Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse

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.

If you already have a soft spot for Stubbs the Zombie, you're going to have a perfectly fine experience here. But we wonder why on earth anyone would hold a candle for a game this obviously flawed. There's some ambition here for sure, but something is always working against it. You can't lose yourself in its mindlessness because your character is too weak. You can't really formulate a decent strategy using your powers because you can only gain access to them through the rote melee combat. The jokes didn't make us laugh. The premise is fun but the gameplay simply doesn't do it justice. We'll say it again – in order to make Stubbs the Zombie fun at all, you have to possess one of the firearm-wielding humans, thus transforming it from a load of baffling nothing to a pretty dull shooter. Please, no more resurrections for Stubbs. Let the man rest.

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.

Fun can still be had in Stubbs The Zombie, however, its flaws are still ever apparent. It’s a mostly enjoyable experience, just feels very dated and was an incredibly low-effort remaster.

Stubbs the Zombie is still what it was more than fifteen years ago, with the good and I'm afraid the bad, but also the good, which is that. A not very long story with zombie jokes, and a leading man who makes himself loved. A pity that there has not been more effort to bring back a title that even the word 'remaster' is too big for. But that retains sparkle and touch at least.

Good old zombie Stubbs is not fresh enough for present-day players.

Aspyr could have fixed some very serious technical problems after so many years.

Even though its gameplay mechanics are a bit dated and there aren't much improvements over the original game, the remastered version of Stubbs the Zombie is still one of the most unique experiences you can have, especially if you missed it 15 years ago.

Stubbs is emblematic of the end-of-lifecycle game in that it is extremely weird, kind of janky, and beloved by those who happened to pick it up in the game store, which was something we had way back then, because console games hadn’t invented online purchases yet.

Stubbs the Zombie deserved more then, but not now. A too simple port that fails to attract attention to an outdated game.