Hidden gem Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse has long been a title fans craved to see revived on modern hardware. The title originally launched on Xbox and Windows in 2005, later appearing on Steam and Xbox Live Marketplace only to be removed from both platforms. Now, the title has finally been re-released and is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Stubbs originally captivated players with its unique take on the horror genre, offering a title that was as silly as it was engaging. Unfortunately, it appears time has not treated Stubbs well. As reviews are coming in, critics have pointed to dated gameplay and mechanics as a detractor to the game. CBR's review found Stubbs the Zombie a fun but limited experience, saying, "For as fun as the general gameplay is, there isn't too much variation throughout the game beyond the additional zombie powers that Stubbs gains. In other words, things are pretty much the same the whole way through, with not much diversity in the way of play mechanics outside of the occasional vehicle usage. Part of it also stems from how unvaried the combat mechanics are, with the growing number of zombie abilities only slightly lessening this."
Alex Santa Maria, Screen Rant: "Needless to say, games have come a long way since 2005, and mechanics and systems seen as interesting in the past are downright untenable to a modern eye. Stubbs the Zombie was criticized for a short campaign when it released, but that is simply not a problem in the now. Instead, there are sequences that seem to drag on forever with repetitive combat and artificially inflated difficulty. Navigating the larger levels is frustrating due to unclear objectives and a navigation marker that only shows up some of the time. The lack of character upgrades, collectibles, and other side objectives also make Stubbs the Zombie feel slight, and the threadbare story beats in each level provide very little motivation to move from level to level. It's not fun to return to a rereleased game like Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse and discover that it's trapped in the past. While Stubbs the Zombie was ahead of its time back in the day, its day in the sun has long passed, and it's just really hard to go back to in an age with so many stellar new releases. Those who played it in its time will appreciate its quirky charms, but anyone coming to Stubbs fresh will have to work hard to overlook its dated aspects. As it is, Stubbs and his shamble through a retro-future will live on only as a historical artifact of a different time."
Joel A. DeWitte, Nintendo World Report: "Unsurprisingly, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is a product of its time. A simple third-person action game whose distinctions are chomping on victim's throats and a riffing off a distinct style of a bygone era. Comedy evoking flatulence, old/tired stereotypes, and an environment with a classic foundation dipped in futurism do provide occasional dystopian humor. Whether this is for you depends on how much fondness you have for games of this era. This is no remaster or remake; it's a direct port. For me, the pieces come together just enough to find fun in spite of itself."
Graham Banas, Push Square: "There are so many strange one-off moments earlier in the game, like a rhythm game, or a stealth segment to perpetrate a jail-break. This is all stripped away and reduced to a series of hallways with enemy after enemy to chomp through, and that's about it. Possessing enemies and using their guns to kill soldiers and scientists helps a little bit, but it doesn't take long to stop being fun. These are all problems that were present in the title upon its 2005 launch, so the port can only do so much. With this in mind, the game is solid — stable frame rate, the assets look as good as they possibly could without an overhaul, and the modernised controls are a demonstrable improvement. Hit detection is a little sluggish, but it's worth the price of entry for getting a peek at such an oddity. While saying the game lacks focus could be construed as an insult, it's truly fascinating to see a game made with, for its time, such a high level of quality that wears so many different hats. And for that, we appreciate the opportunity to experience it in the modern era."
Steve C, TheSixthAxis: "The sense of linearity in combat is exacerbated by the level design and progression. There are almost no alternative routes or approaches; locked doors and blocked passages funnelling you forward in an unerring hunger for revenge. This feels appropriate, but also shows Stubbs' age. Combined with the relatively short playing time, the overall effect was simply not as impressive as my memories led me to believe. There are some great moments in here – the confrontation with the police chief is a masterpiece in surreal game design – but the game itself feels like a relic from an earlier age. There's a bitter sweet feeling to playing Stubbs the Zombie in 2021. The game is too dated and linear to really recommend and some of my fond memories were tarnished by revisiting it, but the core gameplay still has enough to keep you engaged and the setting and humour still stand out. I still think it is worth a return play for those old enough to remember it first time around and I am glad that it is finally available again. There is enough here to get your heart pumping, but there's a persistent whiff of decay that you just can't shift."
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