Zeno Clash is quite simply one of the most visually appealing games out there.
The basic concept of Zeno Clash's gameplay is pretty simple: it's a 3D beat 'em up that takes place from a first person perspective. While this idea may seem prone to frustration and clunkiness in theory given the relative of scarcity of first person games outside of the shooter genre, it actually plays out really well. Introducing some of this game's bizarre enemies to your fists is satisfying from start to finish, and a modest but solid share of combo moves keeps the brawling fresh. Regardless from whether or not you're violent in nature, there's just an immense sense of satisfaction to be derived from beating down multiple opponents and kicking them while they're down.
You'll get to do more in this game than just planting your knuckles in the faces of unfortunate goons, though. Throughout your adventure, you'll have to familiarise yourself with a fair share of weapons, ranging from dual pistols and crossbows to clubs and grenades. While some of these weapons will prove to be essential for your progress, their use is mostly optional, leaving you with a relative amount of freedom in choosing how you wish to engage your enemies. In any case, Zeno Clash should not be considered a first person shooter. Even if you end up using most of the weapons you encounter, the vast majority of this game's fighting consists of melee combat.
Despite the interesting gameplay, perhaps the most important of aspect of Zeno Clash is its out-of-this-world presentation. It's hard to describe its strange world to someone who hasn't seen it for himself, but looking at some of Salvador Dalí's abstract paintings might give a general impression. It's obvious that the designers of this game were inspired by some great artists, such as El Bosco, Gaudí, and the aforementioned Dalí, implementing some cyberpunk references while they were at it. A lot of the environments in Zeno Clash involve nightmarish images, abstract, or rather absurd structures, and bizarre characters. The creativity exhibited by the developers is nothing short of astonishing, and half of the enjoyment of playing Zeno Clash is derived of just looking around you, being amazed and surprised by the beautiful scenes that appear on your screen.
It's not like the graphics themselves are amazing, though. Running on the Source engine, Zeno Clash has the same polished, cartoony look that we have seen in pretty much any recent Valve game. At the same time, some of the more foresty areas can look dated due to the unimpressive foliage. Their relative emptiness when compared to some of the other areas in this game doesn't help either. However, with the fantastic art design taken into account, any slight shortcomings in the graphics department will barely matter, as Zeno Clash is quite simply one of the most visually appealing games out there.
Some of the areas are brought to life even more by a pretty impressive soundtrack. Melancholic melodies greatly enhance the suspense evoked by desert sunsets, ancient temples and dark sewers, all of which have to be explored during the campaign. The music could've used a bit more variation, though, as the repetition is rather eminent, especially considering the short nature of the game. Unfortunately, the voice acting isn't very impressive. Even the main actor himself doesn't come across as very believable, and generally speaking, only your female companion succeeds in breathing some life into the pretty basic story.
The biggest problem of Zeno Clash, however, is its length. If you play on the default difficulty setting, odds are it'll all be over after a mere 4 hours. There is a bit of replay value, but at the end of the ride, you can't help but realise this concept had more potential. However, it may be a bit unfair to expect the indie developer ACE Team to fully capitalise upon this potential in their first major project, as resources were limited to a point that they had to cut a lot of cool ideas from the final product. Besides, with a price tag that's just a little over €10, you are definitely going to get your money's worth.
In the end, Zeno Clash is an ambitious yet solid product with a simply amazing presentation, and gameplay that carries enough substance to keep you entertained throughout the campaign. At the same time, Zeno Clash is a product that is a bit rough around the edges, and just doesn't have a whole lot to offer when it comes to pure gameplay hours. That being said, those who are able to appreciate a healthy dose of indie charm, should definitely check this game out.