cannon fodder horde. Bulls are scary and exciting to face, especially when they've got a teammate in their grasp, but Creepers, though good for a jump scare here and there, go down as fast as any regular zombie.
Adding new enemy types does more than just mix things up for new levels; retroactively adding them into older levels adds replay value to chapters players have conquered many times over. Further zombie types will also enhance the upcoming horde mode, which will pit teams against waves of enemies.
3. Give Players More Currency
Upgrading weapons in World War Z requires two steps: first, players must use the weapons to earn XP, then they must spend credits earned for completing missions. At launch, players could skip over weapon levels; if they wanted to, players could save credits by simply skipping over the early levels and saving up for the best - and most expensive - upgrade.
After a patch, however, the game was changed so that weapons must be upgraded level by level. In order to reach level five on any weapon, it must previously have been upgraded to every prior level. While this makes sense for balance and progression, it does strain the virtual wallet. World War Z is generous and straightforward compared to other game economies, so we don't want to be too harsh on them in this respect, but maybe players deserve a few more credits, now that they are forced to upgrade every weapon multiple times to reach maximum strength.
2. Add A Timer During Some Story Moments
This is not a bug, but it is hugely annoying. Several missions end with all players being asked to congregate at a specific point while under fire from zombies. Every once in a while, when playing with random strangers online, one or two wiseguys decide to hold up ending the level so they can have a prolonged shootout against an endless tide of zombies. As fun as this can be, it's not as though there's any shortage of opportunities to shoot zombies in World War Z. Tacking a timer onto these segments would keep sassy stragglers from killing the momentum of some of World War Z's most intense sequences.
1. Include A Dodge Roll
Characters can run and sprint in World War Z, but they can't perform any type of dodge maneuver. This isn't always a big deal, since most enemies can be gunned down by a group of players who choose to hold the line rather than flee in terror, but when a Bull or Lurker shows up, that persistent vigilance goes out the window. These zombies have grab attacks which incapacitate characters until they are saved by allies. While one could make a case that not including a dodge roll means players will be grabbed by Bulls more, thus encouraging cooperation, we think having more defensive options against these special zombies would be better for the game in the long run.