Ed-0: Zombie Uprising

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is a very odd title which is relatively hard to recommend to many people, however it most definitely has an audience. If you're willing to put up with the game's many quirks, you may find something to love here.

It scratched the itch I have for more Elden Ring without feeling overly difficult for the sake of being difficult.

A morbid reward awaits the gamers who persevere. In the face of such adversity, within a devilish allure emerges a dark humor that grins from the corners of this bizarre game. Even moments of drunken stumbling and unfettered puking can take on a certain charm, a testament to the unapologetic absurdity that thrives within Ed-0: Zombie Uprising.

Edo period budget zombie invasion roguelike extravaganza

There is a lot to admire about Ed-0. Conceptually it’s spot on, the gameplay is taut, albeit “classical”, and the atmosphere is thick and entertaining. Unfortunately, it’s also a story of missed opportunities, and what could have been a truly stand-out experience ends up being just a flashy B-grade roguelike. Is it worth the time investment? Sure. Is it going to be something you remember for many years to come? Sadly, no.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is the poster child of crappy, nearly irredeemable, but oddly endearing Japanese jank.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising presents a unique take on a classic setup that will put your skills to the test. Don’t go in expecting another generic zombie hack’n slash. Be prepared to be challenged and learn from your mistakes or be doomed to never progress.

If you're looking for the next big rogue-like, Ed-0: Zombie Uprising won't scratch that itch. The rogue-like elements are absolutely there. But the bland combat grind and unbalanced difficulty may detract you from sticking it out and finishing this painstaking experience.

Whether Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is right for someone will largely depend on their threshold for jank and clumsy design. The new v1.0 release, while feature-rich, could also be further improved with a little more bug-cleansing, items, and side quests, and some placeholder text in the UI seems to imply that additional updates are forthcoming. It's not going to make or break it for anyone still on the fence at this time, but a little more variety and chaos in character builds would do wonders to soften the game's clunkier content. Regardless, what's available is a truly one-of-a-kind, uber-violent, irreverent and addicting treat, so let this remain as a confident recommendation of Ed-0: Zombie Uprising for action-roguelite fanatics with a masochistic sense of humor.