ZENO CLASH II (PSN)

When it comes to originality in the RPG universe hardly anyone does it like Square-Enix. Sure you'll have the occasional RPG developed by a developer who can think outside of the box (NIS America -"Time and Eternity"), but for the most part they all follow a very similar pattern. You heroes, or heroines usually come in the same RPG related classes (Barbarian, Wizard, Dwarf, Mage ...), and the enemies in an equally similar selection. Often times said hero, or heroine must face insurmountable odds against an evil army, empire, or all powerful creature or character. To say that the genre has become repetitive would be an understatement. Thankfully though the guys, and gals over at ACE Team have created a unique RPG experience like no other. Their previous release of the arcade RPG "Zeno Clash" which was hailed as a "Stonepunk" experience ended up being mostly overlooked by the gaming community, but did gain that cult following that gaming companies such as Atlus are known for. Zeno Clash had it's own mythology which was filled with interesting creatures, and characters who looked as if they were ripped from the pages of "The Island of Dr. Moreau", and rooted within a more science fiction type of world. The game's design even had an interesting Jim Henson flair about it (Dark Crystal, Labyrinth). It's the type of creative effort that would easily compete against Yoshitaka Amano's Final Fantasy creations.

In the original game (known as "Zeno Clash") you took on the role of a tribal sibling named "Ghat" who had questioned his birth origins, and brought wrath upon his own people in doing so. Ghat ended up nearly killing his tribes' parent figure ("FatherMother"), and was hunted down by his sister Rimat, and other siblings who had witnessed his brutal betrayal. While on the run Ghat, and his companion Deadra (another female sibling) tried to make sense of the madness that they had found themselves to be a part of. They traveresd many unusual lands in search for answers, and ultimately ended up coming in contact with an otherworldly being known as 'Golem'. After resurrecting this imprisoned creature in the lands known as the "End of the World" they were tricked into leading him to their tribe. As the first game draws to a close Golem's cruel intentions were made known, and the revelation that FatherMother was still alive was revealed. This is where the first game ends, and where Atlus's, and ACE Team's collaborated efforts come into play.

Picking up where the previous game left off we find Ghat, Rimat, and all his half-animal brothers and sisters at odds with the tribes new ruler. Golem who was previously freed by Ghat, and Deadra had taken over the tribe as leader, and put into place a prison system with which to hold those who were punishable by his law. This included the imprisonment of the bird-like creature, and tribe guardian known as "FatherMother". The tribe being the primitive stone heads that they were could not understand this cruel, and unusual form of punishment. For years they had dealt with crime, and wrong doings the only way they knew how. That method of course involved beating the bejeezus out of one another. Ghat, seeing that his mistake had cost the tribe it's freedom, and that his actions had imprisoned FatherMother indefinitely set out to right the wrongs, and relieve Golem of his command. In order to do this Ghat would have to team up with his siblings in order to devise a plan to destroy the Golem, and break the life link that he had with the tribe. The fact that outright hurting the Golem would in turn hurt the people of the tribe themselves posed a significant problem to the solution. If Ghat could not give Golem the beat down that he deserved with his own fists, then he'd have to find a way in which he could.

When you first start up "Zeno Clash II" you will be taken to the main menu in which you can tweak various options as well as choose if you want to play through the tutorial, or get right into the core game. Being the "First-Person Brawler" that it is you'll find that you can adjust settings in a similar fashion as you would a "First-Person Shooter (FPS)". This mainly includes the ability to change your aiming sensitivity within the game. Additional options include such things as sound, and visual changes. After fine tuning the game to your liking I'd strongly suggest that you visit the tutorial mode as it will offer flashbacks to the events of the first game as well as helps you to get familiar with the complex fighting system that makes up this unusual RPG experience. I will admit that the tutorial is not exactly user-friendly, and that it will give gamers who haven't played the first Zeno Clash in a while a run for their money. Once you get through the tutorial though (assuming that you do) you will be awarded an achievement for your hard work, and trust me it is most definitely hard work.

As the game's protagonist you'll find that you once again take on the role of the brutal savage, and loyal tribesman known as "Ghat". As Ghat you must travel across each, and every land that makes up the game's world while you search for answers, and dish out your own brand of punishment via your bare knuckles. Your main goal, which is to free FatherMother from her prison must be done with the aid of your siblings. The ability to recruit siblings, and advance the plot by talking to them is very much a major part of the game this time around. As you level Ghat's stats up via the various skull totems placed randomly around the lands you will be able to improve your leadership levels, and ultimately recruit the assistance of siblings, and other creatures that will fight by your side in the main "VERSUS" battles. Not only that but characters you interact with also reveal more of the plot if you talk with them. In an odd sort of way 'Zeno Clash II' is half RPG, and half fighting game. While you will definitely spend a lot of your time advancing the plot through character interactions, and boss encounters the rest of the time will be spent simply beating the bejeezus out of the creatures that cross your path.

To make the simple act of beating your opponents to a pulp difficult the developer has also implemented a stamina system, and special meter system that limits Ghat's ability to attack, defend, and perform the more powerful special attacks. The stamina meter which affects Ghat's reflexes will deplete as he runs, attacks, or blocks against his foes. Attack, or block enough, and Ghat will be dazed unable to move, or act/react quickly. The good news is that this dazed stupor only lasts until the stamina meter has had time to refill, and the only way for it to refill is to not attack, or run during Ghat's dazed state. As far as the special attack meter goes it is replenished by successfully connecting combos via Ghat's punches, or kicks. As with the health though you will find that there are items contained within giant clam shells which will refill a certain percentage of each meters immediately. While the special meter is important in ridding you of the threat of enemies it's more important that you keep a significant amount of health intact as you will continue on with the same amount of life until you reach the next save point.

