ZombiU 'cannot be reproduced,' so here's how you'll play sans-GamePad

Part of the intense dread in the Wii U game ZombiU came from having to look away from the television to the GamePad, particularly when rummaging through backpacks and other containers scattered throughout the undead-infested London cityscape. The PS4 and Xbox One don't have the second-screen feature that the Wii U does, but developer Ubisoft is still aiming to keep tensions high with the recently-announced Zombi current-gen console port.

"We knew from the beginning that maintaining the tension and feel of the original was one of the main challenges, as the way ZombiU was presented on Wii U cannot be reproduced," Zombi producer Hélène Henry told the UbiBlog. That's why the game has a dedicated backpack button, which brings up a player's inventory without pausing the game, and leaves only the sides of the screen visible. In other words, you may not be glancing down to a GamePad in your hands, but you'll still have to split your focus.

Zombi on PS4, Xbox One and PC will also be host to a number of technical and minor gameplay improvements, including a wider field of view, faster load times, and a shovel weapon that can hit multiple zombies. It will come to reanimated life on August 18.

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Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.