Star Fox Zero Reviews
Mastering other games tends to be a matter of simple pattern recognition or savviness to the mechanics, but mastering Star Fox Zero is more like taming a wild animal: once you have it, you have it, and it's all a cruise from there
Star Fox Zero is not a good game. Ugh, I actually said it, a single tear rolled down my cheek as my fingers slowly pecked out that sobering sentence. Isn’t acceptance one of the first steps to recovery?
Star Fox Zero tries to do too much with gimmicks that simply don't work, while neglecting the core mechanics of its predecessors. Even diehard fans would probably be hard pressed to find many redeeming qualities from this sequel.
While I loved Star Fox Zero for the fanfare and the simple fact that it finally exists, I can't help but feel disappointed by what Nintendo has done to one of its most criminally overlooked franchises.
Same old Star Fox, fantastic new control scheme.
Closure on a difficult chapter in Nintendo's history
At its core Star Fox Zero is a good game. The on-rail levels are frantic and engaging, dogfights in space are always intense, there are inspiring boss fights and it's fun to discover all the hidden paths and secrets the game has to offer. Unfortunately the gimmicky controls and lackluster addition to vehicles really bring down the experience. This is not the Star Fox games fans have been waiting for and will be remembered as a low point for the series.
A bit too short, a little fiddly and a little less than invitingly re-playable to recommend to many more than the concrete fans or curious WiiU owners intrigued by the last hurrah of a dying platform.
I enjoyed Star Fox Zero a great deal. I found it challenging, but rewarding, vibrant and dynamic without being beyond my skillset. I don't necessarily understand – nor agree – with people criticising the game for trying to be a streamlined dogfight simulation, but at the same time I don't think this game has nearly done enough to push it forward.
I hate giving such a low score to a game inspired by a childhood favorite, in a genre that tends to excite me, that tried to bring innovation and immersion to a generally simple genre. However, the fact remains that the game is divisive at the least. I can't imagine a non-gamer being able to appreciate this game, and gamers have already shown that not all of them can appreciate this title. Had it not been Nintendo or Star Fox, I feel the design choices alone would have doomed this title.
Star Fox Zero is exactly what I expected it would be, and I love it for that. The motion controls are not the most ideal way to play the game, but they do offer up some unique ideas on a classic formula. Players that have graduated past the simplistic design of the original Star Fox games won't find much to bring them back in, but those that still enjoy doing barrel rolls will feel right at home with Fox's latest adventure.
Overall, Star Fox Zero was an enjoyable experience, and I would recommend it to any gamer who's willing to take the time and patience to learn the control system. It's definitely worth your while.
You can't help but think of what could've been. Throughout its entire course, Star Fox Zero feels the need to keep reminding you to recalibrate your motion controls or to not forget how to aim using the GamePad. Almost as if it needs to justify the existence of motion controls in this game, as if they absolutely needed to be there, when in reality, this probably would've been a more enjoyable experience without it, and in turn, a much better game.
Star Fox Zero is a great return to the Star Fox formula. But at the same time, it's way too similar to Star Fox 64. While it is fundamentally a reboot, it does bring a lot of new things to the table...just not enough. It's a good framework for a sequel.
The only case Star Fox Zero convincingly makes is one for maybe permanently retiring the franchise.
Part of what makes Star Fox so engaging, at least for me, is the atmosphere it lays out with its environments, number of enemies on screen, and of course music.
Star Fox Zero is a fun game on the Wii U not only offers some entertaining gameplay but some immersive level design matched with first class graphics and audio. Sure it's a little dated here and there but overall, Platinum Games should be commended on bringing this game to the 21st century.
While Star Fox Zero is brimming with nostalgia and has a lot of redeeming qualities, tons of forced in content and motion controls spoil the game.
Star Fox Zero could be a great game if it could decide what game it wanted to be, and unnecessarily touchy controls, confused pace, underwhelming branching paths, and a serious shift away from its rail shooter roots are what it has to show for trying to be all of them at once.