Zeno Clash

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 321 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 201 out of 321
  2. Mixed: 84 out of 321
  3. Negative: 36 out of 321

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  1. GolovA
    Dec 8, 2014
    7
    Very unique game. The story is off-bunkers, the ambiance and setting - out-worldly. It reminds me of an old "Planescape Torment" RPG, back in the day - it had the same atmosphere.
    Gameplay pretty solid, although repetitive; still, it is original enough to keep me playing. And the story is whack, like i said! :)
  2. JonesR
    May 18, 2011
    6
    Wow. It is really impossible to describe this game in words--It is just so far out there, but not in a bad way. You've never played a game like this. Maybe if you have been on acid and LSD simultaneously, you might have a clue. The characters, monsters, story, weapons, and scenery are just plain crazy. With a decent melee combat system, it's hard not to recommend it. Just don't play itWow. It is really impossible to describe this game in words--It is just so far out there, but not in a bad way. You've never played a game like this. Maybe if you have been on acid and LSD simultaneously, you might have a clue. The characters, monsters, story, weapons, and scenery are just plain crazy. With a decent melee combat system, it's hard not to recommend it. Just don't play it with any far fetched expectations and stick with it to the end. Smoking a joint or two before you begin wouldn't hurt either.… Expand
  3. JeffS
    Dec 2, 2009
    7
    Not for everybody, but if you are interested in the strange and the bizarre, this game is worth your attention. The surreal universe is reminiscent of Dark Crystal, Mirrormask, Labyrinth, and the like. Characters and plot are relatively weak, but the visuals are stunning. Won't win game of the year, but for 4 hours and $7, it's worth it to enjoy the setting and eye candy.
  4. MarkT
    Apr 28, 2009
    7
    I feel a little guilty about the 7, because the story is so fabulously weird (I confess, I am only an hour in or so) and the characters so gorgeous. I love these creatures.. straight from a twisted fairy tale, in the style of Pan's Labyrinth. But the gameplay is so extraordinarily constricting. The combat is fun enough, for sure... but this is the most on rails game I have ever I feel a little guilty about the 7, because the story is so fabulously weird (I confess, I am only an hour in or so) and the characters so gorgeous. I love these creatures.. straight from a twisted fairy tale, in the style of Pan's Labyrinth. But the gameplay is so extraordinarily constricting. The combat is fun enough, for sure... but this is the most on rails game I have ever played. You basically move from one cramped arena to the next, with unsettling cut scenes in between. The scenes are great, the oddness is great - I wish I could give this a higher score - but the gameplay gets very old very soon. I suspect this is something you will dip into now and again, but an extended session would be much too boring. that said, despite the 7, I do recommend this as a decent $20 spent, simply to experience the great atmosphere.… Expand
  5. Andreakossa
    Apr 21, 2012
    6
    It's not a bad game, but the combat system and the story being short, the graphic doesn't looks bad however, anyway in 2-3 hours at max you will have completed it already so i suppose you can find something else better to buy.
  6. JamesP
    Apr 25, 2009
    5
    To be frank...this is pretty poor. I don't know whether any of you ever played those old Half life 1 games using the old engine, but this felt like a mod fit for the first half life, not the source engine. This thing looks lovely, honestly lovely, but it's not that great. It's not really about melee, it's a hype. Whenever I could I would pick up a gun and shoot To be frank...this is pretty poor. I don't know whether any of you ever played those old Half life 1 games using the old engine, but this felt like a mod fit for the first half life, not the source engine. This thing looks lovely, honestly lovely, but it's not that great. It's not really about melee, it's a hype. Whenever I could I would pick up a gun and shoot whatever was comming toward me, because melee combat in FPS is really borring, it's always been best suited to Third Person in a 3D game. This isn't "Dark Messiah", the melee is borring and repretitive, Id you want a game where you can stab things, punch things and really play with the source engine in melee, really do funny things to your enemies in big beautiful environments with swords and armour and a little RPG thrown in for good measure, without taking away from the fantastic 3PS sword plat, but "Dark Messiah: Of Might and Magic". Zeno Clash is a lovely looking universe, the story was novel, but it's been done. Don't get me wrong I loved the steam punk universe with all the crazy modelling, but the gameplay is flaccid. Here's the krutch guys, it's source, and you don't play with the environment, you don't do silly things with physics and the funniest thing is, you can't jump. Thats right, there is no jumping in Zeno Clash. For your enemies? Sure go for it. Not you. This is linear, linear, linear. To give you an idea of how linear, "The Ultimate Doom" is less linear. That game was made in 1993. This game was made in 2009. If you want a good punchem-up now, go back and get a Sega Megadrive emulator, now, find a copy of "Streets of Rage". Enjoy it. If you want weapons and swords and a gorgeous source powered universe, buy "Dark Messiah". If you want a good shooter, buy "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". To cap it, this is one time play through of a game that takes half an hour to complete on medium difficulty. Why won't I play it on hard now? Because I know the end of the story, it was rubbish. The only thing that kept me in was because "somehow" through this bad 1995 "Star Wars, Dark Forces" 'don't jump' gameplay, was a storyworld that was compelling. Do I want to play the game again now the story is over? No. Waist of my £11, I will never play this game again.… Expand
