Zombie Highway 2 amps up the carmageddon

It's October, and that can mean only one thing: New zombie games are coming fast and furious.

As it happens, "fast and furious" is a great way to introduce Zombie Highway 2 (iOS), sequel to the popular 2010 exercise in undead carmageddon. As in that game, your goal is to survive your drive as long as possible -- a task made increasingly difficult by the zombies constantly jumping onto your car.

In other words, think "The Walking Dead" meets "Road Warrior." And make no mistake: polite language won't dislodge the biters from your ride. The weapons at your disposal include obstacles along the road (for once, sideswiping is a good thing), the very pavement you're driving on, and, of course, weapons.

In other words, yes, you can shoot the zombies through the windows, using your basic pistols, machine guns, flamethrowers, and other gloriously destructive implements. The game has 15 in all, all of them able to be upgraded via in-game cash.

That cash is earned in typical style: the longer you're able to survive on the road, the more money you earn. The more cash you earn, the more upgrades you can buy.

Of course, this being a freemium title, Zombie Highway 2 also lets you use real-world cash in exchange for game-gold, though the developers are insistent that "everything...can be unlocked or used for free with a reasonable amount of effort." What's more: "In-app purchases do NOT give players a long term advantage over players who don't make purchases."

One thing is certain: Zombie Highway 2 is tough, especially at first. Maybe it's because in most racing games the goal is to avoid plowing into -- or scraping alongside -- obstacles, but I had a hard time forcing myself to sideswipe overturned cars and the like.

But no matter. The game is a blast, and definitely worth a look for any fans of zombies, racing, and/or zombie racing.

Indeed, can't get enough of the app-ing dead? Check out 5 iPhone games for zombie lovers/haters. They're oldies, but goodies.