Leveling up Ghat's stats, and earning skill points in the game can be done by clicking "SQUARE" in front of the appropriate totems. The totems within Ghat's world come in a small variety of different forms. Some totems will reward Ghat with skill points while others will allow Ghat to transport himself to different areas within the game's map. There are even some mysterious totems that will reveal secrets that are hidden within the game's levels. Accessing the upgradable skill tree (Health, Stamina, Leadership ...) for leveling purposes though can be done via the transport totem's menu, or via the "SELECT" button menu which can be brought up at any time during your level playthroughs. It is important that you seek out these totems often as they will help you out of some tough situations during your playthrough.

Since "Zeno Clash II" is an RPG at heart you'll find that your progress will rely greatly on items that you collect along the way. These items range from Golem technology, to limited use weapons, to even bonus items that are there for unlocking hidden content. Ghat, for example can possess, and use club-like weapons as well as various types of primitive guns, and even explosives (Skull Bomb). These limited use weapons can offer a huge help when it comes to clearing a crowd of more numerous enemies, or enemies who are stronger. The weapons are usually found in clam shells, but will be dropped from certain enemies as well. The Golem type equipment on the other hand is mainly used for accessing certain locked areas, and for dealing with certain types of in-game situations. The bonus items such as the hidden multi-colored butterflies that are perched all over Ghat's world have a secret purpose that will only be revealed later in the game.

The combat portion of the game, or the bare knuckled brawling as I like to refer to it is done via a controller setup that uses each button press in multiple ways. When it comes to punching your enemy you'll find that the left, and right shoulder buttons (LB & RB) act as Ghat's left, and right fists respectively. Simply tapping either the LB, or RB buttons will result in a quick punch which can be turned into combos by alternating button presses. By holding down the LB, or RB button the corresponding fist will draw back, and punch the enemy in a more powerful attack. By pressing the buttons at the same time you will unleash a double fisted attack that will send your enemy sailing through the air. This type of attack as well as the slam attack uses the special meter that I mentioned earlier. As such you will want to keep landing those punch combos in order to regain meter for additional uses. Aside from punching Ghat can also kick downed enemies as well as throw them. Kicking an enemy is simply done by positioning the aiming reticule at the downed enemy, and pressing the RB button. Throwing is a little more interesting though in that an enemy has to be stunned (circles above head) before you can perform it. After stunning your opponent you simply press toward using the "L. Thumbstick". This will put them into a grab animation in which you can either punish them with some additional punches, or slam/throw them to the ground. During the throw/grab animation attacks can be mixed.

I'd have to say that the most interesting thing about this addition to the Zeno Clash series is the ability to have a friend join in on the activities at hand. ACE Team has seen fit to make this a singleplayer, or co-op experience. While the steam version has a lot more going for it with it's additional DLC modes of play this console version's co-op is not all that bad. Being able to play alongside a friend instead of a half-witted AI assistant is definitely a plus. At the main menu, when setting up, or continuing your current game you'll find the option to join another player, or allow another player to join you. Once you have things set the way you like you can start your game with, or without online assistance. At this point in my playthrough though I was unable to find someone to join me as the game is not quite that popular yet, and I don't have any PS3 friends who own the game. Being the cult favorite that it is you may also find that inviting someone to join your game may be a difficult thing to do as well. I do hope that improves though as the game is not bad at all.

Now Onto the Verdict ...

Whether you are beating the bejeezus out of the wild beast men of "Zeno Clash II", or advancing the plot to it's end you will find plenty of in-game activities to keep you busy. The often times brutal gameplay, and interesting story makes for a somewhat entertaining experience. On the negative side though you'll encounter some game breaking bugs (freezing ...), glitches, and lagging as you venture onward helping Ghat realize justice. The fact still remains that very rarely will you find an RPG experience as unique as this one, and considering that the game is not all that horrible.

Through night, and day cycles you'll discover that Zeno Clash II's creatures, and the many beasts of burden come to life as you try to complete the tasks at hand giving the game a more lifelike quality. The graphics, while primitive at times do have their shining moments. The water for example has been realistically rendered, and look as if it's actually flowing within the lands of the game. Character designs on the other hand are mediocre at best, but realizing the vast nature of the environments, and character actions around you will help you understand that it's a lot of content to run in a simple arcade title with a limited file size. As such having all the features that are included within this game functioning at the same time was doomed to put a limitation on overall quality. Had it have been an HD retail game I imagine it would have been worlds better.

As far as recommending the game goes, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. The game is definitely unique, and the story is impressive for being as short lived as it is. Even the gameplay itself is fun when it's functioning properly. On the other end of the spectrum though there are game breaking glitches which will have you restarting from your last checkpoint, and glitches that often times result in the loss of health due to punches not connecting. Even the lag can be quite horrible at times. How does one weigh such pros, and cons? As difficult as it is for me to say I'm going to have to say pass on this game. Unless ACE Team can issue a patch to fix the problems I just don't see the game being worth the money. If the game is repairable though then it's a definite must have.