[Review] Zeno Clash

Zeno Clash is a first-person fighting video game. It was developed and published by ACE Team, running on the Source Engine. Released through Steam on 21 April 2009.

Zeno Clash received an Xbox 360 port, Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition, published by Atlus and released in May 2010. It contains extra modes, new melee moves, four new weapons (two of which are reskins), and a multiplayer coop. These were never released on the PC version. Likely due to legal obligation with Atlus.

I will be reviewing the PC version today.

/// Premise

The game is set in the strange punk fantasy world. Following the journey of Ghat and Deadra. A young man and his companion are on the run from his vengeful siblings, after murdering a powerful figure known as Father-Mother. Through the strange and exotic lands of Zenozoik, their journey unexpectedly brings them to where it all began.

/// Structure and Pacing

Zeno Clash features a total of 19 short levels, where you move from one to the other in a string of combat arenas intertwined with different setpieces along the way.

As it is the debut game of Ace Team and made in a ''this is what we can do'' scenario, it showcases what the team was capable of and their aspirations.

A game's length is not something I give or take points from its score, as it varies from game to game and the developer's intended experience. I do however have to mention this, as it can be a deal-breaker to some people, Zeno Clash is a short game I finished the campaign at around 3 hours and a half. Playtime can be extended to 6 hours if you chose to play the challenge mode after the main game.

/// Gameplay

Throughout the game, the player will face a variety of close-quarters combat scenarios, from 1v5 brawls to 1v1 boss duels. You will fight basic enemies, special ones, and even some recurring characters that lead to a sort of ongoing rivalries like Rimat, the girl with a straw hat. A good detail that surprised me is that enemies sustain visible injuries as you wear them down, blacked-out eyes, broken nose that sort of thing.

There is a target lock system, making your character always face an enemy, this eliminates some of the floatiness and imprecision that comes with first-person melee.

The game also includes the Tower Challenges, a set of eight long combat-only levels, with leaderboards, that expands playtime and offer more fighting scenarios if want more of it.

Aside from its melee moves Ghat can also make use of skull bombs, wield some heavy weapons, and a few firearms but keep in mind that they are not the focus.

Moves

The right mouse button throws a heavy attack, longer winds up with higher damage, but it can be interrupted. Moving backward combined with heavy attack lets you throw a more powerful punch that will break an enemy block.

The left mouse button throws a Light attack, fast but with low damage. Holding the button, it turns into a 3 hit combo that, if uninterrupted, will stun your enemy.

Once a target is stunned it gets open for a follow-up grab attack, that can be executed by moving forward when facing him. After grabbing it you can perform a knee bash by pressing light attack, a downwards elbow hit if pressing heavy attack, or throw him in any direction by pressing a move key combined with a light attack.

Running towards an enemy and pressing a light attack button will trigger an elbow thrust that will interrupt and momentarily throw your opponent of balance.

You can also press and hold the space bar to block reducing incoming damage. If timed correctly and it functions as a parry. If followed by a heavy attack, Ghat will launch a kick so powerful that sends your target flying.

Blocking when used in conjunction with movement keys performs a dodge. Avoiding damage altogether and allowing for a counter punch if followed up by a light attack. Not as powerful as the parry but easier to perform in a pinch.

While it's not a complex move list, it's varied enough and they can be chained in simple but satisfying ways.

/// Story (light spoilers)

The story in Zeno Clash is told in a non-linear way. From the get-go, our protagonist Ghat is already on the run from his many brothers for the murder of Father-Mother. The context, reasons, and the lead-up to these events are told later. Furthers increasing the sense of confusion, being thrown into a foreign world within a culture you don't understand.

Along with Ghat, Deadra (his implied love interest) join his cause out of care, helping him escape his brothers in the city of Halstedom. Without being fully aware of Ghat's recent past or motivations as to why he murdered Father-Mother.

While we play as Ghat, Deadra fills the role of the player consciousness, asking questions about the world and Ghat's motivations. This leads to flashback sequences that explore the lead-up to the murder.

As their journey to find somewhere safe continues, they repeatedly get attacked by hunters sent after them. Until they meet a strange figure that brings them back to Halstedom.

Spoilers ahead

Despite its weird and disjointed story, I would say that Zeno Clash core theme lies in family conflict. Ghat discovers the secret of Father-Mother, the most important family figure in his whole life, who gave birth to him and his many brothers. Along with its children, Father-Mother runs a powerful clan in the city.

With the knowledge of this disturbing secret, Ghat leaves the family clan and goes into exile. With the Corwid of the free, a group that lives outside of the city, considered as savages by many.

There he meets Metamoq, a Corwid who teaches him to fight. Once ready Ghat returns to Halstedom with the full intent to murder Father-Mother, so that none of his brothers would have to learn of this secret and go through what he did.

Father-Mother's secret is revealed towards the end of the game, it neither gave birth to Ghat or his brothers, all of them were kidnapped early in life and grew up to serve and believe in Father-Mother's lies.

Father-Mother motivations for this are unclear, but it's safe to assume that all of this was to become the head of a powerful clan, where every member would firmly believe and defend him with their life.

There are plot elements involving the Golem, but he only serves as a plot device to bring the protagonist back to the city and set up the sequel.

/// Development

A Chilean indie studio, Ace Team's first attempt at making a game was in 2002, a first-person RPG called Zenozoik. The team quickly realized that the scope was vastly out of reach for a start-up studio with six employees. Years after this initial failed attempt, they pulled together and re-think all the ideas for Zenozoik, scraping all RPG elements until all that was left was a more focused surreal first-person brawler, based on small skirmishes.

And thus Zeno Clash's development began.

When choosing an engine to work in they were left with Source or ID-Tech 4. But due to the unconventional nature of the game, pitching to a large publisher was borderline impossible. They instead took a gamble and chose to work on Source mainly because of Steam. At the time they started developing the game, the platform only sold Valve games. Ace Team however was betting it would eventually go beyond and sell other titles, and using Valve's Source Engine was their best chance to get a ticket in. They were right.

The development had many issues and struggles. As its first game, nailing an efficient development process, learning the ropes of a new engine and what it was capable of was hard. But through hell and highwater Ace Team would prove themselves and release Zeno Clash as a complete and well-received game. Another big step towards the validation of the indie movement.

Arguably on the forefront of the big wave of indie games. While the movement started in 2005 or earlier, it was only in the early 2010s that it made waves with titles such as Limbo, Bastion, Fez, etc.

While Zeno Clash did not sell millions of units, it still made a lot of noise at the time, proving that a short and good indie game made on a small budget, could provide for a more engrossing experience than a dull 20 hours long AAA that cost 10 million dollars to make.

''It is possible that if we would have presented the same publishers a regular military shooter, they wouldn't have even replied. Zeno Clash lured a lot of people that were tired of playing the same games, and we managed to do this thanks to staying true to our artistic vision. ''

- Carlos Bordeu, co-founder of ACE Team

So much so that it attracted the attention of publishers looking to secure the rights for the Xbox Live Arcade release of the game. Landing Ace Team a deal with Atlus for the Ultimate Edition release.

/// Conclusion

Released at the height of the modern military era of FPS games, Ace Team's debut game brought something unique to the table. Not a ground breaking genre defining game, but a damn good work for a first title.

With a massive display of creativity, Zeno Clash is a short but satisfying first-person brawler experience, one of many key indie games that proved the movement's worth. A unique trip through a bizarre world.

''There are things bigger than Halstedom, and things bigger even than Zenozoik. This too I will show you.''

-Golem