  7. MarkH
    Jun 4, 2009
    7
    The hand to hand combat is excellent, and works flawlessly - or it would do if it weren't hampered by needless and clumsy lock-on system. Fighting over a weapon on the ground becomes a fight with the controls as the button that cycles your targets is the same button that picks up weapons when you're looking at them - making it near impossible to pick up a weapon when an enemy is The hand to hand combat is excellent, and works flawlessly - or it would do if it weren't hampered by needless and clumsy lock-on system. Fighting over a weapon on the ground becomes a fight with the controls as the button that cycles your targets is the same button that picks up weapons when you're looking at them - making it near impossible to pick up a weapon when an enemy is near it. The shooting, while nothing special, initially detracts from the game, but becomes more fluid as it continues. It still amounts to nothing beyond average in this aspect, though. The game is short but challenging, and left me with an overall sense of enjoyment. I couldn't help but think that the surreal storyline and characters were often weird purely for the sake of weirdness itself. As a first person brawler, it is quietly revolutionary, but this shining aspect is muffled by the storyline, unecessary lock-on system, and mediocre shooting. I suspect that the developers lacked confidence in the brawling aspect, and felt some people may become disoriented by the pace of such close-up action - that would explain why they added so much needless fluff onto anotherwise great game.… Expand
  8. HarveyD
    Jun 19, 2009
    7
    Let's get this out of the way now, so people don't get confused: Zeno Clash is a Half-Life 2 MOD. That's what it is, and anyone expecting a full-blown original gameplay masterpiece is going to be more than a little disappointed. About the only new gameplay mechanic you will find in this game is a melee system that rarely gets used to its full potential. In fact what little Let's get this out of the way now, so people don't get confused: Zeno Clash is a Half-Life 2 MOD. That's what it is, and anyone expecting a full-blown original gameplay masterpiece is going to be more than a little disappointed. About the only new gameplay mechanic you will find in this game is a melee system that rarely gets used to its full potential. In fact what little gameplay elements the game seeks to exemplify are muddled by poor, and occasionally, frugal level design. The game is deserving of one accolade, however, and that is the plethora of props and characters meshes produced by the team. It's just a shame that those same characters do not add any value to game; they remain hollowed peons of a supposedly story-driven game. It is a damn shame, because when I got a chance to play this game at GDC and spoke to its creators, I was getting the impression that there were going to be evolving themes and motifs about perseverance. Instead the game's story randomly spurs the aid of a "Demigod" of sorts to draw a close to the story. From the lack of growth to the poor gameplay mechanics, it seems that the game falls prey to the ambitions of a group of individuals who halfway through production, realized they did not know the rudimentary rules of proper game design. But, in all truth, I would have rated this game closer to a 7.5. In the end it's a heavily stylized mod, but it never really pushes its identity past being more than just a mod.… Expand
  9. jh
    Jun 29, 2009
    7
    A great brawler, though succinct. I bought it at a Steam sale for $10, completed it (according to Steam), in 3.5 hours. I felt the storyline and art design were both above average, but not something that would push it into classic status. I think it perfectly fits the definition of a 7.0 game. I don't think most people will be interested enough to complete the challenges included in A great brawler, though succinct. I bought it at a Steam sale for $10, completed it (according to Steam), in 3.5 hours. I felt the storyline and art design were both above average, but not something that would push it into classic status. I think it perfectly fits the definition of a 7.0 game. I don't think most people will be interested enough to complete the challenges included in the recent DLC. Good, but not awesome or anything.… Expand
  10. KyleD
    Jun 5, 2009
    7
    Quite good. Bizarre, interesting world. I think the combat system is quite repetitive. I enjoyed the game, but it was missing something, but I just don't know what.
  11. Rime
    Jul 17, 2011
    7
    This game was good for the price, as I got it on sale for $3.75 on Steam's weekend sale of it. If you get it for that price, it's worth it. I'd recommend this game to a person who likes casual games, as there is not a huge depth to it. Pretty much punch and kick your way through the game. Enjoy!
  12. WookieLove
    Aug 16, 2011
    7
    The best way I can describe Zeno Clash is that it's comparable to a retro gaming experience. The odd and unique art direction reminds me of the "weird presence" (phrase ripped from AVGN) that some old video games had... that special brand of weirdness that didn't seem too forced, it was just part of the game universe. The satisfaction of the melee combat reminds me of old beat 'em upsThe best way I can describe Zeno Clash is that it's comparable to a retro gaming experience. The odd and unique art direction reminds me of the "weird presence" (phrase ripped from AVGN) that some old video games had... that special brand of weirdness that didn't seem too forced, it was just part of the game universe. The satisfaction of the melee combat reminds me of old beat 'em ups like Street of Rage.

