Zenonia Review

Back in 2009, the world of gaming was a little different. HD "Next-Gen" consoles ruled the market, motion controls became common, and even handheld games were shifting toward console-style experiences on the go. Everything was focused on new technology and pushing past the limits that past games once had. Although many gamers loved the seventh generation of gaming and couldn't wait to see where it would go, not everyone jumped onto the bandwagon with open arms. Some people still longed for the old-school games they grew up playing, but at the time, it seemed those days were long gone. That is, until games such as Zenonia hit the market.

In 2009, a game titled "Zenonia" was released on Apple's App Store in the US. It was an old-school action RPG featuring 2D graphics and other retro elements that many thought were history. It had the charm of an SNES game, advertised deep, engaging gameplay that would last around 40 hours, and, above all, it was dirt cheap! While many may have overlooked the game due to its low price tag or "outdated" graphics, it easily stood out to old-school gamers. So, just how good was Zenonia? Was it really a game that could quench the thirst of those longing for the past, or was it just another budget title that didn't even deserve its cheap price tag? Well, let's find out!

The Story of Zenonia:

Zenonia opens with what appears to be some sort of battle. The game simply throws its players into this world without any real explanation of what is going on, but you soon come to realize that it doesn't matter. As the forces of good and evil wage war, a baby boy turns up in the middle of the conflict. Although no one knows where the child came from, he catches the eye of a man named Dupre. Despite being the commander of the Holy Knights, Dupre leaves his position to go home and raise the child as his own. As the years go on, both Dupre (who renames himself Pardon to hide his identity) and the young boy live in peace. The boy is given the name Regret, and everyone in the town seems to love him; however, that soon changes.

When Regret is only 17 years old, disaster strikes. His father is killed by the appearance of a demon, and afterward, the townspeople start to show their true colors. It turns out that everyone has always hated him. No one wants him in the town, they refuse to talk to him, and what little they do say after the death of his father consists of nothing but rude remarks. The only reason they treated Regret nicely in the first place was out of respect for his father.

After being tricked into cutting down a tree that was apparently very important to the community, Regret finds himself with no other option but to leave. As he stands in front of his father's grave, he can't help but wonder how things turned out the way they did. Who really killed his father? According to the Holy Knights, a demon never appeared in the village, but that statement alone contradicts everything Regret was told. As he continues to ponder what really happened, Regret finds himself forced out on an adventure. While still at the grave, he is approached by a man named Billy who holds a letter. Billy tells Regret that he should move to a town called Adonis and deliver the letter to a man named Ronake. Despite not knowing why he is being asked to do this, Regret decides to follow Billy's request. He leaves the town, moves to Adonis, and hands the letter to Ronake. Unknown to Regret, that is the moment his life will change forever.

Despite having a full-fledged story mode, Zenonia's narrative doesn't stand out. The plot as a whole is very predictable, and from the start, you can easily tell how things are going to go. From the get-go, the game throws you into this world with very little explanation. As a player, you will have no idea why the war in the intro is happening, who these characters are, or why Regret is asked to do the things he must do. You might not even remember all of the key events. The story is really nothing more than a basic plot that serves as a vehicle to move the game forward. Overall, it does its job, but if you are expecting an epic storyline, Zenonia will not offer it.

On the flip side, Zenonia also doesn't take its self too seriously. It knows it is a game, and it doesn't try to hide it. The game often breaks the fourth wall, and it even cracks quite a few jokes about it not being real. Throughout the adventure you will constantly be reminded that Zenonia is just a game, and that alone really helps give the game its charm. Even if you don't remember every little detail about its generic story, you will remember the (as the game puts it) "LOL" moments.

Choosing Your Style:

Before Zenonia really gets started, players are given the option to pick what type of character Regret will actually be. The game has three different classes to pick from, and each one offers a unique gameplay experience. If you decide to play as a Paladin, Regret will have access to magical attacks; if you choose the Warrior, Regret will carry around a huge sword and focus on raw power; and if you choose the Assassin class, Regret will be a fast-moving killer who wields two blades. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses, so which one you pick is entirely up to you.

Once you choose a class, the next step is to actually build your character. Zenonia features a skill tree system similar to many massively multiplayer online role-playing games. As you play through the game—killing enemies, completing side quests, and progressing through the main story—you will earn experience points. Once your experience points reach a set target, Regret will level up and earn skill points, which can then be spent to learn new skills and abilities. Each character class has its own unique set of skills to unlock, giving you total control over what Regret learns and what he doesn't.

By spending points, Regret can unlock either brand-new moves, such as different attacks and special abilities, or passive skills. While active skills must be triggered with the press of a button, passive skills are always active and provide Regret with different boosts. Some passive skills may increase his attack power, others may increase his defense, and some may allow him to use a new ability. There is a wide range of both passive and active skills, but because of that, you cannot learn them all. Since skills are grouped together in a tree-like format, you sometimes have to learn a specific skill before you can unlock another. This means you may have to focus on learning a skill you do not want just to reach an ability farther down the line that you do want or need. There are only so many skill points in the game, so you really have to plan out how you want to use them beforehand. Messing up here can sometimes mean the difference between having an easy time with Zenonia or facing a nightmarish challenge.

Besides making your way through the skill trees, there is another aspect to the customization system, and that comes in the form of stat growth. While stats automatically increase when you level up in many role-playing games, that is not the case in Zenonia. Just like an MMORPG, you actually have full control over which stats increase when Regret levels up. This means that, with some planning, you can build Regret to become whatever type of character you want him to be. You can make full use of the class you chose by increasing stats and learning skills based on that class's strengths, you can focus on making up for the class's weaknesses, or you could just go crazy with it and try to come up with a unique build of your own. Once again, it is possible to completely mess up Regret and make the game a major challenge, but it is also possible to build an overpowered character and turn the game into a complete pushover. The choice is up to you.

