Zeno Clash 2
A first-person brawler sequel set in a surreal world.
Zeno Clash 2 is a first-person action role-playing and beat 'em up video game developed by ACE Team and published by Atlus for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2013. It is a direct sequel to the 2009 game Zeno Clash, continuing the story of Ghat, Rimat, and Father-Mother.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- ACE Team
- Publisher
- Atlus
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Platforms
- Windows
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360
- Genre
- Action role-playing, beat 'em up
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The game opens with Ghat meeting his sister Rimat in a bar. Since the previous game, Kax-Teh, the Northern Golem, has imposed law on Halstedom by linking himself to all citizens so they feel his pain. He arrested Father-Mother, the single parent of Ghat and Rimat, for serial kidnapping. The siblings free Father-Mother but are chased from Halstedom by a mob. Kax-Teh offers a real trial, so Ghat and Rimat set out to gather their siblings. While searching, they are trapped by an energy field but freed by a mysterious figure who gives them a device. They reach a beach and meet Deadra and Henae, who are building a town; Henae has found her biological father Adrence. The siblings obtain a boat to cross the sea to find Samoro-Teh, the Western Golem, hoping to learn how to kill Kax-Teh. Samoro-Teh attacks them, but they kill him, gaining new tools and discovering that Golems are not immortal.
Gameplay
Zeno Clash 2 is a first-person brawler centered on melee combat. New features include the ability to punch with each fist individually, a variety of special weapons such as a chain and a glove that links enemy health, and a semi-open world replacing the mission-based structure of the first game. The game includes a multiplayer mode and several Arena modes, one of which allows players to control the Rock from Rock of Ages.
Development
ACE Team released Zeno Clash 2 on 30 April 2013, four years after the original, with a demo appearing six days earlier. Carlos Bordeu of ACE Team detailed development in June 2012. The team's work on Rock of Ages prompted a move to Unreal Engine 3, chosen for larger environments, day-night cycles, and visual enhancements. Fan requests led to an open-world structure to improve exploration and game length. The melee combat from the first game was retained and improved with hit detection based on body parts. The story was intended to continue directly from the first game and resolve mysteries without a cliffhanger. A cooperative multiplayer mode was added, with Ghat's companion designed as a partner rather than a follower. The team applied experience from Rock of Ages to improve matchmaking. The unusual visuals were chosen to stand out from traditional fantasy games, inspired by the punk fantasy art of John Blanche and the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, particularly The Garden of Earthly Delights.
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