Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse Reviews
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.
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.
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.