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Ubisoft talks Zombi U sequel; possible co-op

Ubisoft Montpellier has said that it would "love to address" co-op in a ZombiU sequel, revealing that it once considered adding the feature to the original game, but "ruled it out" over fears that it "could not deliver it on time".

"How to bring a cooperative experience and still keep fear and tension is a question we would love to address," the game's producer Guillaume Brunier told Nintendo World Report, revealing early ideas as to how it would do it.

"In our most exciting dreams, we would like to create an online experience where players never quite know where they stand between coop and player vs. player.

"Doubt is a great nest for tension and fear."

As well as discussing co-op, Brunier also admitted that there were elements of the original that his team should have left out, including "the tapping gameplays to nail barricades or open manholes".

Such missteps may have led to some of the low-scoring early reviews, something Brunier admits that he was "disappointed" to see.

"Everyone can have their opinion," he continued, "we respect that, but we would be lying if we said we were happy after the early reviews. I think it was only natural to feel somehow disappointed at that moment."

Source
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Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Those remarks are on the right track - adding live co-op to ZombiU should avoid turning it into Left 4 Dead at all costs. It has to be thematic.

Going with "survival friend or foe" co-op could be great however. If there is a good, selfish reason to betray other co-op players at a certain point. Or choose whether to turn every human encounter into either a fight or a team-up offer.
 

Gambit

Member
Those remarks are on the right track - adding live co-op to ZombiU should avoid turning it into Left 4 Dead at all costs. It has to be thematic.

Going with "survival friend or foe" co-op could be great however. If there is a good, selfish reason to betray other co-op players at a certain point. Or choose whether to turn every human encounter into either a fight or a team-up offer.

At best the encounters would be with random players (instead of your friends), so you have no way of knowing if they'll be friend or foe.

And it could lead to messaging (on walls) about other players. "Nintyfan35 will rob you. Beware!"
 

The Hermit

Member
Zombie U2
Zombie-Bono-24111.jpg
 
The type of co-op he speaks of would be infinitely better than the standard two player affair. So long as you can keep the interactions to a minimum. It should be a big deal when you run into someone. To the point of you thinking if it would be more beneficial to help each other, or try and take the goods by force.
 

Mael

Member
Looks like the sequel will be even better...
I bought a WiiU for that so get on the sequel already!
 

Jackano

Member
If I ever play a Zombi U 2 co-op online, you can be sure I will always, always attempt to kill my partner just near the end of the level!
 

NewFresh

Member
The type of co-op he speaks of would be infinitely better than the standard two player affair. So long as you can keep the interactions to a minimum. It should be a big deal when you run into someone. To the point of you thinking if it would be more beneficial to help each other, or try and take the goods by force.

Something like the experience of seeing another player in Day Z.
 

Mael

Member
If I ever play a Zombi U 2 co-op online, you can be sure I will always, always attempt to kill my partner just near the end of the level!

That's where level design will shine or fall flat...Blurring the line of when that end of level is.
I didn't like ZombiU, but co-op usually makes everything better (though I don't know anyone else with a WiiU).

There's miiverse for that
 
Q

qizah

Unconfirmed Member
Those ideas sound really good. Did ZombiU perform well enough to warrant a possible sequel? I bought the game and it's easily the scariest game I've played in years, that doesn't rely solely on cheap pop up scares.
 

grumpy

Member
Just make sure to provide an auto loot function next time so that I don't have to manually drag and drop items in and out of my backpack. Worst aspect of the game for me.

Edit: Plus, if you're gonna call it ZombiU 2, make sure to include Bono as a boss. And if it's going to be in London/UK again, please make sure to include members of royal family.
 
Those are great quotes. I was really put off by the cheap tapping elements, so I'm glad they see that as a mistake.

Putting doubt in co-op sounds like a great idea. Maybe it should be somewhat like Dark Souls where you can bring friends in, and have invading players.

Just make sure to provide an auto loot function next time so that I don't have to manually drag and drop items in and out of my backpack. Worst aspect of the game for me.

I just don't like the way you have to close the backpack. That should have also been mapped to a button.
 

schlew

Member
That source link doesn't go to our full interview, which you can read here.

