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[Charlatanized]

Nice, I was thinking of making a thread like this as I was playing the other day (only at the

Spoiler

nursery

, so my opinion might be limited). I second (or third, or fourth) a few ideas & would also add a couple:

--A move toward a more open world. Not quite sandbox style, as I think you'd lose some of the detail & atmosphere that makes the game what it is. Just a little less limited to accommodate my next point...
--Much more environmental interaction. One thing I love about ZombiU is the immense attention to detail in the environments (some of the most thorough locations I've ever seen), but they lack interactivity. More interactivity could lead to some interesting emergent gameplay, as well.
--More melee weapons. Again, considering the first two points, it would be interesting to allow the player to use environmental objects as weapons, in the vein of Dead Rising. Perhaps even a weapon creation system?
--An evolving safehouse. You know how RPGs like the Elder Scrolls, Skies of Arcadia & Xenoblade have those home or base environments that grow & expand as you play? Something like that for your safehouse. Maybe it starts in a bare-bones capacity & is prone to the occasional breech, but you are later able to reinforce it with gates, traps, additional storage & such (of course, using items that you scavenge from the environment).
--Player customization. The survivor mechanic is, in a word, neat. I wouldn't change it. But I would love to be able to create a massive inventory of customized characters with different stats & appearances that appear at random as new survivors & are shared among my online friends. Custom gear & tweakable stats would be grand, too.

I think the current game, which I'm enjoying the hell out of, presents a very, very solid gameplay base that could be expanded into something monumental. I would certainly not change the excellent use of the gamepad (though new ideas are of course welcome), the graphical style, or the focus on survival horror. ZombiU is probably the closest thing I've seen to a sort of "zombie apocalypse simulator," & I don't want it to move away from that with ridiculous weapons, copious amounts of action, monsters or the like.

 

[King_Moc]

More areas, and better linked together. The world in ZombiU is far, far too small. Needs to be more missions too. I didn't really feel like i'd done much at the end.

Don't really care too much about the multiplayer. Co-op always takes away from survival horror games. How is is scary when there are two of you and you're basically just having a conversation the whole time? The game is too clunky for a competitive FPS style game to work particulary well.

Maybe some kind of expansion of the tower defense game in it currently could work though.

 

[Boards of Canada]

Game of the Year for me, loved every minute of it.

 

[PapaEmeritus]

Zombies.

 

[Oidisco]

Keep the segmented areas, but link them together better and have them be larger. What we have now feels like a smaller Metroid Prime style design. They could really expand on this design to create something really special.

No Online Co-op. Period. Though an expansion of the connection between single player survivors would be great, like a better messaging system.
Online Multiplayer for the extra modes would be sweet though.

Add more Zombie types that are unique and interesting.

Story doesn't need to be expanded in any meaningful way, though having a more unique identity and maybe randomly generated personal missions for each survivor would be cool. Maybe some customization options and specific skills depending on the survivor. Nothing needed that would give you a huge advantage, just something small, like better lock-picking, slightly faster runner or quicker draw.

More Melee weapons is self explanatory. Also having some unique weapons would be nice. Have 1 or 2 really interesting weapons that have odd effects on you/zombies/environments could add a lot.

Branching missions and some side-quests. Having the option to choose between sticking with The Prepper or joining the Ravens of Dee would've been cool.

Then some general polish and better bug testing and we'd have an amazing sequel.

 

[shira]

Zombies.

Plants.

 

[Nuklear]

I really don't get doing multiplayer for this game. It's throwaway in the current game and I'd rather they spend the sequel's budget on the single player instead.

This is recap from the other thread but the sequel needs:
Polish and a proper budget/dev time. If the rough edges got smoothed out the title would have been a classic.

A more fully realized world with more TLC given to every environment and an open world like feel, no copy/paste obvious "loading levels"

More zombie animations and ambush actions. Grab animations from above you, though chain link fences, smacking you in the face with doors, the dreaded you think it's a corpse until it grabs your ankle out of nowhere etc.

