Ed-0: Zombie Uprising

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is a bold and chaotic action roguelike that combines feudal Japanese aesthetics with zombie horror in a way that feels both inventive and unapologetically rough. Developed by LANCARSE and published by D3PUBLISHER, the game imagines an alternate Edo-era Japan where the nation’s isolation is violently disrupted by a mysterious undead outbreak. Rather than leaning into historical realism, the game fully embraces absurdity, pitting samurai, sumo wrestlers, and ninja against swarming zombies in procedurally generated battlefields. The result is an experience driven more by momentum, repetition, and raw energy than by narrative sophistication or mechanical refinement. The core gameplay loop revolves around repeated dungeon runs, each structured as a sequence of stages filled with enemies, loot, and branching paths. Players choose one of three characters, each representing a distinct combat philosophy. The samurai offers a balanced, weapon-focused approach; the sumo relies on brute force, wide attacks, and crowd control; and the ninja emphasizes speed, agility, and hit-and-run tactics. These characters do not merely differ cosmetically—their movement, attack cadence, and survivability change how each run unfolds, encouraging experimentation and replay. Combat is fast, messy, and often overwhelming by design. Large groups of enemies rush the player, forcing constant movement, dodging, and aggressive offense. Attacks feel impactful, and mowing down hordes can be genuinely satisfying, especially when chaining abilities or unleashing powerful special techniques known as Secret Arts. At the same time, combat can feel inconsistent. Enemy hitboxes, sudden interruptions, and unpredictable physics occasionally undermine precision, leading to deaths that feel abrupt or unfair. This sense of instability is a defining trait of the game: thrilling when it works, frustrating when it doesn’t. Progression within runs is built around collecting items, charms, and upgrades that modify abilities or provide passive bonuses. Deciding what to equip and which paths to take becomes a strategic consideration, as resources are limited and hunger mechanics add pressure to keep moving. While this system supports adaptability, the overall pool of upgrades can start to feel repetitive over time, and long-term progression outside individual runs is relatively modest compared to more robust roguelites. The focus is clearly on moment-to-moment survival rather than deep build optimization across dozens of hours. Visually, Ed-0: Zombie Uprising has a strong identity but uneven execution. The default presentation is gritty and exaggerated, filled with blood splatter, ragdoll effects, and exaggerated animations that lean into grindhouse excess. One of the game’s standout features is its optional EDO Shader, which transforms the visuals into a stylized ukiyo-e inspired look. This mode significantly enhances atmosphere and readability, and many players consider it essential, as it gives the game a more cohesive and memorable aesthetic than the standard rendering. Narrative elements exist mostly to justify the action rather than to tell a detailed story. The premise of Western influence triggering a zombie catastrophe in Edo Japan is intriguing, but it remains largely in the background. Dialogue and lore are sparse, and characters are defined more by gameplay roles than by personality or development. This minimalist storytelling aligns with the roguelike structure but may leave players wanting more context or emotional investment in the world. Ed-0’s reception reflects its uneven nature. Players who enjoy high-intensity action, unconventional settings, and are tolerant of mechanical roughness often find it entertaining and memorable. Others are put off by technical issues, repetitive encounters, and a lack of polish that prevents the game from reaching its full potential. It is a title with clear ambition, but one that struggles to consistently execute on all of its ideas. Ultimately, Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is a game that thrives on chaos and personality rather than refinement. It offers a distinctive blend of Japanese historical flavor, zombie carnage, and roguelike repetition that stands out in concept if not always in execution. For players who enjoy frantic hack-and-slash gameplay and are willing to accept jank in exchange for novelty and intensity, it can be an engaging experience. For those seeking tightly tuned combat systems or deep narrative progression, it may feel unfocused and uneven, but rarely dull. Rating: 7/10

D3のゲームは嫌いでは無かったが 初めてクソゲーだと思った 序盤からいろいろ厳しいのはわかるけど、序盤なのにせっかく集めたお金もボスで失うって やる気も失うわ どうみてもマゾ難易度とマゾ時間 爽快感無い無双感もないセコく戦わないといけないバトル ローグのわりに使えないスキルばかり 敵に当たらずスカるスキル攻撃、その上長いクールタイム バグも多いし、何度も操作不能でリセット チート入れりゃ遊べるかとおもいきあ、ただの作業な上高確率で落ちる どないせいっていうのよ と、いうわけで、なぜか10時間たってもクリア出来てない（笑） 掛川の虎かな

Game is a bit janky, but quite fun. All the consumables and charms can be either used / equipped by you, or thrown into an enemy. For instance, a charm that reduces your vitality by 400 is not something you'd equip, but throw it into an enemy, and he's stuck with it and has less 400 hp now. Same applies for poison herbs, sake, etc. Being aware of those crazy interactions is almost mandatory for some of the bosses, and proper enjoyment of the game, providing you some extra depth. Initially I set this as not recommended, but after giving the game some love (and receiving some helpful comments in the discussions) I came around to it.

有三个角色的动作肉鸽游戏，但三个角色的手感都很怪，打击感上都不舒服。

Nice concept, but waaaayyy to many tutorials and mechanics. And you can die from hunger.

One of the best single player zombie titles i played in a long time, once you learn to upgrade skills (Getting multiple tomes) the game/gameplay just transforms, you can choose between a samurai, a ninja or a sumo fighter, and boy, playing as a sumo fighter destroying and thorning zombies apart with the SUMO using your bare hands, its simple something else. It's not just pressing light attack over and over like i see many youtubers talking about, you can combo your attacks with your skills (Try jumping + heavy, it's brutal). Thank you Lancarse for this masterpiece. The samurai is the basic warrior, great set of skills with his katana The ninja is an assassin, with jutsus and fast skills The sumo is essentially a grappler tanker destruction god OH-JI-GI.

Over all I did really have a good amount of fun with this game. It definitely isn’t going to be for everyone and if you are looking for quicker rogelikes/lites there are better, faster options out there but this had a premise and combat that did peek my interest over the few other examples that I have encountered. I really wish that they had presented the story a bit better but the real meat and potatoes is the gameplay here and it is fine. Pros: Interesting mix of tools and abilities that can add humor or create powerful builds Looks good at times. Three characters that play differently Cons: A bit ugly enemies and shadows Doesn't really teach you well. Combat is a bit shallow

I think this game deserves a mixed review. It's a fun union between the Mystery Dungeon and Souls-Like genres, the action is tight, the rogue-lite mechanics are light but the combat is challenging. So what's the negative? No strafing. Targeting enemies is artificially harder than most souls-likes, because your character does not automatically position themselves towards anyone they lock on. This one major flaw prevents the game from truly shining.