E3 2012: Zeno Clash II (Impressions)
posted:
6/12/2012 3:00:00 PM
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E3 2012
Zeno Clash II
ACE Team has only two games under their belt, but they are some of the most interesting and original titles I have played in a long time. In giving gamers more of what they want, they've partnered with Atlus to bring Zeno Clash II to PC, PSN, and Xbox Live in 2013. The early build on the E3 show floor gave a glimpse of what players can expect when the game is released. The short demo I was given showed some improvements over the first Zeno Clash game, along with some new features that are sure to please a lot of fans.
The early PC build had players roaming around town and partaking in some fantastic first person fisticuffs. Offering a new lock-on system, Zeno Clash II has a depth-of-field visual trick to make sure you know where your opponent is, though it won't stop other enemies from ganging up on you. The enemies roaming the town also employed different styles attacks based on their builds, that blue guy in the screenshots, he is able to wave off attacks that are just thrown about without any thought. But with the drop-in drop-out cooperative play that is planned, players will have a better shot at taking down some of the more hulking enemies. The combat itself looks to be as satisfying as the first game, with punches and blocks that feel like they have heft to them, and enemies that react appropriately when struck. Other enemies in the demo were more like fodder who could be dropped with a few well placed shots. If the player lines up their cross hair with a particular soft spot on an enemy, they will drop much more quickly and it's interesting to see a fight play out just because of the fantastic animation that ACE Team is capable of.
Players will once again take up the fists of Ghat, and Rimat will be your cooperative companion, though much isn't revealed about the story in the demo it can be assumed that it will be just as wild as the first game. We've got a long way to go before this game comes out, but it already looks really promising and given ACE Team's previous work I expect it to be something special.
The early PC build had players roaming around town and partaking in some fantastic first person fisticuffs. Offering a new lock-on system, Zeno Clash II has a depth-of-field visual trick to make sure you know where your opponent is, though it won't stop other enemies from ganging up on you. The enemies roaming the town also employed different styles attacks based on their builds, that blue guy in the screenshots, he is able to wave off attacks that are just thrown about without any thought. But with the drop-in drop-out cooperative play that is planned, players will have a better shot at taking down some of the more hulking enemies. The combat itself looks to be as satisfying as the first game, with punches and blocks that feel like they have heft to them, and enemies that react appropriately when struck. Other enemies in the demo were more like fodder who could be dropped with a few well placed shots. If the player lines up their cross hair with a particular soft spot on an enemy, they will drop much more quickly and it's interesting to see a fight play out just because of the fantastic animation that ACE Team is capable of.
Players will once again take up the fists of Ghat, and Rimat will be your cooperative companion, though much isn't revealed about the story in the demo it can be assumed that it will be just as wild as the first game. We've got a long way to go before this game comes out, but it already looks really promising and given ACE Team's previous work I expect it to be something special.
