Zeno Clash

Lore & Background

Zeno Clash is set in the fantasy world of Zenozoik and follows Ghat, a young man on the run from his vengeful siblings, accompanied by his female companion Deadra. The story begins with Ghat regaining consciousness after setting off an explosion that kills Father-Mother, an ostensibly hermaphroditic creature that raised a large family. Ghat, one of Father-Mother's children, turned on it after discovering its secret and is banished from his family. During their travels, Ghat explains through partially interactive flashbacks the events leading to his attempt on Father-Mother's life, including his time living with the Corwid of the Free, the insane residents of the forests. The game culminates in a confrontation where Golem, an ancient being, reveals that Father-Mother is actually a male creature that steals babies from their families.

Gameplay is presented in a first-person perspective with occasional third-person cutscenes. Players assume the role of Ghat and progress through linear locations, triggering scripted sequences that initiate battles. Ghat is proficient in martial arts and can dodge or counter enemy attacks, with a strong focus on unarmed combat, though he can also obtain unconventional melee and ranged weapons. Intermittent segments play similarly to a linear progression shooter. Challenge Mode allows players to defeat enemies while climbing a tower or descending into a pit, with results ranked through Steam.

Reader's Guide

Zeno Clash is significant as ACE Team's debut original game, emerging from their earlier work on game modifications since the 1990s. Their previous project, Zenozoik, was far larger in scope and attempted to incorporate shooting, role-playing, melee combat, and sandbox gameplay, but was deemed too ambitious for a small independent studio. Zeno Clash emerged as a more focused game, with linear exploration and no role-playing elements. Initially conceived as a total conversion modification using the Source engine, ACE Team showed a demo to Valve, who were impressed, leading to an engine licensing and distribution deal. The developers described the game as a 'First-Person Fighter (with some shooter elements)' and likened it to 'Dark Messiah meets Double Dragon,' drawing inspiration from traditional fighting games. The art style was inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's paintings and John Blanche's 'punk fantasy' illustrations. The game received generally favourable reviews, was named 2009's Independent Game of the Year by PC Gamer, and PC Game of the Month by IGN in April 2009. Its legacy includes a unique approach to copyright infringement, where ACE Team member Carlos Bordeu left comments on torrent sites imploring downloaders to purchase the game if they enjoyed it, which generated press that helped market the product.

Did You Know?

• ACE Team released the game's SDK in July 2009 to allow easier modding.
• The developers cited Hieronymus Bosch's paintings and John Blanche's illustrations as visual inspirations.