The Final Station, a side-scrolling shooter set during a zombie apocalypse, bears plenty of similarities to other games that focus on the undead. The are, of course, hordes of undead waiting to pounce, darkened, abandoned areas to explore, and a distinct lack of weapons and ammo to make everything just a little challenging. The premise is familiar, save for your occupation: You’re an ordinary train conductor caught in the middle of a zombie outbreak. You coast around the remains of civilization, exploring infested locales in search of supplies and a means to progress down the tracks, all while zombies nip at your heels.

The Final Station primarily distinguishes itself from other zombie-killing games during combat, where action-focused scenes are almost puzzle-like in how you have to find the right strategy to overcome seemingly overwhelming odds with the limited tools you have at your disposal. The zombies you fight aren’t pushovers; it only takes them three quick hits to put you down, and they love to attack in pairs. Enemies exhibit specific strengths and weaknesses: for example, you can easily tackle a slow, mid-sized zombie with melee attacks, but smaller, faster monsters require bullets to the head. Because of this, combat remains challenging throughout. You can find and purchase a few weapon upgrades, such as laser scopes, that make your dangerous trek a little more manageable. But to be an efficient and effective combatant, you have to think on your feet when a variety of creeps come your way.