Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse Reviews
If you already have a soft spot for Stubbs the Zombie, you're going to have a perfectly fine experience here. But we wonder why on earth anyone would hold a candle for a game this obviously flawed. There's some ambition here for sure, but something is always working against it. You can't lose yourself in its mindlessness because your character is too weak. You can't really formulate a decent strategy using your powers because you can only gain access to them through the rote melee combat. The jokes didn't make us laugh. The premise is fun but the gameplay simply doesn't do it justice. We'll say it again – in order to make Stubbs the Zombie fun at all, you have to possess one of the firearm-wielding humans, thus transforming it from a load of baffling nothing to a pretty dull shooter. Please, no more resurrections for Stubbs. Let the man rest.
There's a bitter sweet feeling to playing Stubbs the Zombie in 2021. The game is too dated and linear to really recommend and some of my fond memories were tarnished by revisiting it, but the core gameplay still has enough to keep you engaged and the setting and humour still stand out. I still think it is worth a return play for those old enough to remember it first time around and I am glad that it is finally available again. There is enough here to get your heart pumping, but there's a persistent whiff of decay that you just can't shift.
For those reasons and more, it continues to baffle me as to why Stubbs got this modern re-release. The story is fine, but clever narratives can only take a game so far. Nothing about this game feels like it belongs in 2021, whether it's the repetitive gameplay or the dated graphics. Like Stubbs' character in this specific story, this game should be approached as a curiosity and nothing more.
Stubbs shambles into 2021 as a decrepit mess.
These are all problems that were present in the title upon its 2005 launch, so the port can only do so much. With this in mind, the game is solid — stable frame rate, the assets look as good as they possibly could without an overhaul, and the modernised controls are a demonstrable improvement. Hit detection is a little sluggish, but it's worth the price of entry for getting a peek at such an oddity. While saying the game lacks focus could be construed as an insult, it’s truly fascinating to see a game made with, for its time, such a high level of quality that wears so many different hats. And for that, we appreciate the opportunity to experience it in the modern era.
Stubbs is a fun game that doesn’t take itself seriously. There is really nothing else quite like it, and I had fun revisiting this dumb action title. For those that never got a chance to play it before it is more than worth checking out, if for nothing else but seeing how different this game is from pretty much everything else out there. It thrives on its wackiness and dumb fun and is still enjoyable today. And now players can experience it on every console or PC under the sun.
Stubbs the Zombie deserved more then, but not now. A too simple port that fails to attract attention to an outdated game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse has more highs than lows, but those lows can get close to feeling like a slog. It’s a blast to play, even though you’ll have seen most of what it has to offer before the halfway mark. Luckily the game’s roughly eight-hour runtime makes it, so it never becomes tedious or boring, but it does get painfully close to that territory. Ultimately, your mileage is going to vary. Stubbs the Zombie surely has its flaws, but I enjoyed myself through the adventure enough to say that bringing this cult classic back from the dead was a good call.
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse isn’t a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination, but once the novelty of playing as a zombie has worn off, it’s rarely fun. It’s dated in just about every way imaginable, and while those who fondly remember it from many years ago might get a kick out of taking control of Stubbs once again, newcomers are probably just going to left wondering why his corpse has been reanimated once more. With some fresh ideas I’d like to encounter Stubbs again one day, but his original outing now just carries the stench of decay.
Fun can still be had in Stubbs The Zombie, however, its flaws are still ever apparent. It’s a mostly enjoyable experience, just feels very dated and was an incredibly low-effort remaster.
Stubbs the Zombie Rebel Without A Pulse is a cult game incarnate. From the offbeat premise and crass sense of humor, to the low budget presentation and likable protagonist; it is the kind of game that is hard to dislike because of how quirky it is.
Good old zombie Stubbs is not fresh enough for present-day players.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Even though its gameplay mechanics are a bit dated and there aren't much improvements over the original game, the remastered version of Stubbs the Zombie is still one of the most unique experiences you can have, especially if you missed it 15 years ago.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Whether this is for you depends on how much fondness you have for games of this era. This is no remaster or remake; it's a direct port. For me, the pieces come together just enough to find fun in spite of itself.
If you're looking at Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without A Pulse without the benefit of nostalgia, the experience is rather clunky. The concept is great, but the flow feels random due to the awkward level transitions and situations. The mechanics are inventive, but things like terrible AI on both sides keep the game from reaching its full potential. Although the presentation shows how good the graphics of the original Xbox look today, some odd presentation choices feel like bugs. If you have fond memories of the original PC and Xbox release, then it's fine to check out the Switch port, but those who are new to the game may want to temper expectations or wait for a sale.
When games from previous generations make a return it's always interesting to see whether unusual ideas that met with some success then can hold up now...
Stubbs the Zombie is still what it was more than fifteen years ago, with the good and I'm afraid the bad, but also the good, which is that. A not very long story with zombie jokes, and a leading man who makes himself loved. A pity that there has not been more effort to bring back a title that even the word 'remaster' is too big for. But that retains sparkle and touch at least.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Stubbs is emblematic of the end-of-lifecycle game in that it is extremely weird, kind of janky, and beloved by those who happened to pick it up in the game store, which was something we had way back then, because console games hadn’t invented online purchases yet.
Aspyr could have fixed some very serious technical problems after so many years.
Review in Greek | Read full review
The HD remaster version of Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse wants players to see the fun side of a zombie outbreak and it does it in all the right ways. Players will once again roam through the city of Punchbowl looking for love and revenge.