More mission variety. I want to see sections where you're forced to run from a horde and more well realized "defend the safe house" sorts of missions.

Plus the fetch quest missions should make more sense in the context of survival and not necessarily have to be done in a specific order. EG you need to keep food stocked in order to save. You need fuel to keep the generators running, which keeps the safe house perimeter cameras online and the interior/exterior (movable) lights going.

More fully realized melee actions. You should almost have to knock a zombie down to finish it with a melee weapon.

Human enemies here and there, with mixed motives. Under certain circumstances they're friendly, under others not so much.

That's pretty much it.

I'm afraid if they add online pvp multiplayer they'll turn the game into an FPS instead of a Survival Horror game. I thought the controls in this game were meant to be a little clumsy and thought they were perfect. I normally hate playing FPS type games with a controller but I didn't mind it for this one so props to the devs of this game.

Online Co-Op would be nice though. More Weapons, and a messaging system with actual words not those damn icons.

 

[Christberg]

I'm afraid if they add online pvp multiplayer they'll turn the game into an FPS instead of a Survival Horror game. I thought the controls in this game were meant to be a little clumsy and thought they were perfect. I normally hate playing FPS type games with a controller but I didn't mind it for this one so props to the devs of this game.

Online Co-Op would be nice though. More Weapons, and a messaging system with actual words not those damn icons.

I don't see coop/pvp in the campaign working all that great, except maybe in a Dark Souls type of fashion. Multiplayer could be much better if it had 5 player support and maybe 10P online. Regardless, the main draw of survival horror is and always has been single player. Like Metroid Prime, I'd much rather they just spend the development dough on the single player instead.

 

[Gambit]

If there was to be Co-Op, I would hope it would be like Journey. Yes, Journey.

You might meet fellow survivors, but you can't pick and choose from your friends. Once you are separated (one dies, stops playing etc.) everyone is alone again.

So it would be an online-enhanced single player game.

 

[Clay Davis]

• Online multiplayer indeed
• Open world, no loadings
• Open areas
• More melee weapons
• Monsters
• Deep NPC interactions ala Farcry 3

cut the monsters, remove guns for the most part outside of a few handguns that don't have extra ammo and we're set.

the problem I had was that ammo and weapons became far too plentiful far too early. it was rather annoying as before you become a multiple weapon toting bad arse, the game was very tense and fun to play, but before too long you've got a rifle, mines, hand gun, crossbow, shotgun, assault rifles, molotovs and so on.

wasted potential.

 

[fart town usa]

A countryside setting where there are extremely large displaced hordes.

You have to navigate various tunnels without attracting attention and then ultimately arrive at an old castle.

That could be one area of the game. I'd love to see some stuff like that.

More NPC's. That guy in the station was awesome on a Resident Evil PSX level. His voice acting was great.

Same combat but with 2 more melee weapons. One that isn't as powerful but is quick, a knife, and then a powerful weapon but is slow, a sledgehammer. I think people who say it should be like condemned are losing focus on one of the main reasons why ZombiU was so great.


Who cares about online MP. Not every game needs it and most games suffer because of it.

 

[guggnichso]

I would like to see an Online Co-op, Horde style game mode, and new Melee weapons!

This thread just makes me sad. Why would you want the exact same stuff that already broke most of the other survival horror franchises?

 

[fabricated backlash]

A few things:

- Polish, game ending bugs are unacceptable.
- Online: No straight Co-op, but random encounters. Do you team up, ignore or kill the other player?
- Factions: You can choose what side you're supporting. Prepper, Ravens, Bandits, etc. This would open up different campaigns, increase replayability and increase tension for the before mentioned random encounters. A prepper player meeting a Bandit... let's see who betrays whom first.
- In Game economy, trading between factions for food, medical supplies, weapons, ammo, keycards etc.
- To that end, bigger online integration. A more fleshed out message system, ability to create stashes for other survivors with clues on how to access them ingame and/or Miiverse.
- More nuances in the damage system for both Zombies and players. Broken or injured limbs should have a direct impact on controls and strategy (a broken arm means no access to two handed weapons, shooting a Zombies kneecaps off would slow him down, similarly shooting another survivor in the leg could create a slow moving decoy etc.)
- keep story to a bare minimum. The experience should be tailored by the players actions and decisions.

