Ballistics Report

Pros

Unique Game World: Zeno Clash features one of the most truly unique and creative game worlds created in a long time. Everything is fresh and different from anything we’ve seen before. Characters are visually interesting and creatures are strange and a little on the crazy side. I love seeing developers taking chances and I can’t think of the last time I’ve seen one go as far out on a limb as the ACE Team has with Zeno Clash.

In an industry seemingly overflowing with sci-fi tough guy clichés, generic sports title 09’s, fantasy RPG after fantasy RPG, and World of Warcraft rip-offs, it’s incredibly refreshing to see something that is extremely original in its design and execution.

Excellent Melee Combat: While the weapons in Zeno Clash can be hit or miss, the melee combat is dead-on through the entire game. Once you become accustomed to the controls, you never feel overwhelmed and very much in control each situation. The game’s combat system is a perfect blend of first person action and high adrenaline pummeling. Whether facing single or multiple opponents, you are very easily able to plan your next move naturally thanks to the intuitive control scheme that builds upon the tried and true FPS formula.

Great Value: At about $20, you will be hard pressed to not see the great value in Zeno Clash. The campaign mode can last up to 8 hours, depending on your difficulty, and the tower challenge mode grants an additional element that works to give you the most bang for your buck. The leader board feature also gives you one more way to show your friends just how much better than them you are, if you are into that sort of thing.

Cons

Dated Graphics: While the source engine can look pretty good in some modern games, Zeno Clash tends to suffer a bit. This is mostly in part due to its lack of visual depth and simplistic object rendering. Textures just aren’t as sharp as other Source games and the 2D rendering of objects like grass and foliage are prominent enough to stand out in the mostly day lit gameplay.

Linear Levels: Zeno Clash is pretty much as straight forward as any game be, with most maps following a near straight line from start to finish. It’s a shame, as the world is so creative and different that you want to go exploring, but find yourself contained by some arbitrary obstacle blocking the path. With such limited room for movement, it ends up hurting the replayability since there’s really only one way to go about beating each level.