Zombies, Run! 2 is a health and fitness iPhone app that uses engaging storytelling to get and keep you running. The story goes something like this: As an apocalypse survivor, you are runner who is assigned to perform dangerous missions. You must complete activities that include gathering supplies and weapons and rescuing lost souls. Version (or Season) 2 will include over 60 new missions, and you can also purchase a Sidequest Pass if you'd like more.

You can expect frequent sprints with mobs of Zombies bearing down on you. As Runner 5, your job is to rebuild the Abel Township. You construct new buildings such as armories and hospitals. You also monitor stats that include details about population and morale.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert runner, this app will be a good fit. The instructions tell you when it is time to stretch, walk or run. As a seasoned runner, you may enjoy the Zombie Chase interval training to keep things exciting. The zombie chases force you to pick up your pace and mix up your running routine.

This app is geared toward new runners and seasoned sprinters alike. It succeeds in providing that much needed extra motivation, especially for beginners, and the suspense of your next mission keeps you coming back. The themes of the stories are smart and creative, but they do include adult content. You can expect mild profanity and violence with some crude humor. It clearly targets a mature audience.

Zombies, run! 2 offers different options for integrating your own music. You can have the best of worlds, your favorite play list and Zombies. The best way to download music is to use the built-in music player. The built in player synchronizes your music with the story. You do have to make sure that your music is DRM free and is stored on your device. Another option is the legacy iPod Player. The legacy player’s remote controls allow it to work with DRM-protected music and iTunes match streaming. However, apps like Spotify and Pandora do not integrate well, so streaming music from such services will be difficult. Another problem is the lack of compatibility with all of the music apps for Android. WinAmp is the best match for Zombies Run! 2.

The Zombies, run! 2 app allows you to track statistics, including distance and total running time. It also keeps track of things like supplies collected and mobs evaded. The run logs also keep track of what days and times you ran. While the stats and tracking are generally useful, the app is focused more on entertainment and motivation. Some of the features you'd expect to see on more serious running or training apps – like a heart rate monitor – are missing.

By creating a free ZombieLink account, you can monitor your runs and share your stats on Facebook and Twitter. One of its drawbacks it that if you are on a treadmill, the app cannot track you distance or pace. It also will not show you a map of your run on ZombieLink. If you are logged out when you run, you will not be able to sync. We found the GPS that tracks your route and displays your timing and pace is not always reliable and can fluctuate in accuracy.

The app interface is straightforward. Each mission is in numerical order and includes an enticing title. The missions include "A Voice in the dark”, “A lost child” and “Aftermath,” to name a few. If you need technical support, there is a link on the website that takes you to a help page. It covers troubleshooting and general questions. There is also an email address for additional questions.

When we first took a look at Zombies, Run! a few days ago, I said that, while the concept is great, I hoped it would be $8 worth of amazing. Not to spoil the ending to this story right away, but the short version is: probably. This app could easily be worth $8 to many users. But not for the reasons you might think. And, before you start reaching for your wallet, you need to answer one very important question: are you willing to commit to a workout routine?

To call Zombies, Run! a "game" is, perhaps, a bit disingenuous. The developers refer to it as a game, but most games require that there be gameplay elements, the ability to lose, and some level of either skill or luck involved to win. While technically, the game does have the first two elements, there is virtually nothing on the third. As long as you are capable of moving slightly faster than you're currently moving for a bit, it's impossible to lose. Which is actually a very good thing.

Here's how the app works. There are 23 missions (with 7 more on the way) to choose from. You pick a mission before you start your run and let it play. Pop your head phones in and put your phone in your pocket and you're on your way. All the other instructions are done via audio prompts. The story begins with a cut scene where you hear the story and dialogue with other characters. After a minute or two, you'll be dropped into your music playlist. This is where the bulk of the action happens.

While music is optional, I highly recommend it as it makes everything much less boring and gives you a frame of reference in case something goes wrong (more on that in a bit). During songs, you will occasionally here robo-prompts over your music like "Collected a bottle of water," or "Collected a med kit." More importantly, you'll also hear the automated voice say "Warning: Zombies [X] Meters." It's at this point that you run.

This mechanic threw me for a loop on my first run. For a bit of context, I am not a runner. I enjoy a good walk pretty regularly, but running is not my thing. Thankfully, this app follows your pace. If you want to run, run. If you want to walk, walk. Whatever suits your physical needs. The very first cut scene ends with a radio operator telling you, rather emphatically, to "RUN!" Being a good little survivor, I obeyed, upping my pace from a steady walk to more of a jog. After about a minute, I hear a warning that there are zombies 100 meters away. I wasn't sure if I should run faster, slow down, change direction, or how to react. The user is given no indication at this point what to do. Since I'd already been told by my radio operator to run, I slowed down, assuming the warning meant there were zombies ahead. The zombies caught me.

What was frustrating about that was not that I got caught by zombies, but that I didn't notice until about two songs later. I heard an audio prompt that sounded like "Items dropped. Zombies distracted." However, since these alerts play over the music, it was difficult to tell. Those four (?) words, however, were my only indication that I had died. About two songs later I decided to pull my phone out to see why I hadn't received any more instructions and my feed of events informed me I was dead. Sad times.

The moral of the story is don't trust the cut scenes. During your runs, ignore any and all commands from voice acted characters to run. Only run when mid-song alerts tell you there are zombies nearby and, at that point, pick up the pace until it says "Zombies evaded." It only took me one zombie attack to figure this out, but it would be nice if the app was more up front about how this works.

Back At The Base