Zanki Zero: Last Beginning

1. jgreene

   Mar 19, 2023

   10

   Before I sing the game's praises, it has some content warnings:
   Flashbacks in the game will contain SA, CSA, incest, abuse, and otherBefore I sing the game's praises, it has some content warnings:
   Flashbacks in the game will contain SA, CSA, incest, abuse, and other terrible things. The ties that bind the party together are all trauma based.
   
   This is a hidden gem if you're a fan of first person Dungeon Crawler RPGs, a classic genre that is usually steeped in fantasy stories. This, however, is set in the post apocalypse, with the last 8 humans left in the world. The star of this game IMO is the mystery. I see almost no one talking about the game online besides achievement hunters, so a lot of the more cryptic aspects are left a surprise for the individual to puzzle out. If you like lore-hunting in games like Elden Ring, like myself, this game is full of notes and diaries. Most will seem innocuous at first, but will often contain clues regarding puzzles. A particular series of notes tells a side story, which eventually ties into the main plot, and fleshes out the world a bit. Other times, the notes you find contain names of some of the "powers" you can equip...
   
   The mechanics and gameplay are old school, with some twists. You navigate a grid-based map filled with monsters and puzzles. This is a real-time combat RPG, not turn based. There are no random battles, every enemy is roaming the zone freely, looking to wreck your run. Like some other Dungeon Crawlers (the Legend of Grimlock series, for example), you need to feed your party members to keep their stamina up. Zanki Zero adds in the opposing "bladder guage" however. Seems a bit silly, but the point is if your character can't find a bathroom to use, they get the Stink status, which alerts monsters to your presence and raises the character's Stress meter. Once unlocked, there are 5 difficulties you can switch between at your base, with 1 being not at all difficult (just experience the base story), and 5 being the most challenging. I'm in the 7th dungeon presently, and have more or less kept it on 5 since I unlocked it. Besides the higher difficulty of the monsters, more items will drop frequently (a must if you are a completionist, or just want to fully upgrade some of the best gear). If you have trouble with a boss fight however, it's totally valid to drop the difficulty even temporarily (it just costs some "Score" points, which is what you spend to revive party members).
   
   There is a rather simple crafting system, for both equipment/items and foods. In order to unlock the recipes, however, you need to upgrade your base. I highly recommend upgrading the bathroom first though, because the initial bathroom increases stress due to it being unsanitary. The item storage is very helpful, but you can get by initially just dropping unneeded items on the ground at your base, as they don't despawn unless dropped into the water. It's good to horde things, because you never know when something will be needed to craft something later (protip: don't sharpen every rusty knife you find, because some high level recipes require the rusty version). Grinding for materials is a common occurrence, especially late game when you want the best gear/items. I've honestly maxed out the party's levels at 99, and still need to grind for mats.
   
   The most important part of the gameplay is the weirdest. You die, and get reborn with "Shigabane". These are bonuses that make your party members stronger in some way, but also cost more Score to revive. It's always a bit fun to find a new way to die in the game (watch those allergies!!).
   
   TL;DR - If you enjoy the game's mysterious premise, and the mechanics, this is a great game.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
2. Nigari0

   Apr 18, 2019

   10

   this game is heavily underrated, it's a bit tough to get into, but once you do, you're in for a wild ride.
   
   the combat system is unique, andthis game is heavily underrated, it's a bit tough to get into, but once you do, you're in for a wild ride.
   
   the combat system is unique, and it works well with every other element in the game.
   
   but the best selling point, is the story and character design, it will stick with you.… Expand

   • 3 of 6 users found this helpful
4. tantei

   Apr 11, 2019

   10

   Another outstanding game from the creators of dangan ronpa. The story is captivating and the characters are very interesting.

   • 4 of 7 users found this helpful
5. vahn

   Apr 9, 2019

   8

   I only played about 8 hours and reached chapter 3 (or stage 3) so my review is obviously incomplete, but those 8 hours went so fast I barelyI only played about 8 hours and reached chapter 3 (or stage 3) so my review is obviously incomplete, but those 8 hours went so fast I barely noticed: the game surprised me despite its rather weird concept and the story and characters hooked me to discover more.
   
   Zanki Zero is a sort of blend between Zero Escape and Danganronpa - both games made by Spike Chunsoft themselves - so the style is somewhat similar when it comes to setting or at least the mentality behind the whole game: 8 people are stuck in a place called Garage Island and, supposedly, they are the last survivor of the human race and they have to help save it by using the Extend Machine in order to complete their missions. At first, they think it's a game but soon they discover that everything is more than real when two of the cast dies.
   
   Zanki Zero is an RPG but to be honest it has barely any RPG elements in it: leveling doesn't actually grants status bonuses but only unlocks better proficiencies and stats like better attack or cooking, meaning that you won't be grinding any levels and instead you'll be grinding mats and food for your survival. It's better to say that ZZ is more of an action adventure game, where you'll fight enemies in dungeons while also seeing cutscenes, mostly with grunts, and proceed with the plot.
   
   I want to start with the combat because I heard really bad comments on it, saying that it looks like etrian odyssey or other dungeon crawler RPGs...well they're partially right but it's closer to games like Dungeon Master or Legend of Grimrock instead: you don't have random battles and you can move freely during combat, which is on grids, and it's important to be able to move around while attacking or else you can die in this game. And yes, you will die...which is probably the weirdest mechanic of the entire game.
   