There's some other neat stuff in there, we spoke to them about crafting such a violent game within a studio that earned acclaim for their work on platformers, and what kind of work goes in developing a modern FPS (considering their last was King Kong).
 

evangd007

Member
I think it'd be very interesting if you couldn't take direct hostile actions towards your co-op partners, but could attempt to lure them into traps. Make a loud noise near them, watch as they scream for help as the zombies overwhelm them, and then pick off the zombies and loot their corpse. Ice cold.
 
I think it'd be very interesting if you couldn't take direct hostile actions towards your co-op partners, but could attempt to lure them into traps. Make a loud noise near them, watch as they scream for help as the zombies overwhelm them, and then pick off the zombies and loot their corpse. Ice cold.

Nice idea. Yeah, I think it would be a little to harsh if you can just pop a bullet into them. No one would pick up random players... ever. I do think random players should be able to invade your game though. They can use whatever it takes to bring you down.
 

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
I would take a multiplatform release.

Though with 'U' built into the name like that I kind of doubt it.

I'm pretty sure they would just call it Zombi, like the original game. I don't think Zombi U will be ported, at least anytime soon, but if they made future entries for multi-platform release, I am pretty sure they would call it Zombi with something attached.
 
Co-op could be amazing if they could pull it off. (certainly no easy task in a game like Zombii). I'd imagine it'd be something where two or more players spawn in separate areas of the game and begin playing not knowing whether they are in a world populated with other player survivors or no other players at all and all npc zombies. Then, when you encounter something off in the distance you won't know if it's a potential ally (or foe!) in an online player, or just a run of the mill randomly generated zombie. Could add a bit more suspense to the gameplay, which is always appreciated.

I'm not entirely sure how they could handle the potential killing of other players right before the mission is done. I know other people will definitely be able to come up with some way of limiting this though.
 
Just make sure to provide an auto loot function next time so that I don't have to manually drag and drop items in and out of my backpack. Worst aspect of the game for me.
Eh...That's part of it to me. Arguably I suppose, but I think it's one of those things that helps make Zombi what it is. It certainly easy to understand why someone wouldn't like it though.

Or maybe it's just the fact that I hate auto loot since its both mood breaking, and doesn't make any sense on screen to me. Like fps games that have ice skating like physics and animation lol
 
Great news, was really surprised at how amazing the first one was, reviewers be damned

Online multiplayer too please so I can at least try them.

Damn that prepper :p
 

Madouu

Member
Eh...That's part of it to me. Arguably I suppose, but I think it's one of those things that helps make Zombi what it is. It certainly easy to understand why someone wouldn't like it though.

Or maybe it's just the fact that I hate auto loot since its both mood breaking, and doesn't make any sense on screen to me. Like fps games that have ice skating like physics and animation lol

I'll go against the popular auto loot opinion and say they should make it more than just drag & drop. Utilize the gamepad fully and make me search through a bag on the pad for survival items among useless stuff. Meanwhile, The character is vulnerable on the TV screen and could be attacked by player 2.
 
Has Ubisoft released sell through numbers for the game yet? Might be a little early in the game's life but that will tell us if Ubi management is going to do a sequel or not IMO.
 

Mael

Member
Would still sell better than on the WiiU

Considering how much games sell on platforms that have successors on the market it makes no sense.
It'd kill the brand they're trying to create and probably sell even worse.
But I get you're one of these people that would prefer stuffs like Mario to be on competing platforms too.
 

Mael

Member
You can use the left stick to close the backpack - your character will just pack it up and start moving in a flash.

Yep if you try to move when there's a menu (and I mean all menus, like trying to loot a place get into the sewers...) the menu will close and the character will move in the direction you wanted.
 

GulAtiCa

Member
I hope it stays exclusive to Wii U. It will lose much of it's fun and flavor if released on a platform without a touchscreen controller.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Eh, screw the early negative press. ZombiU owned, and much of what the early reviews complained about was a matter of preference and/or missing the point. The worst thing that could happen to a sequel is pandering to complaints from people who really just didn't gel with the kind of game ZombiU is, or succumbing to a larger budget and trying to up the anti in product.

The slow, methodical, grim trek through apocalyptic London needs to stay. No pandering to lazy gamers. No scripting. No hand holding. No voice protagonist, abundance of cutscenes, or setpiece driven level design. Just the same kind of game ZombiU is, with focus put on the areas ZombiU could grow: bigger game world with even more Metroidvania style progression and short cuts, more "random" elements, and more stuff to discover.

ZombiU+. Make that and you have my money.
 
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