 

[Rehynn]

A motherfucking katana.

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

A longer single player campaign with less "Reach Checkpoint X".
I'd also like to see more survivors.

Oh, and less game-breaking bugs.

online multiplayer

Also this. Co-Op, Survival (a la CoDs Zombie mode) and that friggin fun capture the flag/tower defense hybrid mode of the first game.

 

[Haunted]

Take Dead Island's melee combat system with Condemned's weapon mechanics. Clean up the resolution and textures and ease up slightly on the massive post-processing.

Polish polish polish.

I liked the online mechanics in SP. Expand the messaging system, hobo signs are fun but were hard to see, even through the pad. Take out the MP no one plays (doesn't matter if it's online or offline, no one will play it a month down the road) and focus on a longer and more polished SP campaign.


edit: shorter list than I thought. The game was really really good.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

No fucking online co-op.

I'm sorry, but that would ruin the experience. Zombi U's entire tension and intmidation come from being alone and isolated. I don't want anyone else barking commands in my ear.

We need more solid single player experiences. Make the multiplayer a separate mode or something, but leave the single player alone.

 

[Brofield]

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Theme song by U2.

Came for this. Left satisfied.

Honestly, just more sneaky zombie tactics. If they're more subtle in their movements and strike out when you least expect it.

And if by chance we do get a katana sword, it must have some sort of weakness that would still make the cricket bat the fall-back, never fail weapon. Maybe if you fail to clean it properly afterwards it gets all rusty from blood and flesh lodged on it and can break (I don't know how swords work; I don't regularly cleave people in two).

 

[TheCongressman1]

A few things:

- Polish, game ending bugs are unacceptable.
- Online: No straight Co-op, but random encounters. Do you team up, ignore or kill the other player?
- Factions: You can choose what side you're supporting. Prepper, Ravens, Bandits, etc. This would open up different campaigns, increase replayability and increase tension for the before mentioned random encounters. A prepper player meeting a Bandit... let's see who betrays whom first.
- In Game economy, trading between factions for food, medical supplies, weapons, ammo, keycards etc.
- To that end, bigger online integration. A more fleshed out message system, ability to create stashes for other survivors with clues on how to access them ingame and/or Miiverse.
- More nuances in the damage system for both Zombies and players. Broken or injured limbs should have a direct impact on controls and strategy (a broken arm means no access to two handed weapons, shooting a Zombies kneecaps off would slow him down, similarly shooting another survivor in the leg could create a slow moving decoy etc.)
- keep story to a bare minimum. The experience should be tailored by the players actions and decisions.

This is perfect.

 

[Thoraxes]

Melee Variety. I'm ok with the scarcity of the guns, but would like to see cooler things like katanas, more sports equipment, etc.

ZvP ala Dark Souls invasions

Co-op, but only one person gets to have a useful toolkit/backpack for their pad. The other person has to ask their partner for shit because they won't have all the supplies with them, leading you guys to work together. The second person could have something useful like the map only or something (or just make it so you can pad and pro), to split up duties and to encourage actual co-operation. Maybe you guys can turn on each other too. Could be neat to sacrifice your bro as you guys are scavenging supplies in order for you to make a clean getaway.

I think a little more open-ended levels would work well. I'm not talking something like Skyrim, but something more akin to... you guessed it, Dark Souls.

 

[Xater]

- More melee weapons and more involved melee combat. I want to break a zombie's kneecaps and then finish it off.

- Co-op if you do something similar to Demon's/Dark Souls. I don't want to run around with someone all the time but meeting a random survivor from time to time could be interesting. especially if they can be hostile.

- The messaging system is a nice idea but I prefer the text options from the Souls series. Do it like that instead. Much clearer.

