Steam lands 'peak' new 96% rated FPS taster that perfectly scratches the Call of Duty: Zombies itch

Steam users can now sample a new FPS with 96% positive reviews for free, with players already describing the demo as “peak”.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 looks set to be the final instalment in the rebooted Modern Warfare saga, which began in 2019. While the series has been well-received, one thing missing from its latest entry is the popular co-op Zombies mode.

Zombies have rarely featured in this sub-franchise, appearing just once in 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. If you're looking for a fix, however, Steam's Mortuus demo could be just what you need.

What is Mortuus, Steam's latest zombie shooter?

Developed and published by the indie studio Hamuno, Mortuus is a co-op zombie first-person shooter designed for up to four players. It can also be played solo.

Don't be fooled by its Minecraft-esque visuals, which cleverly blend with elements of realism, because this game looks surprisingly gory.

It is, in fact, inspired by Call of Duty: Zombies, not only featuring undead hordes that arrive in increasingly difficult waves as you progress, but also procedurally generated maps, unlike Activision's offering. In a nutshell, this means each map has a different layout with every new run, adding to its replay value.

“A round-based co-op zombies FPS for one to four players. Survive endless hordes in a brutalist procedurally generated map. Buy doors, hit the mystery box, upgrade your guns, and uncover the hidden ritual that wakes the Mother,” reads the game's synopsis.

Continuing the Call of Duty: Zombies inspiration, players earn points as they progress, which can be spent to unlock doors, purchase new weapons and upgrades, and buy perks to improve their chances of survival. They can also try their luck with the Mystery Box.

What are Steam players saying about Mortuus?

At the time of writing, Mortuus has a “Very Positive” Steam user rating based on 214 reviews, which works out to around a 96% approval rate.

“This game is at its peak so far; hope it doesn't turn into a cash grab mess as BattleBit did,” exclaimed Brad.

“I can make my own map in-game, and it's super easy to do. I'm running on making Notch der Untoten from Call of Duty: World at War zombies. I've been asking for this for years; it also runs smooth as hell,” said NPC3395.

“It's like COD Zombies but for low-end gaming peeps out there. Really considerate,” wrote Lauliiiiiiiiibap, referring to the relatively modest PC requirements for Mortuus.

“Better than any COD Zombies in a long time,” claimed CynTurtles.

READ MORE: The 10 best and worst Call of Duty Zombies maps of all time

“For the short time I played it, the game had a lot of promise. It's not gimmicky; looping around zombies still has risk, and they're still able to hit you if you're not being careful, and shooting feels very rewarding. Played it solo, planning to play it as a group later, so I can't speak to the group dynamic yet,” explained ish.

“Points from kills feel adequate, and progression throughout the levels feels solid as well. The only gripe I have as of right now is the lack of more upgrades due to the demo state, but this feels like a very good and reminiscent version of the COD Zombies I used to play as a kid.”

Mortuus does not have a full release date at the time of writing and there appear to be no plans for a console launch, at least not yet. You can, however, add the game to your Steam wishlist to be notified when it's ready for full release.