Zenith - Review @ Midlife Gamer

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Midlife Gamer checked out the action RPG Zenith:

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Zenith - Review

From the outset, Zenith forcefully conveys its difference from other modern Action-RPGs with its distinctive aesthetic, satirical humour and ArcanePunk setting, and while it achieves this aim, it is not all a positive distinction.

When we meet our protagonist, Argus Wendell, he has been apprehended by Elves from the Homogeny, who are currently at war with the empire that Argus serves as an Imperial Wizard and member of the Infinigon. It is in this first conversation that the level of humour is established, as Argus attempts to distract his captors with tales of running from "Tenor Spiders" that sing as they attack, only for the camera to pan to reveal the very Spiders the Elves mocked awaiting their moment to pounce, accompanied by an acapella attack song.

The story continues apace with Argus and his mage colleagues racing to unlock a forgotten temple before the Elves, recovering an ancient artifact that could turn the tide of the war and earning promotions for their efforts.

The story then jumps forward seven years, to find Argus has settled down in a quiet town to become a potionist, (the most maligned role for a Mage), and the empire has collapsed entirely in the intervening years. It is not long before you discover adventurers are sniffing about a nearby dungeon and Argus is catapulted back into the world of elves, empires and ancient weapons.

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Despite the clunky and sometimes frustrating combat, the relatively light touch armoury, skill and weapon systems, and the clunky controls I found I enjoyed the game overall. It was short enough to keep things interesting and moving along at a decent pace while the unique story, quirky dialogue and numerous nods to rpg tropes and pop culture hit the mark more often than not.

Score: 5/10