I doubt I even have to say this, but zombies are in right now. Move over aliens, Nazis, communists, and terrorists; zombies are the new de facto video game enemy, and why not? Unlike the others, zombies offer a humanoid target that is almost entirely inhuman, allowing for their guilt-free demise at the hands of players. That’s normally all well and good, but over-saturation becomes a concern as more and more developers try to shoehorn the undead into their games in hopes of riding the wave of commercial success other zombie-based games have created. The zombie meme will implode when the undead become inconsequential to a game itself and instead appear only so a game can be called a “zombie game,” and with Blood Drive, I worry that we are dangerously close to that point.

Blood Drive, developed by Sidhe Interactive (who win Best Slogan Ever with “We Make Games”), offers up vehicular combat a la Twisted Metal, set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested future. Players take control of one of eight contestants competing in Blood Drive, a Death Race 2000-inspired tournament which sees racers striving to kill zombies and each other in pursuit of being named champion. It won’t set the world on fire, but Blood Drive‘s setting and story are chock full of B-movie tropes and are brought to life with some surprisingly amusing writing. For instance, loading screens will usually display information about the different racers or zombies found in the game, and when discussing the Lobber, a bloated amalgamation of flesh and pus (think of the Boomer from Left 4 Dead), the game compares the special zombie to a baby, then quips “but, like a baby, they explode if you shake them too much.” It’s morbidly silly, but the writing is strong and permeates the entire experience.

Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn’t match the quality of the writing. Though theoretically each racer has different stats for vehicle handling, I found that driving, regardless of which character I picked, was difficult and had a fairly steep learning curve. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why, but I always had a hard time driving through the levels, especially when precision turning was required. After a few hours of playing, I started to feel more comfortable, but there were still times when I would drive head-first into walls, having to slowly reverse and pull away from them.

This problem is only made worse by the fact that the levels in Blood Drive continue to grow in complexity as they are unlocked in the Tournament mode. Soon levels begin to feature multiple tiers with tiny ramps and elevated platforms, which the AI competition will have no problem traversing while the player continues to plummet back to the ground. Good luck on any match involving chasing opponents, because once they are up there, I can guarantee that you won’t be able to catch them. I may not be the biggest racing game fan, that’s for sure, but something certainly seemed off with the driving mechanics.

That’s a pity, too, because Blood Drive offers up a pretty good amount of content for players to enjoy. On top of the lengthy Tournament mode, there are Challenges and Events to be played as well as online multiplayer. The only thing missing is an option for local multiplayer, which is a shame given that in my time spent playing the game online, there was very rarely anyone playing, and a game like this would seem to benefit from a few friends on the couch.

Blood Drive‘s engine isn’t the prettiest, but considering the number of zombies on screen with the amount of explosions going on as well, it’s hard to complain. Sure, there is some pop-in to be had, as zombies will suddenly appear before you as you drive from one side of the level to the other, but the game never stutters, even during the most chaotic of moments. Strong level design also keeps the view pleasant, as events will take place in old airports, burnt-out cities, dilapidated factory grounds, and more. No two levels look the same, and each has its own features and strategies.

What I find most puzzling about Blood Drive, though, is how little the zombies actually matter, which ties to what I discussed in the opening paragraph. Each event in Blood Drive will feature different criteria for winning, and while some do involve mowing down the countless number of zombies that inhabit each level, most demand destroying or racing the other contestants, leaving the zombies to mill about uselessly as the player focuses on his human competition. Sure, if the player stops for too long, his car may be swarmed by the undead, but they don’t really do very much damage, and as soon as the gas is pressed, the car will easily move over any foe in its path. I love the use of zombies thematically, but the gameplay doesn’t seem to utilize them to their fullest potential. It doesn’t ruin the experience by any means, but it is something to ponder as more and more zombie games continue to be released in this way.

Blood Drive has a lot of charm thanks to the strong writing and setting, but suffers from some fundamental flaws in the driving mechanics. Still, shooting harpoons and saw blades at ambulances, hearses, and semi trucks while weaving through crowds of the walking dead can be fun. Blood Drive, much like the B-movies that it riffs on, is a flawed work that can certainly be enjoyed by some. I sincerely hope that Sidhe gets an opportunity to make a sequel that fixes the vehicle handling and better utilizes the zombies in each level, because there are some great ideas to be found here. If the amount of activity online is any indication of the game’s sales numbers, however, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

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Things We Liked: Excellent writing. Great deal of variety between both levels and characters. Good amount of things to do.

Things We Disliked: Just so damn hard to drive sometimes. Lack of local multiplayer. Lack of anyone playing online.

Target Audience: Fans of B-movies and Twisted Metal.

(Blood Drive – Developer: Sidhe Interactive. Publisher: Activision. Available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 — PS3 version reviewed. A copy of the game was provided by the publishers for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)