ZombiU GDC panel talks perma-death, silent heroes & more

ZombiU developer Ubisoft Montpelier has discussed its development cycle during a GDC panel discussion, and has shed light on the game's difficulty, silent protagonists and key challenges met along the way.

Nintendo Life reports on the session, which saw story design writer Gabrielle Shrager explain the game - first revealed at E3 2011 as Killer Freaks From Outer Space - was changed to ZombiU.

The team found that the game's comical enemies were too small and fast to keep up with, given the game's multi-screen control mechanics. The focus shifted to slow zombies and methodical gameplay shortly after.

Shrager added that the threat of character perma-death helped players carve out their own unique narrative as their lone survivor struggled against the odds, making their death more poignant. The team viewed it as a unique way of pushing personal narrative.

What do you make of the above? Did ZombiU's perma-death make the on-screen action more compelling? Did you feel more immersed as a result? Let us know below.