Ray's the Dead (2020)

There are parts of Ray's The Dead that are enjoyable. The idea of being a Pikmin-like zombie game is appealing, as is the fact that the game wants to tell a more nuanced story around your character's life, death, and rebirth. However, the controls lack precision, while the inherent strategy falls apart thanks to haphazard enemy placement and odd design decisions. For a title with this long of a wait, it should've been better.

So while Ray’s The Dead has an interesting and unique gameplay mechanic, it’s hard to recommend it in its current state. And although its 80s references and zombie theme captured a niche audience on Kickstarter, it’s difficult to say whether this inconsistent effort could appeal to a larger group – even when its issues have been fixed.

Ray's the Dead is a hard game to either recommend or trash, balanced neatly between being a charming and much-smarter-than-it-looks zombie-fest and a buggy mess punctuated by painfully blatant '80s nostalgia.

Ray’s The Dead is not a perfect game, but it’s an awesome option for the spooky Halloween season. If you are looking to have a fun, surprisingly deep story experience with a game and revel in what makes Halloween such a beloved holiday, then Ray’s The Dead should be on your list.

Even though Ray's The Dead's gameplay isn't particularly fresh, its variety and cleverly presented story make it a fun experience.