King of the Zombies is the competitive offline multiplayer mode for ZombiU. There are three different modes (Assault, Killing Box and Survivor). One player uses either the Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Remote and Nunchuck to try and guide their survivor towards a flag to capture it. Meanwhile, another player wielding the Wii U Gamepad will be able to spawn zombies around the flag using the touchscreen in a bid to keep the flag unclaimed.
Gameplay
King of the Zombies allows for 2 players. One player (known as the King of Zombies) uses the Wii U Gamepad while the other player (known as Survivor) use either the Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Remote and Nunchuck to control a human.
King of Zombies
Player using Wii U Gamepad to place zombies on the map.
The King of Zombies is the player who is holding the Wii U Gamepad. The King of Zombies can use the touchscreen on the GamePad to spawn in different types of the Infected to attempt to stop the survivors from capturing the flags required to win the match.
At the beginning of a round the King of Zombies player will have 18 resources to spend on Infected "Units" and will be able to have a maximum of 8 Units on the map at a time. Resources are slowly regenerated to allow the King of Zombies player to spawn in more units.
The King of Zombies player will also have a choice of 3 zombie units to spawn from the start of a round.
| Unit | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Grunt | 10 | Finds and captures flags. Grunts are indispensible to win, but must be protected. |
| Guard | 3 | Detects and attacks the Survivor within a limited range. |
| Hunter | 4 | Detects Survivor's position throughout the map and gives chase. |
The King of Zombies player will be able to level up when they spawn in enough infected units. When the player levels up, they will be able to choose one of three upgrades that are available randomly to the player.
| Upgrade | Type | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spitter | New Unit | 8 | Uses a ranged acid attack that impairs vision and damages the human and turrets. |
| Armoured Guard | New Unit | 12 | A very tough Guard, that needs multiple headshots to kill. |
| Explosive Hunter | New Unit | 7 | A Hunter that explodes if shot in the body, damaging everything around. |
| Sprinter | New Unit | 8 | A faster and stronger version of the Hunter. |
| Capacity Upgrade | Permanent Effect | --- | Increases maximum unit capacity. |
| Resource Boost | Permanent Effect | --- | Increases resource generation rate. |
| Resource Limit Upgrade | Permanent Effect | --- | Adds to resource storage capacity. |
| Damage Upgrade | Permanent Effect | --- | Increase damage dealt by your units. |
| Resistance Upgrade | Permanent Effect | --- | Increase damage resistance for all units. |
| Wipe Out Defense | Effect Activated | --- | When activated, all turrets and mines placed by the survivor explode. |
Survivor
Another player known as Survivors is required to play in King of the Zombies. They can either use the Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Remote and Nunchuck to control their character. In the Assault mode, their goal is to capture the flags without being defeated by the Infected that the King of Zombies spawns in.
A survivor always has one vircuide shot at the beginning of a round and can pickup ammo and automated turrets scatted around the map.
When a survivor is about to (re)spawn into the map, they can choose 1 of 7 different loadouts of weapons available to them.
| Loadout #1 | Loadout #2 | Loadout #3 | Loadout #4 | Loadout #5 | Loadout #6 | Loadout #7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Magnum Pistol | Model 870 Shotgun | M4 Tactical Shotgun | MP5 SD Submachine Gun | UMP45 Submachine Gun | AK-47 Assault Rifle | SA80A2 Assault Rifle |
| Secondary Weapon | Double-Barrel Shotgun | P226 Pistol | Hunting Crossbow | Model No.4 Mk.1 Carbine | P226 Pistol | P226 Pistol | L9A1 Pistol |
| Item | Flare | Grenade | Molotov Cocktail | Grenade | Grenade | Grenade | Molotov Cocktail |
Like the King of Zombies player, the Survivor also has some sort of reward scheme. In this case they are known as "Gifts". Everytime the survivor kills an infected unit, they increase their gift bar by one point (a kill by an automated turret also gives you points towards gifts). Gifts can be one of the following:
| Gift | Description |
|---|---|
| Medium Medipack | Heals all of the survivors health. |
| Double Damage | Doubles the damage of every shot for a certain period of time. |
| Mine | Allows the survivor to place a mine that would explode upon contact with an infected unit. |
| Virucide Shot | Gives the survivor an extra Virucide Shot that can be used against lunging zombies. |
Trivia
The name of the game mode could be another reference to "Shaun of the Dead" as Ed in the movie says "Who died and made you King of the F***** Zombies?"
The naming of the King of the Zombies as Lord Boris in the in-game description of the mode can be referring to Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London.