- A bigger world with some big open areas would be nice.

- Some form of AI director would be cool, so that zombie hordes don't have to be scripted. If they occur in a natural way, even better.

- Some more polish, but that should be expected from a game that is not a launch title.

Edit: Interesting to see that a lot of people want to see similar things. And mostly good stuff that adds to the whole survival experience thing. ZombiU 2 in my dreams would probably be the combat of Dead island with the open world and hardcore survival of DayZ just as a mostly SP experience.

 

[DarkCronos]

- More Polish. Gamebreaking glitches in the last sequences are unacceptable. More interactive environments (destructible objects and such)
- Bigger, more open world. Not quite sand-boxish, but bigger and better linked (a-la Metroid prime) areas.
- More melee weapons
- Make the survivors defend the safehouse. organize defenses, place traps, barricades. An expanded version of the survival sequence of the initial RE4 village.
- Some sort of limited online co-op (few people, when you die you disappear from their game universe etc)
- Zombie master mode in local multiplayer is a lot of fan, expand that with more options

 

[AKingNamedPaul]

I thought I was in the gran turismo thread. As you can imagine, I had a pretty strange look on my face as I scrolled through this page.

 

[Sethos]

- Not platform exclusive.

 

[ArjanN]

Multiplatform.

 

[Nilaul]

Platform exclusive, just like Bayonetta 2

 

[sublimit]

Third person.

 

[Haunted]

- Not platform exclusive.

Multiplatform.

Sure. Wouldn't quite be the same on a regular controller - without the pad scanning, pad sniping and "physically" (with touch) rummaging around in the bob, but there's nothing that really can't be made to work, I think.

Third person.

I think that's a bad change. ZombiU is all about limiting your view, for an incredibly oppressive feeling in places. Going third person with a zoomed out perspective would lessen that.

 

[Nilaul]

I was thinking that whenever you open your backpack you could actually have a 3d view of it, so you would actually have to search your pack back for objects on the sub-screen; that would be some really intense moments, especially when you have a heard of zombies.

 

[Xater]

Sure. Wouldn't quite be the same on a regular controller - without the pad scanning, pad sniping and "physically" (with touch) rummaging around in the bob, but there's nothing that really can't be made to work, I think.


I think that's a bad change. ZombiU is all about limiting your view, for an incredibly oppressive feeling in places. Going third person with a zoomed out perspective would lessen that.

I don't know. I think I enjoyed the game even more because of the Gamepad aspect. Being multiplatform might delude that aspect.

Totally agree about 3rd person with you.

 

[Haunted]

I don't know. I think I enjoyed the game even more because of the Gamepad aspect. Being multiplatform might delude that aspect.

That's what I meant when I said it wouldn't be the same. All the uses of the gamepad I mentioned were terrific.

 

[Sethos]

Sure. Wouldn't quite be the same on a regular controller - without the pad scanning, pad sniping and "physically" (with touch) rummaging around in the bob, but there's nothing that really can't be made to work, I think.

For me, that's all gimmick. The core of the game is the visuals, the atmosphere and the survival aspect. If a game can't work on another platform without a few controller exclusive features then that speaks volumes of the games quality.

 

[Haunted]

For me, that's all gimmick. The core of the game is the visuals, the atmosphere and the survival aspect. If a game can't work on another platform without a few controller exclusive features then that speaks volumes of the games quality.

Nah, it's all part of the package.

I was speaking from a game design point of view - you can make the gamepad functions map to a regular controller and screen, but there will be something lost in the process. It's quite clearly designed for that second screen experience.

 

[Xater]

Nah, it's all part of the package.

I was speaking from a game design point of view - you can make the gamepad functions map to a regular controller and screen, but there will be something lost in the process. It's quite clearly designed for that second screen experience.

Yeah it totally adds another layer of dread that just wouldn't be there if everything just was on the main screen. Looking up to the main screen for me was like looking over my own shoulder which is an interesting experience.