    There's some bad elements to this retro feel. The voice acting is a little rough, though far from the worst I've heard. I lived through the FMV fad of gaming for god sake. Also, if you don't like linearity, don't play this game. This game is ridiculously linear. I'm talking super old-school, worse than Wolfenstein 3d or Doom (the originals). That is not an exaggeration. Those games were far from open-ended but at least had a few paths branching off to the sides. I could get lost for a little bit in Wolf 3D til I got my bearings. You will not ever doubt your position for a second in this game. It is Point A to Point B, period. The most unrestricted progression you will see in this game is when you backtrack in a straight line to the point you came from.

    That being said, none of that is a deal breaker for me. Linearity does not equal bad in my book, nor does funky voice acting. What equals a bad game for me is when I'm not having fun, and I had fun playing this game. I've read and heard other people saying that the control for the melee combat is a bit clunky, and that's true, but once again, it's fun. That's my cardinal rule for games: at some point I ask myself, is it fun? In this case, yes. I partly believe that what people may be berrating as cumbersome control is actually the weight and feedback of the characters, which I'm enjoyed. Punching someone has that nice OOMPH to it, especially with the big wind-up heavy attacks. Pretty satisfying when you connect, the camera shakes, you get a nice loud crunch sound, and your enemy goes flying back into other fighters behind him, knocking them over.

