Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition Review
ACE Team, a small, independent studio from Chile, have been toying with concepts for Zeno Clash for a large portion of this decade. After an initial release on PC one year ago, publisher Atlus has helped bring the one-of-a-kind, first-person brawler to the Xbox 360, via Xbox Live Arcade. Not many games have as much personality as Zeno Clash, most don't even come close. ACE have managed to craft an extremely imaginative world that feels like something out of the dark, gruesome corners of Lewis Carroll's mind. In addition, the unique, first-person fighting perspective is immersive and well designed. At first glance, some elements of the presentation may seem rough, but considering it's possible to count the developers of Zeno Clash on both hands, it's an impressive accomplishment.
Set in the world of Zenozoik, Zeno Clash follows the travels of the game's protagonist, Ghat. The story commences immediately after Ghat has killed Father-Mother - a mysterious, hermaphroditic creature who also happens to be the sole parent of a large, powerful clan of human and humanoid offspring, of which Ghat is a member. After killing their leader, Ghat's siblings chase him and his female companion, Deadra, out of their fortress home of Halstedom. The narrative is divided up between Ghat's flashbacks of the events that lead to the killing of Father-Mother, and his present journey through the strange wilderness around Halstedom. By the end, several plot holes and unanswered questions are very apparent, and certain characters feel underdeveloped. However, the excellent atmosphere and consistent world make up for most of the issues.
The bizarre, yet intriguing, premise is held together by a masterfully crafted world, full of memorable characters, settings, and events. It's the strange encounters going from one point to another that make the experience worthwhile. For instance, once outside Halstedom, Ghat and Deadra run into the fascinating Corwids - seemingly insane creatures. No longer "slaves of reality," each one has chosen a particular madness to follow. One Corwid feels the need to pluck out eyeballs, another only walks in a continuous straight line, one likes to be eaten, one likes to eat people, it goes on. The game is a non-stop roller coaster of these kinds of interesting encounters, almost to a fault because some feel passed over too quickly. The Corwids, for example, could easily have an entire game world, but instead are featured in only a few levels.
Zeno Clash's combat is well designed and satisfying. The brawling features a variety of options such as light attacks, heavy assaults, blocking, dodging, counterattacks, and context specific moves. There's a good amount of depth too, along with the wide skill set. Mastering different combinations takes some practice, but simpler combos can also be used effectively. It's rare for a brawler like Zone Clash to use a first-person perspective, fortunately ACE nailed it. Combat feels visceral and immersive thanks to the first-person viewpoint, which includes blinking, as well as fading in and out of consciousness. Landing a strong blow sends the screen shaking, controller vibrating, and, if players themselves get tagged with one, their vision gets blurred. It all comes together in a great package that makes even the simplest battles somewhat entertaining.