 

[ozfunghi]

• Every new survivor spawns in his OWN place/location. Not wake up as a new character in he same place. Not only is this more logical, it also allows for more exploration. They could even limit the number of survivors for technical reasons. Could fit in the story if there are only 30 survivors left in the entire city.
  
• Backpacks don't disappear if you die before you track down your previous survivor. On the other hands, weapons could be more difficult to come by.
  
• More multiplayer modes. Capture the flag is great, but needs more balancing. Despite horrible Wiimote controls, survivor usually wins. The other way around with Procontroller.
  
• No cheap deaths

 

[jetjevons]

A few things:

- Polish, game ending bugs are unacceptable.
- Online: No straight Co-op, but random encounters. Do you team up, ignore or kill the other player?
- Factions: You can choose what side you're supporting. Prepper, Ravens, Bandits, etc. This would open up different campaigns, increase replayability and increase tension for the before mentioned random encounters. A prepper player meeting a Bandit... let's see who betrays whom first.
- In Game economy, trading between factions for food, medical supplies, weapons, ammo, keycards etc.
- To that end, bigger online integration. A more fleshed out message system, ability to create stashes for other survivors with clues on how to access them ingame and/or Miiverse.
- More nuances in the damage system for both Zombies and players. Broken or injured limbs should have a direct impact on controls and strategy (a broken arm means no access to two handed weapons, shooting a Zombies kneecaps off would slow him down, similarly shooting another survivor in the leg could create a slow moving decoy etc.)
- keep story to a bare minimum. The experience should be tailored by the players actions and decisions.

These are my thoughts exactly. Like, to a T. Who ARE you?!

 

[Melchiah]

Multiplatform.

- Not platform exclusive.

This. It's bad enough there are so few horror games, that the rare ones shouldn't be platform exclusive.

 

[The perfect Dark]

Just more of the same, it's a great game.

Fix long loading times
More meele weapons
Less linear story

That's it

 

[Snowden's Secret]

I'd like to see them expand the audience, appeal to a broader demographic. Make it an XB3/PS4 multiplat, focus development on really giving it the sharpest, most realistic graphics. Increase ammo availability so the player gets a sense of empowerment and can focus more on combating zombies. Lose the perma death aspect so that the story can focus on a single protagonist (he should be a 30 something American). Also, the game was too hard at times, I'd change some of the tougher sections to QTE so that everyone can experience those moments.

 

[abstract alien]

So how would you make Zombi U the same game on another platform? Nearly everyone that has actually played it agrees that the second screen is an essential piece to the experience. How will it work and still be Zombi U without being Zombi U: Standardized Edition?

 

[Haunted]

So how would you make Zombi U the same game on another platform? Nearly everyone that has actually played it agrees that the second screen is an essential piece to the experience. How will it work and still be Zombi U without being Zombi U: Standardized Edition?

Pad scanning: show on main screen, control with sticks.
Pad sniping: show on main screen, control with sticks.
bob inventory: show transparently on main screen, don't pause the game.
Opening barricades and manholes by tapping: remove it altogether.

Any other Gamepad features I've missed?

As said before, it's definitely possible to adapt it to a standard control scheme with one screen. It won't be the same game (obviously), but I'm fairly confident it could still be called ZombiU without many people complaining.

edit: I'm playing devil's advocate here, I'd be totally fine if ZombiU sticks to being WiiU exclusive.

I'd like to see them expand the audience, appeal to a broader demographic. Make it an XB3/PS4 multiplat, focus development on really giving it the sharpest, most realistic graphics. Increase ammo availability so the player gets a sense of empowerment and can focus more on combating zombies. Lose the perma death aspect so that the story can focus on a single protagonist (he should be a 30 something American). Also, the game was too hard at times, I'd change some of the tougher sections to QTE so that everyone can experience those moments.

Hits too close to home to be funny, that's so plausible it's depressing. (Nothing wrong with improved graphics, though).

