Zeno Clash Review
Zeno Clash is one of the oddest games that I have played since the original Oddworld. You play as Ghat, a relatively normal looking human, who has killed Father Mother. Father Mother is this crazy looking rooster that has apparently spawned all of the weird inhabitants of Zeno Clash’s world. The story really isn’t important; all you need to know is that a bunch of bizarre critters are pissed and want to beat you to a pulp.
Zeno Clash other unique feature (besides the out-there art design) is the fact that it is a First Person Brawler. The majority of the gameplay revolves around punching and kicking rather than shooting. While there are some interesting weapons, the game stays focused on small arenas and brawling. There are a million first person shooters out, so it is nice that Clash offers a new spin and game mechanic. There’s a good variety of moves, blocks, and counters. It’s an interesting game mechanic, but it never really hooked me and the brawling became a little repetitive.
The game’s biggest strength is the odd art design. The bizarre looking creatures and locations all look great on the Xbox and are pretty impressive for a downloadable title. Everything is well animated and looks good up close – which is important since you get up close and personal with your enemies quite frequently. I would describe most of the creatures in Zeno Clash as ugly and sometimes grotesque. Like a car accident, the main draw of this game is the grotesque and disturbing visuals. It’s wonderfully and completely out there. In fact the only graphical flaw is that the menus and title screen feel like an afterthought.
Zeno Clash could have better leveraged its unique art style and game mechanics. While the visuals ooze style and substance, the story is simplistic and nonsensical. The game is further hampered by its linear level design and sparse environments. There’s no exploration at all. You basically follow a path forward and encounter larger ‘arena’ areas where you fight enemies. There’s some levels that focus on shooting too where you just make your way along a path and shoot at smaller critters. This lack of freedom and variety really hurts the game.
Sound wise, Zeno Clash serves up some great effects as your fist smacks someone’s jaw. The music is fine too, but the game’s voice acting is amateurish. I haven’t heard voice acting this bad since the first Resident Evil and the writing isn’t much better.
The Xbox ‘Ultimate’ Edition adds in some features that definitely enhance the original title. Online or split-screen multiplayer is available and there’s also a bunch of new challenge modes and leaderboards. If unique battle system grabs you, there’s a lot here to keep you busy.
Zeno Clash impresses with its odd and intriguing art design and has a fresh take with its brawler mechanics. It’s a shame it gets bogged down by simplistic level design. With no story to motivate you, the game becomes somewhat of a chore.
Review summary Pros:
Odd and interesting art direction, First Person Brawler is unique
Cons:
Terrible voice acting, nonsense story, lacking level design
Rating: 75%
