Firearms 101: Guide to handling guns in Zombi

Zombi, which was once known simply as ZombiU on the Nintendo Wii U, has finally launched on new-gen consoles and the PC. Not a lot appears to be different, except for the name, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. No one on the aforementioned platforms had the opportunity to play the zombie survival game.

Now that we’ve had our hands on the game, there are some things to learn about handling the firearms included within. Primarily, Zombi is about melee combat and surviving the droves of undead, but the game does include a small selection of guns for when things get hairy – or for those who just prefer to use them in combat.

Pistols:

The pistols are the first firearm you get your hands on. There are only three in the game, but the ammo is plentiful – when compared to the other weapons. 

Your first gun, the Browning HP, is located within the backpack you pick up off the previous survivor’s corpse. It has a few rounds within it the clip already, but you can find more relatively easily. Of course, you’re only going to find ammo in small numbers – say, one or two rounds at a time. If you’re incredibly lucky, then you may find four!

The second and third pistols you receive, respectively are the P226, which is suppressed, and the Magnum Pistol, which is the most powerful included. The former can be upgraded to hold 19 rounds, making it highly useful for sneaking through lone zombies or small groups. While the latter is capable of taking on an armored zombie with a deadly single shot.

Shotguns:

Everyone knows the zombie apocalypse is ten times easier when you have a loaded shotgun with you. However, shotgun shells are semi-hard to acquire when things have gone to hell.

The first weapon in this class that you acquire is the 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun. As the name implies, it is an old-school double barrel, so you can only hold 2 shells at a time. However, the stopping power alone is worth carrying this thing around. The shells go quickly, however, so be wary of your ammo count while wielding it.

Alternatively, you can use the M4 Tactical, which has a 7-shot capacity and a faster rate of fire; or the Model 870, which only has a 4-shell capacity, a slower rate of fire, and a slower reload than the previously mentioned shotgun.

All-in-all, a shotgun is the type of person-stopper you want to have on you at all times. It is loud, though, so be wary of where you are firing it off, as it will attract droves of the undead.

Submachine Guns:

With a fast rate of fire and plentiful ammunition in the clip, the submachine gun is an all-purpose type of weapon that can pull a zombie survivor out of the fray and keep them surviving for another day.

The first submachine gun acquired in the game, the MP5 SD, has a silencer built right into the barrel, so you can fire off a quick burst without alerting the undead in the area.

Unfortunately, submachine guns, much like shotguns, share the same type of ammo. So, if you’re carrying around the UMP45 – the second assault weapon – or the MP5 SD, you need to truly count your shots before firing off an entire clip at a single zombie. Short bursts are your friend when it comes to these close-range weapons. Don’t even bother trying to engage at long range, as you won’t hit anything enough to kill it.

Rifles:

Rifles, obviously, are an entire class of weapon all on their own. Within Zombi, a rifle is classified as multiple types of firearms, including assault rifles, sniper rifles, and bolt-action rifles. Each one has its own unique traits and characteristics that make it useful.

The AK-47, for example, is one of the best assault rifles in the game. It is actually the second best after the SA80, but who is counting, right? These make up for their noise with a high rate of fire, deadly stopping power, and large clip sizes. Finding the ammo to fill the clip is the problem, though.

When it comes to rifles, though, the bolt-action Lee-Enfield is the first one the player will acquire. It shares ammo with the Remington 770 sniper rifle, so choosing between the two will be vital. The Lee-Enfield has a slow reload, as the entire clip pops out, but it is deadly from a distance. When firing up close, though, you want to carefully time your shot before letting a round pop off, otherwise you risk missing and losing a few seconds while you work the bolt.

The sniper rifle, the Remington 770, obviously has a hunting scope attached for long-distance combat. There are very few instances where this will come in handy, as Zombi tends to be an in-your-face type of game.

Overall, the firearms in Zombi are pretty diversified, but you’re going to have better luck getting up-close-and-personal with a melee weapon. A gun is a great stand-by, though.