Day 211, Game 211 - Zack Zero

If there has been one shining moment about having this year-long project of a blog, it has been the opportunity to play games that I never would have even had on my radar, much less find the diamonds in the rough that truly offer more to the gamer than initially meets the eye. 

One of these little gems I had the pleasure of discovering was Zack Zero, thanks in large part to my good buddy Chris over at Everyday Gamers, who gifted it to me during the Steam Summer Sale. He pointed out from the get-go that it wasn't the best game, but it was fun, and also family friendly. While the appropriateness of the game for certain age groups didn't necessarily mean much to me, I do like "fun" games, so hey, I was game to give it a whirl.

I'm glad I took the plunge. 

So I'm not sure if this game has more of a storyline than a guy trying to save a girl on an alien planet, but if it did, I missed it. And that's OK, because I wasn't in it for an engaging storyline. I just wanted a fun game, and I got it. Surprisingly enough.

The protagonist you play as has an array of weapons at his arsenal, thanks to his several suits that you can switch back and forth to on a whim. Playing with a Xbox controller (because that's the only way I'll play PC games at this point, if its an option), you switch suits using the D-pad, which happens immediately. The suits available to choose from is the regular space suit (well-rounded overall), fire (fire attacks and an air-surfing ability), ice (ice attacks and the ability to drastically slow down time), and rock (heavy, bulky and increases strength exponentially). The correct use of these suits help you fight off waves of enemies, solve puzzles and platform around the beautiful terrain. 

The combat is fast and frantic at times, but hardly ever did I feel overwhelmed. The platform was fun and challenging, but rewarding when using the suits to perfection. Overall, I actually enjoyed playing this game. It isn't a perfect game, but there are tons of things to enjoy while playing it, especially if you're not expecting it. 

After playing it, I read the reviews for this game. Looking back, I think that most of them are completely overly critical of Zack Zero and everything it brings to the table. It's experiences like this that make me glad I don't review games for a living, because I'm realizing that I thoroughly despise being hyper-cynical when it comes to video games. They are made for enjoyment, and even ones with lots of flaws offer some sort of entertainment value. You just need play the games to figure that out sometimes, despite what the reviewers think. 

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