Drunken Fist 2: Zombie Hangover

This month brings us a long-awaited beat ‘em up sequel starring a likable hero who rarely comes out during the day and definitely knows a thing or two about being a party animal. No, I’m not talking about the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brawler, but rather Drunken Fist 2: Zombie Hangover, the vastly improved sequel to one of my least favorite games of 2021. That’s right, the alcohol is flowing once again for another round of barely coherent beat ‘em up action in a game that wisely ditches the ugly undertones of the original for a goofy horror game where everybody is stumbling around. But do you need to be intoxicated to enjoy Drunken Fist 2? That’s what I want to find out in this review.

If you came to Drunken Fist 2 hoping to find out what happened to the old guy from the first game, then prepare to be disappointed, because Zombie Hangover tells a whole new story about another drunk guy. After waking up from a month-long binge, our nameless hero discovers that he’s the last person alive during a zombie apocalypse. Equipped with a staggering amount of confidence and a hangover that won’t go away, he sets out on a ten-stage battle through the city in hopes of escaping the undead and, most importantly, finding more beer.

Believe it or not, Drunken Fist 2 is a substantially better game than the dismal original. A lot of this has to do with the goofy horror theme, which perfectly pairs with the already silly concept of drunken brawling. Instead of being an old drunkard beating up jocks in parking lots, we instead play a hero who has to pull it all together in order to fight for survival. The joke isn’t that we’re playing a guy who can barely stand up, but rather that everybody else in the world is stumbling around like they’re completely plastered.

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It also helps that this game is a lot easier to play. When it came to the first game, the developers went too far in recreating the sensation of being drunk. It often felt like you were not in control and could barely pull off the admittedly impressive list of moves. That’s not the case here. Yes, it still makes you feel like you’re heavily impaired and fighting underwater, but the basic punches, kicks and sweeps are a lot more consistent. I didn’t feel like I was fighting the control as much as the original, and most of the zombies are fairly easy to defeat. It’s also surprisingly satisfying seeing the blood, guts and eyeballs fly out of the zombies as you smack them around.

Although the hero and scenario may be different, a lot of the core mechanics remain the same. We still pick up bottles of beer for health and have to pee in order to make room for more alcohol. In fact, the most impressive thing about our drunk hero is how much urine he’s able to generate. This adds a unique twist to the beat ‘em up formula, forcing us to take a pee break in between fighting zombies. This is something that’s easy to overlook, too, but let me tell you, you’re not going to get very far with a full bladder. In that sense, Drunken Fist 2 is the most relatable brawler of the year.

When the gameplay works and the humor lands, it allows you to notice some of the other good things about the design. For example, I really like how the levels are all connected, making it feel like you’re walking down a very long path to victory. It’s also nice that the path is open enough to allow for some light exploration. The developers have done a good job of destroying this small town, giving us a much more interesting battlefield to play in. My only complaint is that there isn’t a lot of variety in the levels. We see a lot of the same storefronts and houses on our trip to the bridge, which is probably realistic, but can make the game feel a bit repetitive.

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Of course, the game also feels repetitive because you’re basically mashing the same buttons from one level to the next. No amount of alcohol will change the fact that you’re playing a 3D beat ‘em up, and a simplistic one at that. You’ll see a lot of the same types of enemies repeated throughout each level, which is par for the course, both when it comes to brawlers and zombie games. For a game that is already so silly, I was hoping that the enemies would go even further over the top.

Now, I realize that this is probably starting to come off as a positive review. After all, I’ve already praised the level designs, gameplay, premise and even the gore. But in a world where Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and other good beat ‘em ups are available, Drunken Fist 2 comes up way short. This is a novelty game, plain and simple. Sure, it’s significantly better than the offensively bad original game, but it’s still a brawler propped up by a single gimmick. If you absolutely must buy a Drunken Fist game, this is certainly the one to get. However, I strongly recommend you do everything in your point to never get into a situation where you absolutely must buy a Drunken Fist game.