   I said that there's no progress from leveling, but that's because it's tied to the Extend Machine and its Shigabane system, which essentially rewards you for...dying. Literally.
   Whenever one character dies, their death will be recorded into the machine and the next body they'll come out will have perks that increase their stats: dying of old age grants a general buff to all stats but, for instance, dying from a physical attack might reduce the damage next time, or dying from stress or lack of sleep might give you more stamina, and so forth. In other words, you must die, a lot, in order to get the good stats and you might be grinding deaths in order to get them since there's over a hundred of them!
   
   Unfortunately, it's not infinite: you need to use your SCORE to clone your new body and while not expensive at first the more shigabane you get, the expensive it gets. You get SCORE from beating enemies and thankfully they do respawn, although randomly and not always timely so you can grind those score points.
   Add the fact that your characters will die after 13 days, you'll eventually have to understand the system and manage its perks properly.
   
   But honestly, what draws me into the game it's the story: the 8 characters aren't exactly well defined at first but the more you play, the more you want to know about them. Each dungeon is, supposedly about sin and each character is their representation, which means that not only you'll get to know them in depth but you'll also be playing from their PoV!
   Yep, each chapter (or stage) will make you play from the perspective of another survivor and you'll get to see their feelings, thoughts and mental process: you're not going to stuck with the "main" protagonist like most VN games but you'll keep jumping to each character until their story is complete. It's interesting and really hooks you in because you know what they're thinking and the game will show each part of their backstory in stylized scenes with dark figures and no voicing, which is both weird and fascinating. I played 8 hours straight because I just wanted to know what's going to happen, why did this happen, or if that character did something wrong, or why is something wrong. Even though they really don't seem to grow a lot afterward but maybe it's too early to say it.
   
   So, do I recommend it? Honestly yes, I do, but you must realize that this game is a little different than your usual jrpgs and it requires a little bit of patience to understand its system: the combat is simple, extremely simple, but it's also extremely simple to die from enemies (2-3 shots and you're dead) and the Clione mechanic makes the game about high-risk high reward, but that's something I haven't fully tested as of now.
   
   The best I can describe it is, Zanki Zero is an action adventure game with semi-survival elements and visual novel hints too, that while not perfectly flawless they make a rather intriguing and bizarre mix that I can't wait to discover more about it!.
   
   And considering Danganronpa and Zero Escape were already weird on their own, I hope to get the same here!… Expand

   • 4 of 7 users found this helpful
6. GaryLinekar

   Jun 8, 2023

   7

   Weird RPG with an anime-style mystery story that drags you in if you are susceptible. The combat system seems derived from games like mysteryWeird RPG with an anime-style mystery story that drags you in if you are susceptible. The combat system seems derived from games like mystery dungeon or Legend of Grimrock. You take a step, the enemy takes a step, that type of thing. The aging mechanic is weird AF but it adds a unique aspect which is appreciated. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, and it's not like the writing is going to win any awards, but the typical anime storytelling where they plop you in an insane situation and then dripfeed you information to add suspense and mystery is alive and well - if you are into that, then this game is worth it.
   Actually more people should play this game because it is just so memorable. A bizarre and interesting experience that never gets too frustrating and which has lots of nice plot twists and so on.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. cerberlok

   May 12, 2023

   7

   + _+ good story
   + not bad gameplay mechanic
   
   -pixel graphics
   -need grind

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. tomvs123

   Nov 30, 2020

   2

   Only for those who like real-time first-person dungeon-crawlers and the writing in Danganronpa games.
   
   I wasn't able to finish the game, asOnly for those who like real-time first-person dungeon-crawlers and the writing in Danganronpa games.
   
   I wasn't able to finish the game, as neither of those apply to me. Here's my five-hour impressions of the game up to beating the first boss.
   
   If you like conspiracy theories, this game has you covered. It starts off strong with these and heads in the direction of things getting even weirder. But like Danganronpa, it sacrifices believability for the sake of weird things happening.
   
   The story seems to be built around the game mechanics rather than the other way around. For example, the game has its characters live for only 13 days before they die of old age and are reborn. While living through different age ranges (child, adult, middle-age, elderly) characters have different skills that activate based on their age. This is the main game mechanic and the story tries hard to justify that this is something that you should take seriously.
   
   Unfortunately, it doesn't pull it off for the more intelligent players with hobbies or careers in science. Don't expect the levels of believable science fiction that were in the first two Zero Escape games. The writing here is much worse in comparison.
   
   While I didn't get to spend a lot of time with the characters, they were mostly uninteresting, except for one particular amputee, who was obviously hiding a secret or big plot twist that will likely happen later on.
   
   As for the dungeon crawling, it might satisfy real-time dungeon crawler fans. I didn't find it as interesting or strategic as the last real-time first-person dungeon crawler I played (Legend of Grimrock). And it's definitely not up to par strategy-wise with turn-based games, such as Demon Gaze. The environments aren't very interesting and consist of mostly big open spaces. You have to manage your stress and pee levels, which isn't very fun. And managing your inventory is a pain, due to the limited weight you can carry.
   
   Combat strategy consists of having your four party members attack, back up (run away) until you can attack again, and then you repeat. The first boss is the same, except required many more attacks.
   
   So here's my partial review for the game. With its bad writing, believablitly issues, and uninteresting/unstrategic combat, I doubt I'll start this one up again.… Expand

   • 3 of 4 users found this helpful

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