‘In the Eye of ZombiU’ looks at the benefits of Wii U

For those of you struggling to find use in the Wii U's innovative GamePad touchscreen controller, I suggest you watch this new ZombiU video.

As part of a new "In the Eye of ZombiU" video series we go behind-the-scenes of Ubisoft's new zombie survival-horror game. In episode one, titled "When Survival Horror Meets the Wii U", senior producer Guillaume Brunier talks about how the Wii U and its innovative technology helped the development team achieve their goals of turning ZombiU into a truly scary survival-horror game.

For those unfamiliar, ZombiU is a game which throw you in the middle of London 2012, where an outbreak has infected the population, turningthem into flesh eating zombies preying on the remaining survivors. While this plot theme is quite overdone in the gaming industry, very few have succeeded in making it scary. This is where ZombiU benefits from being on the Wii U.

As you watch episode one of this monthly video series, you'll learn how the Wii U plays a massive role in creating an authentic survival-horror experience.

In short, there are a few main uses of the Wii U's GamePad controller. The Wii U controller first serves as the player's ultimate survival kit called the "Bug Out Bag". It contains all of the maps, tools, weapons, and supplies that the player scavenges from the limited resources available. In addition, the controller's touch screen, gyroscope, and camera allows the player to interact with the environment creating a truly immersive experience.

The big feature however, the one that Guillaume describes as the first time the team "really understood what the Wii U is going to bring to gaming", is the Lockpick mechanism. While picking locks in ZombiU, the players use the touchscreen to solve the puzzle and unlock the door, while the big screen shows the character's environment. The fact that you can see what's approaching you as you scramble to unlock this door creates a "feeling of tension" that no other console can replicate. As if having only one life in ZombiU wasn't nerve-racking enough, just imagine seeing a horde of zombies chasing you as you rush to unlock a door.

As I mentioned, "In the Eye of ZombiU" will be a recurring video series. The next episode, "London: A city of Blood & Fire" will take a look at the story of ZombiU. ZombiU is expected to arrive this Christmas exclusively on the Wii U.