    Weapons are infact clunky like some folks have said but hey... did you notice what game you're playing? Emphasis is on melee combat folks, and if you didn't happen to notice, your firearm is made out of rope and old bones. I dislike how they implemented the weapons more than I dislike the weapons themselves. In the actual melee fights, I used the weapons more or less how I believe they were intended to be used: for a couple extra points of damage as the enemy charges in, tossing it into their face as the clips empty and then leaping forward to finish the job with my knuckles. My least favorite parts of the game were the linear shooting segments. Shooting rabbits in a straight line for The visuals obviously aren't the most breathtaking in terms of prettiness, as this is running on an un-upgraded Source engine, but they still manage to be more interesting and fun to look at than other games that look "better." I mean, I would rather watch one of those huge, Dr. Seuss-looking desert creatures lumber around a surreal backdrop in Zeno Clash, more than I would like to admire the latest brown monster run around in the latest brown cave in the latest brown Gears of War game. I think it's also important to keep in mind what you should expect from this: this game launched for 20 bucks, and most places these days you can get it for 15 or less. I don't think you should be comparing it to big budget titles. Personally, I got it on sale for 3 dollars. What I got for my 3 bucks was an enjoyable distraction for a couple hours, with an interesting if fairly non-sensical story, eye-pleasing scenery and set pieces, and satisfying melee combat. Far from perfect but a good deal, and surprisingly fun for a budget title.    … Expand
  13. jim109109
    May 31, 2012
    6
    Awesome first person punching gameplay, the story is brilliant, especially in the end, I played this through from start to end and couldn't stop. Then, I looked at the time. You will have completed the game in 4 hours, and there is zero replayability. As some indie games, it is short and pathetically so. If the game had been at least three times longer, it would have been "great", now it'sAwesome first person punching gameplay, the story is brilliant, especially in the end, I played this through from start to end and couldn't stop. Then, I looked at the time. You will have completed the game in 4 hours, and there is zero replayability. As some indie games, it is short and pathetically so. If the game had been at least three times longer, it would have been "great", now it's fun but barely worth more than a 6.… Expand
  14. Jamie
    Apr 27, 2009
    6
    Don't be fooled by the hype. Zeno clash is a very mediocre game. However, it comes at a time when there's a bit of a dearth of top class new shooters around, and the mainstream media has been regularly criticised for overpraising mainstream games and underpraising indie games. It's as if everyone decided this would be the "token" good indie shooter; so they're praising Don't be fooled by the hype. Zeno clash is a very mediocre game. However, it comes at a time when there's a bit of a dearth of top class new shooters around, and the mainstream media has been regularly criticised for overpraising mainstream games and underpraising indie games. It's as if everyone decided this would be the "token" good indie shooter; so they're praising it very high. But it's just not very good. There IS no "jaw dropping visual design - Hellbored"; this thing is using the half life engine and it's starting to look a bit dated. The gameplay is not "refreshing and exciting - Cheatcode central", it's shooting combined with kicking and punching. How original. It doesn't "Stick with you long after you play it" - I was bored within minutes. Basically, it's just a half life mod that looks weird. The voices are poor; the game was developed in cuba (I think) and they've all got weird accents and strange ways of saying things. The graphics, far from being spectacular, are lame; the half life engine was designed for urban or indoor environments and does a poor job of rendering zeno's fully outdoor environments. The foliage looks awful and the ground textures are poor. Rent this before you buy it - and then you probably won't buy it anyway.… Expand
  15. grandpajoe6191
    Nov 8, 2011
    5
    Well, "Zeno Clash" actually was aiming for creativity. Sure, i'll give credit for that but after that nothing's enjoyable. NOTHING.
  16. JimCorbett
    Dec 17, 2013
    6
    Zeno Clash is an interesting and original game that ultimately falls flat in too many areas to make it a great game. You go around in a very weird and interesting world punching people in the face and sometimes shooting them with the strange gun. The world Zeno Clash is set in is very strange and you immediately want to know more about it, but you never will. The story is hard to followZeno Clash is an interesting and original game that ultimately falls flat in too many areas to make it a great game. You go around in a very weird and interesting world punching people in the face and sometimes shooting them with the strange gun. The world Zeno Clash is set in is very strange and you immediately want to know more about it, but you never will. The story is hard to follow and makes next to no sense. It's also unfortunate that the combat quickly becomes repetitive. Even though the story is only 3-4 hours long, by the end you will be tired of executing the same moves over and over again. In the end, Zeno Clash is a huge waste of potential that could have been so much more.… Expand
  17. Viacota
    Oct 17, 2012
    7
    Me cuesta ser parcial con este juego ya que es un juego hecho por Chilenos :D

