Zula

Game overview

Zula is a full 3D, team-based first person shooter that's been out since 2016, developed by IDC Games. The setting for its matches take place in present modern day era, and players can battle it out on a variety of realistic maps from Turkey to Ukraine, and the battlefield designs are strategic.

The gunplay is incredibly fast-paced and shooting feels excellent as bullet sprays are quick. This means enemy players die quicker, resulting in a hectic and frantic feeling in matches. However, the core gameplay is generic and bland as there are only 5 maps. This is further accentuated by the limited amount of game modes that we've already seen in similar games.

Overall, Zula is a decent free to play first person shooter that delivers fast paced action matches if that's what you crave from your FPS games. It has long haul progression systems for player levels to unlock weapon upgrades, in addition to skins and customization from both in-game and cash store to keep you busy.

➔ Main points:

• Very fast paced gunplay speed that feels incredibly in matches
• Good progression and customization options for players committed to the long grind
• Offers daily missions to diversify daily gameplay offering
• Zero tolerance on cheating and developers take it seriously

Trailer

Full review

That All Important Gunplay

Zula arrived in mid 2016 and offers a traditional FPS experience for players. The game centers around team-based matches that many will be familiar with. Up to 16 players with 8 a side will take on each other in modes like Team Death Match, Sabotage and a few others that many competitor games also offers. The new player experience is rather non-existent as there is no tutorial, but players should be able to jump straight into matches by picking from the pool of rooms in the lobby. But what does Zula offer in terms of gunplay? More important that any other aspect for FPS games is first and foremost the gunplay. Zula’s shooting is incredibly speedy and spraying bullets and killing enemies happen almost at the speed of light. Players are trading the slower tactical combat feel of games like R6 for something that feels like Left 4 Dead. Is this a good thing? In most cases, yes, especially as it lends a hectic and frantic atmosphere to the matches in-game.

While it's hard to say that the game play is accurate or not, it's still very fun. For new players, it may take a while to get used to the speed at which things happen - from reloading to dying and respawn timers. But once you get the hang of it, Zula becomes quite an accessible game.

Players are trading the slower tactical combat feel of games like R6 for something that feels like Left 4 Dead.

Player Progression and Weapon Customization

Zula claims to have over 150 weapons in the store, but the reality is that the figure also includes non weapons like skins and accessories. The guns are quite standard and expect to see the popular models from the genre appear, like Sniper Rifles, to Assault Rifles and SMGs. Players’s progression in Zula involves earning experience points for their character profiles in addition to earning currency from matches. This currency can then be spent to unlock improved weapons which all have varying stats. Shotguns have higher recoil for example and does more damage but lacks accuracy. Popular systems for FPS today like customizing skins and accessories all are features in Zula, which players can spend premium currency for.

Maps and Modes Could Be Better

While the gameplay has the potential to engage players who prefer faster pace FPS, Zula falls short in other departments. For starters the maps are bland and uninspiring, with only 5 limited choices to choose from. The Ship is by far the best out of the lot, and even then it can get boring after a while. It gets slightly better with the game modes, and there are a few unorthodox modes like Hunt the Boss which totally devalues the PvP aspect, but fun nonetheless. Otherwise, it’s easy to call this an imitation of any other successful FPS title.

Progression in many ways also carries that familiar yet generic vibe. New players will spend quite a few hours trying to earn levels in order to upgrade weapons at level 10. From there on, things become quite the grind that’s heightened by the repetitiveness of not having more than 5 maps.

Outdated Graphics Might Bother You

From an aesthetics point of view, the graphics in Zula unfortunately does not look good especially for FPS games in today's age. While the argument that graphics aren't important for FPS games might be true to some players, it still doesn't mask some aspect of the game's aging graphics. For example, weapons aren't highly detailed and textured which might be a turn off for FPS and weapon enthusiasts. The maps and terrains are also rather bland to look at, as are the player character models. They do feel dated and doesn’t feel like a game that’s made in 2016. Even on the High settings, textures are weak and the character models used both in the pre-match lobby and in-game are quite underwhelming. The good news is, it will probably run on very low-spec setting PCs, so at least it’s accessible and free which could be important to some players.

Is Zula Worth Checking Out?

Overall, Zula offers some fun here and there when it’s prime time. If and when lobbies get filled with players, finding and playing matches for XP, badges and completing missions for boosts are all fun for the first few hours. Your enjoyment of Zula will ultimately come down to the gunplay, and if you prefer faster shooting, then this game is for you. After that, one may find that there are better offerings elsewhere.

Ready to enter the world of Zula? Click here to play now!

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Review summary

1. That All Important Gunplay
2. Player Progression and Weapon Customization
3. Maps and Modes Could Be Better
4. Outdated Graphics Might Bother You
5. Is Zula Worth Checking Out?