Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse

The 1950s in America were an era of suburban development and the kind of Jetsons-futurism that seems so quaint to us today. During this brief window, people were doggedly upbeat about tomorrow. Then came the '60s, when that optimism faded and the zombie films of George Romero were a commentary on the American dream gone wrong. Stubbs the Zombie, from Aspyr for the PC and Xbox, is a send-up of both the Romero flicks and the romanticism of the '50s. As a twist on the cliché, it's clever: you play the zombie, creating an army of undead creatures that feed on the brains of the living. Despite being well-written and witty, though, it's too linear, too sparse, and too short. Stubbs is fun for a time, but it left me feeling like it was only half a game. Rated mature.