Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov’s Revenge

Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov’s Revenge is a zombie-themed real-time strategy game featuring top-down tactical battles between two rival factions: the mad Professor Brainhov and his rogue apprentice Orville Tycoon, who both command hordes of undead units and monstrous buildings in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.

Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov’s Revenge: Review

Introduction

In the shambling horde of early 2010s zombie media—fueled by The Walking Dead‘s cultural dominance and a glut of undead shooters—Frima Studio’s Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov’s Revenge dared to zombify the real-time strategy genre, pitting two mad scientists against each other in a battle of brain-munching minions. As the sequel to the 2009 PSP Mini Zombie Tycoon, this 2013 digital release on PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PC, and Android promised accessible RTS chaos on consoles, where mouse-less unit herding has long been a recipe for frustration. With its cartoonish flair, cross-platform multiplayer, and a premise of apprentice versus mentor in a zombie apocalypse, the game hooks with the giddy power fantasy of commanding undead squads. Yet, beneath the humorous decay lies a title that excels in bite-sized thrills but gnaws at its own flesh with repetitive design and uneven execution. This review argues that Brainhov’s Revenge carves a niche as a charming gateway RTS for console players, but its limited depth and technical stumbles prevent it from rising above cult curiosity in gaming history.

Development History & Context

Frima Studio, a Quebec-based Canadian indie outfit founded in 2003, had built a reputation for quirky PlayStation Minis like A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks! and Nun Attack by the time Zombie Tycoon 2 lumbered into production. Self-publishing the title as a full-fledged PSN download (priced at $9.99 with cross-buy for PS3 and Vita), Frima leveraged Unreal Engine 3 to deliver polished visuals on console hardware during the tail-end of the PS3 era. The 106-person credit list—led by Executive Producer Martin Brouard, Game Design Director David Lacasse, and Art Director Simon Lemay-Comtois—reflects a collaborative effort blending programmers like Michaël Dubé, 3D artists such as Chantal Couture, and QA leads Jonathan Quan and Sarah-Émilie Bolduc.

Released on April 30, 2013 (North America PS3/Vita), with PC following in December and Android ports later, the game arrived amid a zombie saturation point post-Left 4 Dead and Dead Island, yet RTS on consoles remained rare. Technological constraints like analog stick imprecision for unit selection (no mouse parity) shaped its “simplified” design, echoing failed console RTS experiments like Halo Wars. Frima’s vision, per interviews, emphasized “jump-in” accessibility over micromanagement, cross-play between PS3/Vita (ad-hoc multiplayer included), and a sequel expanding the original’s horde mechanics. The 2013 gaming landscape—dominated by BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us—saw digital indies like this thrive via PSN promotions, including Spring Fever and Instant Game Collection slots, boosting visibility amid a shift to handheld strategy via Vita.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Zombie Tycoon 2 thrives on pulpy, self-aware zombie lore, framing its conflict as a mad science feud in the fog-shrouded ruins of Finkleville. Players choose between Orville Tycoon, the rogue apprentice who unleashes “Formula-Z” for world domination with his slow, tanky “heavy-duty” zombies (hulking brutes in earthy tones), or Professor Brainhov, Tycoon’s vengeful, rotting mentor commanding frantic, agile “feral” undead (twitchy blue hordes). The campaign splits into episodes per faction, progressing through missions that reclaim territory from humans or rival zombies, culminating in epic boss fights and branching paths based on side selection.

Plot beats unfold via slapstick cutscenes: Tycoon, a lab-coated 1950s caricature wielding a laser pistol, rebuilds after Brainhov’s ambush; Brainhov, a shambling genius, seeks payback. Dialogue crackles with B-movie cheese—”Whose brain-munching minions are stronger? You help decide!”—poking fun at zombie tropes like slow vs. fast undead (World War Z era nod). Themes explore power fantasies of control (herding brainless minions mirrors mad science hubris) and rivalry as evolution (Tycoon’s modern zombies vs. Brainhov’s classics), laced with dark humor: terrified civilians quake as hordes overrun suburbs, yet cartoonish exaggeration (ninja zombies? Boxing ferals?) keeps it light-hearted.

Deeper layers critique RTS micromanagement as “playing god with idiots,” with zombies’ stupidity (ignoring orders, pathing fails) underscoring themes of unreliable underlings. Optional objectives tease hidden lore, like secret trophies revealing Finkleville’s fall, but the narrative’s brevity—short missions clocking 20-60 minutes—prioritizes gameplay over epic scope. Multiplayer extends the feud sans story, letting players embody factions in deathmatches. Ultimately, the tale’s charm lies in its unpretentious satire, a breath of undead air in a genre bloated with grimdark apocalypses.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Zombie Tycoon 2 streamlines RTS into console-friendly loops: command four units (mobile spawner, two zombie squads, one monster) via face buttons (X/Circle/Square/Triangle), with left stick panning, right stick zooming/rotating, and L1 quick-viewing the map. No base-building; instead, capture houses/buildings to spawn NPC horde zombies, upgrade squads, or unlock defenses. Six zombie types diversify squads post-capture:

Zombie Type	Role & Strengths	Weaknesses
Brawler	High damage/tankiness, stun attacks for rushes	Slow speed
Cleaner	Navigates chemical waste, explodes on death	Fragile
Engineer	Fast captures, activates doors/cranes	Low combat prowess
Samurai	Balanced melee, agile	Low defense
Scavenger	Ranged throws (debris)	Inaccurate
Scout	Fast recon, self-regenerates for hit-and-run	Weak fighter

Four monsters (hero units) add punch: Badgerker (speedy assassin), Skidmark (damage tank), Bearhug (crowd control traps/AoE), Braintrust (cloaking/scout/self-destruct). They level via kills, unlocking abilities. The Dead Rush (R1) unleashes your full horde (scaling with buildings) for swarm overwhelms—visually spectacular, tactically pivotal.

Campaign missions demand objectives like activating paths, surviving waves, or boss duels, with fog of war and traps (bear traps, acid) adding peril. Difficulty ramps sharply late-game, per reviews, with escort-heavy maps frustrating slow units. UI shines: clean codex, objective trackers, post-mission stats/recaps encourage replays. Multiplayer (deathmatch: destroy foe’s spawner) thrives on cross-play, but one map/mode limits replayability; bots absent.

Flaws abound: imprecise analog targeting in swarms, unresponsive units/bugs (e.g., lost control), convoluted maps forcing backtracking. Controls feel “fluid” initially but clunky for precision (stealth/boss shifts jar). Progression auto-levels monsters sans player choice, simplifying yet flattening depth. Innovative? Yes—horde dynamics and squad limits make it MOBA-lite RTS. Flawed? Console compromises yield repetitive loops, better for short bursts than marathons.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Finkleville’s post-apocalyptic sprawl—crumbling suburbs, chemical spills, barricaded streets—immerses via top-down vistas blending horror and whimsy. Cartoon cel-shading renders zombies “tasteful” (hulking tanks comical, not grotesque), with exaggerated survivors (wide-eyed panic) amplifying humor. Unreal Engine 3 ensures fluid 30fps on PS3 (minor Vita stutters), vibrant colors popping on OLED. Buildings (shops for upgrades, turrets) foster emergent strategy; fog peels back dynamically, revealing ambushes.

Atmosphere nails “zombie comedy”: hordes trampling civilians evokes absurd power, Dead Rush a green-tinted spectacle. Art director Simon Lemay-Comtois’ team crafts diverse locales (urban ruins to labs), sustaining variety despite repetition.

Sound design pulses with adrenaline: zombie moans/grunts, fleshy impacts, and orchestral stings build tension, though soundtrack loops repetitively (industrial beats, zombie choirs). Voice work charms in cutscenes (cheesy scientist rants), SFX excel (horde thunders, monster roars). Cross-platform parity holds, but Vita’s limited haptics miss PS3 rumble’s visceral “crunch.” Collectively, these forge a cohesive, undead playground—visuals carry the load, sound supports thrills.

Reception & Legacy

Launch reception split hairs: Metacritic’s 63/100 (PS3, “Mixed”) from 13 critics praised accessibility (Gaming Nexus 85/100: “fun strategic multiplayer”; PSX Extreme 76/100: “cerebral tense matches”) but lambasted tedium/bugs (IGN 4.9/10: “dead on its feet”; Push Square 5/10: “frustrating mechanics”). MobyGames averaged 56% critics (cublikefoot 80% PC: “simple formula”; Gaming Age 33% Vita: “not for RTS fans”), players 4.3/5. JGGH’s 8.3/10 lauded visuals/multiplayer; Escapist 3.5/5 noted “streamlined tactics” but “inconsistent.”

Commercially modest (~9k units est.), PS Plus IGC (June 2022 Premium) and cross-buy spurred downloads. Evolved rep: cult favorite for Vita/PS3 RTS drought, influencing console hybrids (e.g., Orcs Must Die! Unchained). No direct sequels, but Frima’s zombie formula echoes in mobile indies. Historically, it exemplifies 2013’s digital pivot—niche zombie RTS amid genre fatigue—pioneering cross-play, yet underscoring console RTS pitfalls. Influence? Marginal, but a footnote in accessible strategy evolution.

Conclusion

Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov’s Revenge resurrects the RTS genre’s corpse for consoles with infectious humor, horde spectacle, and multiplayer mayhem, Frima Studio’s UE3 polish elevating simple mechanics into addictive loops. Yet sprawling maps, control quirks, abrupt difficulty, and content scarcity hobble its ambitions, rendering campaigns tedious and multiplayer anemic. As a 2013 artifact, it endures as a gateway for casual strategists craving zombie flair amid an undead oversupply, best at $5 (Steam/PSN sales). Verdict: 7/10—a flavorful brain snack, not a full feast, securing modest legacy as Vita’s finest undead commander sim. Play for the laughs, replay for the rushes; history remembers it fondly, if not immortally.