    Lo bueno: El arte es muy bueno , muy diferente a los que estamos acostumbrados a ver, tanto los personajes, como el entorno y las armas que las encuentro creativas. Tratas de hacer un juego en primera persona enfocado en los combates cuerpo a cuerpo. Historia retorcida. Lo malo: Mucha linealidad del juego,    Me cuesta ser parcial con este juego ya que es un juego hecho por Chilenos :D

    Lo bueno: El arte es muy bueno , muy diferente a los que estamos acostumbrados a ver, tanto los personajes, como el entorno y las armas que las encuentro creativas.
    Tratas de hacer un juego en primera persona enfocado en los combates cuerpo a cuerpo. Historia retorcida.

    Lo malo: Mucha linealidad del juego, los gráficos no son destacables. Se vuelve algo tedioso el sistema de lucha.    … Expand
  18. Captain_Chaos
    Apr 17, 2017
    7
    I picked up Zeno Clash after having already played the second game with a friend, and I can tell you, the second one is better. This entry is pretty fun, but it lacks the quality of storytelling, free-roaming mechanics and of course, 2-player coop. However, it is significantly more straightforward (and thus, shorter), and the guns can be reloaded, though they have a habit of being knockedI picked up Zeno Clash after having already played the second game with a friend, and I can tell you, the second one is better. This entry is pretty fun, but it lacks the quality of storytelling, free-roaming mechanics and of course, 2-player coop. However, it is significantly more straightforward (and thus, shorter), and the guns can be reloaded, though they have a habit of being knocked out of your hands. They do less damage then in the second game, and the hammers are much more awkward to use. Generally it's much easier to just punch things- except for the obnoxious heavy fights, which require you to use the hammers.

    Still, without having played this one (or had someone explain the premise), the second game really would not make a lot of sense, given the weirdness of not only the setting and asthetic but the morality and motivations of its characters. Collectively, the series is certainly the most unique thing to come out of the Source Engine, and worth playing. I would advise you play this entry before the second game, however.    … Expand
  19. SambaL
    Jan 3, 2011
    5
    This game is pretty weird. Now don't get me wrong, i don't mean that in a negative way, it's just a little out there. In other words, it has to be your thing otherwise you'll be playing this no longer than 10 minutes.
    Especially all the different characters bring the world to life. Character design is great as for the modelling. There is so much variation between all of them.
    So why did i    This game is pretty weird. Now don't get me wrong, i don't mean that in a negative way, it's just a little out there. In other words, it has to be your thing otherwise you'll be playing this no longer than 10 minutes.
    Especially all the different characters bring the world to life. Character design is great as for the modelling. There is so much variation between all of them.
    So why did i give this game a 5 than? Because i lost interest quiet fast. Each minute i wanted to just quit even more than the moment before. The first person melee action is okay, even though a bit rusty, but i've seen it all before in Breakdown on the Xbox and i never got to finish that one either. It just isn't my piece of pie. I'd rather break some jaws in 3rd person. Next to that i didn't like the stage fighting all that much. You're not really walking through an open world you're just set against 1 or more opponents in a set stage and you have to duke it out and win so you can continue on to the next level. But worst of all has to be that out of all the awesome characters in the game your character just looks lame. But what's even worse is his voice and the acting that comes with it. Just awfull.
    Story wise there is something there but the storytelling itself is kinda weak. It didn't hold my attention for long anyways.
    In the end i've played for an hour or so and then i called it quits but i don't think i'll be starting it up anytime soon. But hey, it only cost me 3 euro's and it's still a very creative piece of work. Props for that.    … Expand
  20. socketwrench14
    Jun 18, 2013
    5
    Definitely a very poor game with a great idea and interesting story and characters. Nothing is quite so unique in what it tries to be than Zeno Clash. However sadly the implementation of the game is poor. Painfully bad voice acting, clunky controls and often there are battles that, while not difficult are just frustrating based on the tactics you have to use taking forever. There is oneDefinitely a very poor game with a great idea and interesting story and characters. Nothing is quite so unique in what it tries to be than Zeno Clash. However sadly the implementation of the game is poor. Painfully bad voice acting, clunky controls and often there are battles that, while not difficult are just frustrating based on the tactics you have to use taking forever. There is one particularly long and unnecessary on rail shooting portion that was easy, but so long and boring I wanted to cry.

