by Peeps
Ready for a brawl? Then get ready for Zeno Clash. This is a primal brawler with an first person twist that has its share of quirks, but unique gameplay elements. This arcade download is something simple, yet with many tricks to be learned and a few different game modes to pump things up.
Graphics. The looks are fairly solid for a download title. The graphics have an earthy tone that suits the game’s primal feel. The character designs are pretty unique, and all of them keep in track with the theme. There are some issues with “hiccups” here and there for some of the backgrounds, as well as some occasional quirks when enemies get stuck.
Sound. Definitely a hit or miss, depending on what you are looking for. The soundtrack is very simple, but it does suit the game. The voice acting is fairly solid, with a few rather quirky, but unique voices. The “squaks” of some of the opponents are a tad odd, but kind of a quirky charm.
Gameplay & Control. This is definitely the unique point of Zeno Clash. Given the first person twist to a brawler there are quite a few ups and downs in the execution. The viewpoint is definitely interesting to say the least, but at times this can make it difficult to set up kicks. The view forces the player to get a grip on their surroundings very quickly, as well as keep tabs on what enemies are doing. The ideas behind some of the “defensive” mechanics are very impressive, however time “hiccups” take a lot of fun out of setting up deflect/ block plans and usually force a more “one-two” mindset.
The weapons are quite innovative, however aiming some of them can be a bit troublesome. This along with quirky enemy movement glitches cause some battles to be harder than they need to be. AI is actually pretty solid. The enemies will use teamwork if they are a team, but sometimes fight each other is not. The AI is also aware of what weapons are in hand so many fights can’t be solved simply with “skull bombs”. There are also some odd hitches in the partner AI ,such as getting stuck or just not following behind you during some sessions when they need to follow you to the next area.
There is also a bit of an issue with controls not quite “connecting”, such as combo and counter commands. The story is rather convoluted, it does connect better at the end, but it feels very rushed, with quite a few “buh? where am I now and what on earth am I doing?” moments. Zeno Rush mode is a bit of a rehash of certain events, but the time hammer mechanic is hit or miss due to the weapon swing animations. The tower and co-op mode do offer some additional content, but it wears thin after a while.
Overall. Zeno Clash has some very interesting gameplay mechanics, but some things drag it down, such as combat hiccups, convoluted story, and lack of “deeper” co-op. The setting and feel is also rather unique, although again dragged down by a convoluted plot. The story is very short, but the extra modes can tack on a few more hours. The price tag is kind of bummer too, but if you absolutely love to brawl then maybe you should consider this if you have some hours to burn.
