Kingdom: The Blood Review - "An action packed zombie apocalypse experience"

• Gorgeous yet glitchy graphics
• Brutally challenging combat
• Online gameplay is currently a bust

When you think of the zombie apocalypse you probably think of it happening in modern times. But what if the zombie apocalypse began long ago in ancient Korea? This is the question Kingdom: The Blood seeks to answer.

Based on the hit Netflix series, Kingdom: The Blood is a challenging zombie game for Android and iOS. You play as a noble warrior trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. You'll slay hordes of zombies as you explore Josean-era Korea, brought to life with stunning 3D graphics.

First, you must choose between two characters, one male wielding a sword and a woman wielding a bow and arrow. You can then customize your character by altering settings like nose height, cheekbone width, and jaw length. The level of customization may seem daunting to some, but it allows you to really express yourself while creating a distinct character.

Unforgiving Combat

Once you've created your character, you can finally get into the action. Kingdom The Blood has a simple, intuitive control system, which is especially helpful since combat can be unforgiving. Intended to be reminiscent of Dark Souls' devastatingly challenging combat, Kingdom: The Blood may be one of the more challenging action RPGs on mobile.

You have buttons for a basic attack, an SP attack and dodging available throughout each mission. However, by performing SP attacks correctly, you unlock burst attacks that deal heavier damage. Tap on the special move button whenever it appears (just above the base attack button) to devastate your enemies. However, be careful when it comes to button mashing as if you hit another button, the burst attack option will disappear.

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Zombies can move incredibly fast, often much faster than your character, so timing your attacks is key to defeating them. If you are bitten by a zombie while in combat, you’ll become infected. Don't worry; this doesn't mean you'll become a member of the Walking Dead. However, it does mean your blood scent will increase, which means more zombies will smell you, and thus, more will spawn, and their ATK will increase.

Cleanse the Infection

Keep an eye out for barrels of water, as you can remove your infection by interacting with them. You can also collect souls from those you defeat which can be used in between rounds to purchase combat effects to give you a boost in the next battle.

In Kingdom: The Blood, you won’t just be slaying zombies; you'll also face other warriors in combat. These skilled warriors are typically more challenging combatants than the zombies you face. While the dead fight purely on instinct, warriors wielding blades and other weapons are more cunning. However, persistent and well-aimed attacks will serve you well as long as you remember to dodge them when necessary.

Each battle consists of three rounds and a boss battle. Following the unforgiving nature of Souls-like games, failing to defeat the boss means you'll need to start the fight over. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you come close to killing the boss. However, the euphoria you’ll feel when you finally slaughter them is nearly worth it.

Battle Bloodthirsty Bosses

The game does feature some interesting bosses. Early on, you’ll battle the deceased King of Joseon, who will spew blood at you. From there, you’ll go on to face even more challenging bosses, such as the zombified Lord Ahn Hyeon, the queen’s trusted Shaman, and even Queen Cho herself.

Yes, combat is brutal. However, you can even the odds a bit by upgrading your skills. You can upgrade, purchase, and equip skills by tapping on the icon that looks like a pile of cards towards the top right of the screen.

Glitches and Issues

Kingdom: The Blood does have its downsides. The graphics, while absolutely gorgeous, are prone to glitching. For instance, you’ll often find that when you’re bitten by a zombie, said zombie is actually clearly biting the air behind you. While this isn't game-breaking, it does pull you out of the experience. Additionally, the online raid system sounds enticing, but finding team members to raid with is currently quite difficult. After playing the game for about a week, I still haven’t successfully joined a raid.

Kingdom: The Blood is a challenging zombie-fueled title that is sure to please fans of Souls-like games. The game's top-notch 3D graphics make watching your character cleave zombies apart a real treat. While the combat can feel a little too challenging at times, it's this challenging combat that is the core of the game. Featuring formidable foes, a decent level-up system, and in-depth character customization, Kingdom: The Blood is worth checking out despite its issues.