    The combat system IS fun, but the implementation does feel off. IF its on sale I'd say pick it up if you like the idea of a unique hand to hand combat system, otherwise pass this game over.    … Expand
  21. Klewer
    Jan 5, 2014
    5
    Typical not a fan of brawler style of games I did not find this overly enjoyable. The brawl action isn't too bad but becomes highly repetitive and the shooting mechanics are below par, feels tacked on.

    Story is ok but really fails to pull you through.
  22. drakenseng
    Mar 24, 2013
    7
    Zeno Clash is a good indie game. It looks like a mod from Half Life 2 but the gameplay is different. You can use guns but the main focus is the melee fights. It feels like i'm playing old school, Super PunchOut! on SNES but instead of a restricted ring, you get to fight on a linear path with more enemies at once. It does get boring after awhile, but on Hard Mode it was still pretty fun.Zeno Clash is a good indie game. It looks like a mod from Half Life 2 but the gameplay is different. You can use guns but the main focus is the melee fights. It feels like i'm playing old school, Super PunchOut! on SNES but instead of a restricted ring, you get to fight on a linear path with more enemies at once. It does get boring after awhile, but on Hard Mode it was still pretty fun. You can't reload while running so sometimes it got frustrating and i just tossed the gun and fight hand to hand. I think thats what they wanted you to do in the first place anyways. The story and game itself is solid but it feels more like a really long demo than an actual game to me. Visuals are good but you dont get to really explore too much and level design is pretty straightforward linear paths. overall, good solid game to kill some time.… Expand
  23. sayedstafa
    Feb 19, 2013
    7
    Short game, it has a weird tribal theme with weird creatures. Story was weird too, it's just weird. Though, this game is worth checking out for the first person melee combat. It does it really well, it's like a first person Streets of Rage, except with a lot of weird.
  24. Artoorzyn
    May 19, 2015
    5
    + climate music
    +surrealistic world
    +graphic is not bad
    ?over after 3,5 h
    -It requires dosage
    -all the same enemies
    -after time fight is boring

    You can play but do not have
  25. Dco326
    Oct 24, 2021
    7
    Ne znam, jako cudna igrica, pricu ne kapiram uopste, hjahahahahaha ali jebes ga zanimljivo bilo odigrati jednom.

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best PC Game of 2009
32
#32 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
62
#62 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. HellBored
    89
    Zeno Clash is what a future cult favourite looks like. With a wickedly brutal melee engine, and some jaw-dropping visual design, this gorgeously demented indie brawler is short but sweet.
    Read full review
  2. Destructoid
    70
    While I would have liked to see a bit more emphasis on the melee combat and less on shooting, I think you’ll still find that most battles give you a bit of a rush and are enjoyable to play, particularly the unique boss battles.
    Read full review
  3. Eurogamer
    80
    A fantastically involving and solid fighting game, enhanced by being set in one of the most imaginative and beautiful universes in the medium.
    Read full review
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