Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Lore & Background

Zombie Army 4: Dead War is set in the year 1946, one year after Adolf Hitler was defeated by the Resistance and banished to hell. Although the Hellmouth Hitler opened was closed, the Zombie Menace continued, with countless Nazi dead overwhelming Allied forces and pushing them back into territories such as France and Italy. Without a leader, most of the living dead are weak and easily destroyed in small numbers, but rumors spread about a cult ensuring the horde has some cohesion and control. The conflict is now referred to as the 'Dead War'.

The story begins in Milan, where players battle invading hordes attacking safe houses. The dead begin to show intelligence, using weapons like handguns and SMGs, though not as competently as living humans. The protagonists retreat deeper into Italy, encountering more dangerous versions of previous foes with new appearances and powers, as well as deadly new enemies that appear as demonic mutants and vengeful spirits. Hellish versions of destroyed German vehicles and armor appear as hell-powered abominations. The journey takes players to survivor brigade locations in Venice, Sardinia, Croatia, Naples, and finally Rome.

The protagonists discover that Hitler was not killed, only banished to Hell. Using his Death Cult, he harnesses Hell's energy to build a new army and weapons of mass devastation. The survivors travel to Hell itself, sabotage the dead's war factories, and recover the Sagarmartha Relic from the Trilogy. After Dr. Efram Schweiger returns them to the surface at the cost of his own life, they battle Hitler one last time in Rome, destroying a massive Hell Machine and defeating the Zombie Leader with the Relic. Even with Hitler dead, the Survivor Brigade must chase his cult and remaining zombies, knowing the dead can no longer replenish their numbers.

Reader's Guide

Zombie Army 4: Dead War received 'mixed or average' reviews for PlayStation 4 and Windows according to review aggregator Metacritic, while the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One versions received 'generally favorable' reviews. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 63% of critics. Alex Spencer writing for PC Gamer described it as 'An excellently-crafted shooter, especially with friends. Just don't expect much in the way of brains.' Mark Delaney of GamesRadar+ wrote that 'It delivers a consistently fun and frenzied co-op shooter with plenty of ways to play and even more to keep you coming back.' The game is notable as a spin-off to the Sniper Elite series and a direct sequel to Zombie Army Trilogy, continuing the alternate-history narrative of a zombie-infested World War II Europe. Its release across multiple platforms over two years expanded its audience, and its co-op focus and varied enemy types contributed to its reception as a solid entry in the third-person shooter genre.

Did You Know?

• The game is set in 1946, one year after Adolf Hitler was banished to hell.
• The conflict against the zombie menace is called the 'Dead War'.
• Dr. Efram Schweiger sacrifices his life to return the players to the surface.