 

[War Peaceman]

They should try to make the game more challenging without creating more monster-types besides zombies. Meaning creating more scenarios, where you need to think about the right tactic, but still give the player different ways to solve them. Pretty much making it more into a puzzle game. Very important to make the game more challenging, is to also rework the Hint-System to be more useful. Player should create much better visual hints and get some bonus for useful information (like in Demon's Soul). Also cut the radar! Much too useful!

Reworking the melee-system to be less deadly and more tactical. For example make an zombie trip to run away or having you to focus more to make a deadly swing. Simply making it the very last option.

Beside this less resources, a little more freedom and more difference in the survivors. Like only some survivors can actual use some items or use them completely differently (thanks to there original job). So the pain of losing one character should be bigger and even have some consequences on your items without actual losing them.

I really want you to design the game.

In addition to this, more melee weapon variety would be great. With each weapon having a different effect that isn't simply damage variety.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

I doubt the people asking for it to be multiplatform have actually played the game.

 

[RyanReedyMusic]

Pad scanning: show on main screen, control with sticks.
Pad sniping: show on main screen, control with sticks.
bob inventory: show transparently on main screen, don't pause the game.
Opening barricades and manholes by tapping: remove it altogether.

Any other Gamepad features I've missed?

As said before, it's definitely possible to adapt it to a standard control scheme with one screen. It won't be the same game (obviously), but I'm fairly confident it could still be called ZombiU without many people complaining.

edit: I'm playing devil's advocate here, I'd be totally fine if ZombiU sticks to being WiiU exclusive.


Hits too close to home to be funny, that's so plausible it's depressing. (Nothing wrong with improved graphics, though).

You can already control the pad scanning and sniping with the sticks.

 

[Ominym]

Reading through a few of these responses makes me change my answer more into a "do not include" list for a sequel, rather than what I'd like to see.

Stuff like "monsters" and "katanas" seem to be missing the point. ZombiU has a unique sense of weakness that most games, particularly first person ones, do not. Giving a player swords, machine guns, and even more villainous monsters to fight sounds nice and all. But it isn't what this type of game should be. The second you start putting power weapons in the hands, and making them a walking power house if even for a level or two, you have to rebuff them with stronger monsters to continue the 'horror' aspects. All in all, you end up losing what makes this game a survival horror game, and start trudging the down the path of Resident Evil.

 

[Ridley327]

What I want:

-more polish all around
-better character models
-expanded melee options; I don't mind there being only one melee weapon, but they really needed to have a horizontal option available in the event that you get a couple of zombies coming up at you at the same time, which should be easy enough to balance
-the 180 quickturn being mapped differently; make it more like Resident Evil and have it as a down+button command, rather that mapping it on a no man's land button like R
-work on making the game world more cohesive, a la Dark Souls, including making the sewers an actual part of the game's world; really push the sense of discovery, which the game did well on an area-to-area basis, as evidenced by hunting for the CCTV boxes and the various shortcuts and alternate paths that one could take to avoid heavy traffic,
-tied into that, implement a larger world that has multiple safe houses, rather than having just the one base of operations; make it so that some of them have to be fought for, some of them have to be located in remote places (which would make sense), and some of them would be along the way of normal progress, which would be the ones that are equipped with CCTV monitors
-and tied into that one specifically, work in a inventory system that shows up in all of the safehouses with inventory crates, a la old-school Resident Evil or Dark Souls, for the normal difficulty (switched off on Survivor, naturally)

 

[BigDes]

So how would you make Zombi U the same game on another platform? Nearly everyone that has actually played it agrees that the second screen is an essential piece to the experience. How will it work and still be Zombi U without being Zombi U: Standardized Edition?

Well on the 360 you could use smartglass I guess

Make an android/ios app and then use that

Could work

Not everyone has a tablet or phone though

 

[Sethos]

Gameplay must be lacklustre as hell if it can't be a good game without that second screen.

Probably shouldn't be multiplatform then.

 

[Formless]

If they do a sequel I wonder if they'll stay with the British setting.

 

[N30RYU]

this