If nothing else, it has been an interesting
experience reviewing Zenonia 5.
The last game in the series played by this
reviewer was the first, and it's interesting
to see what's changed and what has stayed
the same.
In this latest installment there has been
a war brewing between the rich and the poor,
so much so that it has attracted the attention
of demons.
You start off as an apprentice in a small
town that has dreamed of this conflict, and
embark on a journey to try and put things
right.
Pretty standard plot as RPGs go, so how does
the gameplay hold up?
Well in terms of structure, the only thing
changed is the greater focus on narrative.
The first Zenonia put you out into the action
pretty quickly, but Zenonia 5 has a lengthy
intro, and it takes about ten or fifteen minutes
before you're allowed to go out and kill things.
Aside from that, it's your standard RPG fare;
grab quests from a town, kill monsters, level
up your stats and gain new abilities, gain
new gear, rinse and repeat.
Alongside this is the ability to play online
PvP or try your hand at the daily challenges
in The Abyss to earn loot.
The four character classes available to play
are the Beserker, Mechanic, Wizard, and Paladin;
pretty much melee, ranged, magic, and healer...
although each is a little more specialized
than those standard roles.
The game touts an innovative visceral combat
system, but what this amounts to is tapping
the attack button in quick rhythmic succession
to unleash a combo, and seeing you'll be doing
this over and over again (Zenonia is known
to be a grind-heavy RPG) the only thing really
visceral about the system is the wear it has
on your patience.
Upgraded abilities allow more spectacular
and damaging attacks, but these wear down
your magic so you'll want to use them sparingly.
Also, the analogue stick seems to act more
like a directional pad, with your attacks
only really having an effect in a horizontal
or vertical fashion.
The combo finishers are area affect, so you
can hit multiple foes that aren't exactly
in your line of fire, but this seems more
of an oversight than an allowance of the combat
system itself.
As always the sprite art is of a high quality
with decent musical accompaniment, but everything
on the iPhone screen is quite small, especially
the text.
Definitely not for those with eyesight problems.
Really whether or not you'll enjoy the latest
in the Zenonia series is how you enjoyed the
previous games or the idea of grind-heavy
RPGs.
Personally, it's not a mechanic I enjoy, but
there are plenty that do.
The gameplay here will certainly satisfy them.
Those that are more interested in a stream-lined
RPG experience should look elsewhere.