The Gameplay:

Although customizing Regret is a major part of Zenonia, it is actually only a small part of the gameplay. The game itself is a top-down, 2D action RPG created in the style of classic games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. In the game, you move Regret around with a virtual analog stick—or a D-pad, depending on the device you are playing on—and you press the main button to attack, talk to people, and pick up items. That is really all there is to it. It uses a very simple control setup, and the skills or items Regret can use show up on the screen as shortcut icons, another feature often seen in MMORPGs. You can actually arrange these icons any way you want; if you want to put all of your items on the right side of the screen and all of your special attacks on the left, you can. Overall, you don't actually need to use items or special attacks to beat the game, but you would be missing out on a lot of the core gameplay if you didn't.

The customization and controls are not the only similarities Zenonia shares with MMORPGs. Like most MMOs, the game features a few towns that you can visit, with field areas connecting them. In towns, NPCs walk around and will often send you out on side quests. Most of the time, these side quests revolve around going into one of the field areas to kill monsters, or to hunt a specific creature for an item it may drop. Other times, they will send you around town to fetch items for them. These quests don't add much to the story, but they frequently reward you with prizes and helpful experience points. As for the story quests themselves, they play out in a very similar fashion: Regret is given a goal to complete, and once you achieve it, a cutscene plays. At times, Regret will be sent off to dungeons—which are linear levels with puzzles to solve and a boss to fight—but there are only a handful of them in the entire game.

While out on the field, the gameplay is a bit different. This is where monsters roam around, and it is also where some of Regret's limitations start to show. Not only does Regret have a health bar, but he also has an energy bar that slowly depletes over time, as well as a weight limit. As you play the game, Regret will get tired and hungry; if his energy runs too low, he will be limited in the actions he can perform and the attacks he can use. To restore Regret's energy, all you have to do is feed him, but sometimes food might not be readily available.

Although Regret's inventory has plenty of space, there is a set amount of weight he can carry before it starts to impact the gameplay. If Regret is carrying too many items, he will slow down to a crawl, leaving him more open to being attacked and making him a pain to control. Moving with too much weight becomes a major hassle, and it is something you will want to avoid. If you have to drop some food or a brand-new piece of equipment just to move fast again, then so be it. You will be picking up a lot of items on your adventure, so inventory management is key.

Even though there is a shop in most towns where you can buy supplies, most of the better pieces of equipment actually come from rare enemy drops. Every time you kill an enemy—which can be done by simply mashing the attack button or using a skill—there is a chance it will drop an item. Sometimes this item will be food or a healing potion, but other times it will be a piece of equipment. This is the primary way you will power up Regret, but that weight limit will always be holding you back. Sometimes you may come across a stronger piece of equipment that requires a higher level to use, but that very same item might be what pushes Regret past his carrying capacity. You really have to decide if a piece of gear is worth holding onto; if it isn't, you will either have to sell it or throw it away.

The final "main" aspect to the game is actually one that is rarely seen in RPGs. Zenonia features a day and night cycle, as well as a simple weather system, which really helps change the game up. Depending on the time of day and weather, different events may take place, and different areas may be open to you. Sometimes specific people only show up at night, and other times some areas may only be open during the day. It really is a nice feature which adds a bit more depth to the game, and it is something that would be nice to see in other games of the same genre. 

What is Wrong and Right:

As if fully customizing Regret and the controls wasn't enough, Gamevil decided to add in one other "customization" feature to the game. Throughout the adventure you can actually choose what you think is the right thing to do. At different points the game will ask you if you want to side with one character or another, or if you want to do something or not. Although the game's story will play out generally the same way, these decisions will determine if Regret is "good" or "evil," and that will result in some major differences. Along with the other classes, the good and evil system is just another reason you may find yourself replaying it even after you finish. There is quite a lot to see in this "small" mobile game, and that fact becomes even more apparent as you progress through the story.

Should you play it?

If you are a fan of old-school RPGs or MMORPGs, or if you are just looking for something to kill time while you ride the bus, take a lunch break, or go on a long drive, Zenonia is the perfect game for you. The game captures just about everything that made classic RPGs great, and it is well worth its low price tag. The 2D sprites are nicely done, the humor is charming, the customization is extremely deep, and the story and side quests can easily last you over 30 hours. If you truly want to complete the game by playing as every class and seeing every available option, you are looking at an experience that will easily last over 100 hours. No matter how you look at it, and even if you are not a fan of the genre, it is easy to see just how good of a deal this game is.

The only real downside to Zenonia is the fact that you can mess up your character. It is very possible to build a character that will struggle through the entire game. If you truly want to play through the game efficiently, you will have to look at one of the official or fan-created builds that have been posted on the official forums. On top of that, the game looks a little bit dated. Although it looked pretty good for its time, since its initial release Zenonia has become a full-fledged series. While the later entries feature sharper graphics, the original game tends to look a bit blurry depending on the device it is being played on. It doesn't take away from the experience, but it is pretty easy to notice if you are playing on a device with an HD screen. The final issue lies with its alternate versions. While the standard mobile release is cheap, other versions are not. The game was released as a digital title on the Nintendo DSi Shop and eShop, which may feel overpriced considering it is only 99 cents elsewhere.

Overall, Zenonia is a great game. It does almost everything right, and its flaws don't actually hold it back. Sure, the gameplay may get a bit repetitive, but for anyone who likes this style, it is a must-have.

VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on Nintendo DSi