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I do not have the patience to do the whole official thread layout, but if someone wants to do so and we can get a mod to merge it with this post, feel free.
So I have spent a good 4-5 hours with the game this weekend. That may not sound like a lot to some people, hell to most it is just a normal afternoon of gaming, but for myself these days, that is a good amount of time. I actually started over as well. I played about 2 hours in, realized some important elements to having a successful game, so I decided to start over. I hardly almost every do that, especially when I have committed that much time, but I felt it was absolutely necessary.
So with that said, I have to say from what I have played, it seems like for some awful reason this game is not being understood by some of the gaming press. I just cannot see how anyone could really give it a negative review. The game is pretty damn awesome IMHO.
The use of the WiiU's GamePad in this game is about as good of a use that I can possibly imagine a launch title having, and honestly I think it is probably going to go down as one of the overall better uses of the GamePad period. It is without a doubt an enhancement and an extension to the gameplay, and hardly ever feels gimmicky. The only corny use of it so far has been planks on doors, in which you have to tap to remove them. Everything else makes perfect sense. The inventory management element, you look down when you loot most corpses and cabinets, it also is the environment scanner... All of these elements really make great use of the GamePad itself. And they do add a level of tension to the game as well.
ZombiU is very much a CLASSIC survival horror game IMO as it is at times slow and deliberate. This to me is what makes it so damn good actually. It treats the genre as it used to be before it got taken over by trying to be action adventure games as well. In this regards it reminds me some of Silent Hill 1-3. It is also pretty damn brutal as far as just how easy it is to die. One misstep can and does lead to death. There are some infuriating instances early on you will probably die a whole lot in fact. It was those instances however that helped me change my overall approach to the game. This is another great aspect of the game to me. It makes no apologies for things. You do not move on until you figure out a better way. This is another nod to how games used to handle things... there really is not a whole lot of hand holding.
Perhaps the largest critique I read on the negative reviews was the combat felt clunky. This is no doubt the element I think some people are just not getting. The combat being "clunky" is very much deliberate. Call Of Duty style of gameplay this game certainly is not. It is, again, methodical. You are not powerful (at least not within the first 3 hours), and the combat reminds you of this fact. You have to be smart with things. Going in guns blazing so to speak is not going to work. You have to survey the situation, and actually come up with a plan. One that usually consists of things like finding the best area to fight from. And actually taking the time to close doors and barricade them. It is no doubt a thinking mans game, at least to get the most out of it.
I really feel this is probably one of the better survival horror video games to come out in quite some time. It is pretty damn unforgiving, and truly creates a tensions filled atmosphere where you are on edge most of the time.
So I realize not a lot of people will probably be able to even comment about playing the game, as it does not appear that we have a ton of people here on the forum that did pick up a WiiU. Only a handful. To that handful though, I strongly encourage you to pick up this game if you have not done so already. It is definitely a very unique experience overall, I also think for fans of the survival horror genre it is pretty much a must play, and it really is a great example of the WiiU's GamePad being used to enhance a game overall.
The only other negative thing I can say about the game is Zombies are indeed a bit played out thanks to their over saturation in the video game market the past 2 years. Hell, in every for of entertainment period, but the game is still a great game despite the fact it's main premise is capitalizing on a current trend in pop culture.
I always value your opinion on games, and this is really making me regret buying a new receiver instead of this system 
Sorry. It is a damn good game though, much, much, MUCH better than I expected it to be, especially with the initial reviews.
