For those who have been iOS gaming for a while now, Zombieville USA is somewhat of a classic icon of the platform - while it wasn't terribly complicated, trying to survive as long as possible while having limited resources made for a fun distraction, if not actually compelling gameplay for some. Times have changed though and what was refreshing compared to the limited amount of titles available back then isn't quite so fresh any more, so how does Mika Mobile's sequel, Zombieville USA 2, hope to stand out?

If you've played the developer's other relatively recent title of Battleheart you'll already be familiar with the effort that goes in to the presentation of these games - sharp cartoonish designs with fun bouncy animations that just fall short of being gory while still being satisfying. Combining this with simple controls that respond perfectly thanks to a handy three-button system that allows you to quickly swap between weapons and you have a side-scrolling beat'em-up that delivers a satisfying brawling experience.

For many, this alone is more than enough; the addition of levels that are unlocked after killing a certain amount of zombies or needing to purchase and upgrade weapons to stay ahead of the increasingly dangerous slew of undead creatures is mere icing on the cake. However if you thought there was a story or any other motivation aside from spending money in a store then you're out of luck and the game will quickly spin in to tedium as basic game features take long enough to unlock, let alone the more exciting ones that will take oodles of grinding to even see.

If that's not you then you can enjoy the challenge of outfitting your character in weaponry ranging from basic melee to heavy military hardware while also blinging them out with specializations that turn you in to a zombie killing-machine. For those not satisfied with the humble redneck character, others can also be unlocked, giving you some sort of unique identity when you decide to take things to the co-op arena.

Oh yes, there's online play too, complete with voice-chat if you dare to have it enabled. You and another person (either a friend or random stranger via online play or via local bluetooth) can take to the streets to take on harder challenges for potentially greater rewards.

Removing the semi-endless feel of the original Zombieville and replacing it with a system of grinding that merely rewards distance traveled with points just doesn't carry the same excitement. If Zombieville USA 2's new approach of appealing to the bloodthirsty crowd works in your favour then you'll have hours of fun ahead of you thanks to this title.