Post by Layla Littlenymph on Jan 15, 2017 13:29:46 GMT -5
ZENGE
There are many considerations that go into a review. Chief among them, is this product worth my investment in terms of time and money. Even a F2P (Free to Play) game can fail to pass muster on that score but, with an introductory price of only $0.99, Hamster on Coke Games has still set itself a rather low hurdle.
Zenge is a geometric, logic based, puzzle game, that consists of sliding geometric pieces along free form tracks in order to construct an image. Like every puzzle game invented, it starts off with simple, intuitive moves that get progressively difficult. Big shock there, eh? Over the course of its 70 levels it introduces new mechanics that keep the game fresh from beginning to end. Players will advance from sliding basic shapes along an assigned track to mechanics such as shared tracks, sticky pieces that have to be combined in order to place, switches, portals, rotation, reflection, flipping, and dilation of the basic shapes. It is akin to a game of pool in that it is an exercise in geometry and physics but, without all those bothersome numbers that tend to make my head hurt.
Basically, Zeng is built upon the concept of a tangram puzzle that introduces new mechanics in simplistic form before combining that mechanic with those already introduced. Players simply slide shapes along a track to form a shape which, when complete, is incorporated into a larger picture before moving on to the next level.
As each picture is completed, they supposedly combine to tell a story, which is that of Eon, a lonely journeyman stuck between different planes of time and dimension, seeking a path home. Players that manage to complete all levels will be treated to a slideshow at the end that displays the entire story. I only say "supposedly" because if you are as dense as I am, you might not realize you are actually seeing a story evolve in pictures alone. It is a rather artistic approach but, about as easily grasped (and appreciated) as an abstract painting. If you have an appreciation for artistry set to an interesting soundtrack, you may be in for a treat. If not, well, the puzzles are fun and interesting, even without the story line.
Is Zenge a great game? No, but neither is it a bad one. It does not keep a score, does not have any options, and comes without any instructions. It is what it is; an intuitive, progressive, puzzle that tells a story in picture form, all to the tune of an interesting soundtrack. It is not designed to be beaten. It is designed more along the lines of a visual novel. It is not meant to stump you. While the puzzles do get somewhat difficult, the average person should be able to complete the story in a few hours of play time. like a visual novel, it has a beginning and an ending. It is most certainly designed to be finished. It may stump you here and there but it is unlikely to send you scouring the web for that elusive whatsit that breaks you into the next level. Because the puzzles are scripted, it has limited replay value but, if you like puzzles at all, you will certainly get your 99 cents worth. In a nutshell, it is a calm and relaxing game that will provide you a few hours of entertainment. It should be played for the same reason you would read a good book or watch a movie. Games like this are not my mainstay but, I always have something along these lines loaded and ready to go for when I tire of gathering massive quantities of unobtainium to craft into the sword of uber-awesomness with which to kill the evil thingy. It runs with an auto-save so, you can play as long as you like and pick up again where you left off. I can't give it 3 cheers or a 21 gun salute but, I will give it a solid one thumb up... maybe 2... because it deserves it. I regard it as [less than] a dollar well spent.
Producer: Hamster On Coke Games
Made by Michal "Hamster" Pawlowski and Konrad Januszewski
Art by Konrad Januszewski
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
WINDOWS:
OS: Windows 7
Processor: Intel i3
Memory: 1024 MB RAM
Storage: 160 MB available space
MAC:
OS: Mac OS X 10.7+
Processor: 2 Ghz Dual Core
Memory: 1024 MB RAM
Graphics: Graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0c
Storage: 160 MB available space
SteamOS + Linux:
Processor: 2 Ghz Dual Core
Memory: 1024 MB RAM
Graphics: Graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0c
Storage: 160 MB available space
VERDICT:
Littlemeter: 77.75/100
Not being a puzzle gamer, feel free to take the above rating with a grain of salt. Zenge is an entertaining game that is casual, with a relaxing soundtrack. Perhaps a little too casual and relaxing? The story line is interesting but is a bit abstract in that it is presented without text... or even context for that matter. It's lack of features and ability to generate random puzzles limit its replay. That said, it is an entertaining game that is well worth its price point. While it has been little more than a diversion from other games for me, it was a welcome diversion that I rather enjoyed. If you enjoy puzzles, you will most likely enjoy this artistic interpretation of the puzzle genre.
Authors Note:
Zenge was originally published for and released on Android devices. It is available on GooglePlay.
The above review is based on the PC version that is currently available on The Steam Network. I have not played the mobile version and do not know if it differs in features and play from the original. The price point is the same wherever you buy it and I did not notice any differences when viewing game-play videos from both mobile and PC.
~LL