Star Fox Zero Reviews
Star Fox Zero is worthy of the name, but a few inconsistencies stop it from hitting the highs it otherwise may well have achieved.
Star Fox Zero's fun stages and impressive boss fight give me lot of reasons to jump back in and play them over and over, and especially enjoyed them in co-op until I got a hang of juggling two screens myself. I've played 15 hours and I still haven't found everything. Learning to use the unintuitive controls is a difficult barrier to entry, though it comes with a payoff if you can stick with it.
Platinum Games takes a quirky experiment and fleshes it out into a enjoyable Star Fox revival that's stretched a little too thin.
Star Fox Zero may have experienced a rather turbulant flight to market but the end result has been well worth the wait, especially if you're a fan of the N64 instalment - and there can be few Star Fox fans out there who aren't.
Star Fox Zero reunites gamers with its beloved cast of characters, and although it's not always a smooth flight, there's a lot to love about this new take on a familiar formula.
The motion controls are decent and there are some great levels, but Star Fox Zero lacks replayability - a problem given that a dedicated player can probably knock it out in less than a day. Still, the level design has merit, and the second half of the game in particular is a reminder of how great Star Fox can be. Star Fox Zero falls short in a lot of ways; but for better or worse, it's still the best game the series has seen in years.
Star Fox Zero is, simply put, a great Wii U game. While the control scheme is unconventional, it's fitting for a game that goes out of its way to surprise you with additional modes, trophy rewards, hidden locations, and a spin-off with gameplay never before attempted within the series. Which, in a way makes sense. Star Fox 64 was incredible, after all. Of course a game inspired by it would be amazing in its own right. And Star Fox Zero is. Once you find your footing, you'll be proud to be part of Team Star Fox.
As a game that lives and dies on its mechanics, Star Fox Zero is only intermittently successful at selling its dual screen dynamics. It's at its best during the classic Arwing sections, but the Walker form becomes overly fiddly and the different viewpoints often cause more problems than they solve. Sadly it's somewhat fitting that one of the final Wii U first-party games still doesn't convince us on the viability of a dual-screen home console.
The level design is all different and unique, but the locations and the story are nearly identical. Zero is a great start for a new Star Fox series, but it's also a start that features a lot of stuff we've seen before. I enjoyed saving the Lylat System once again, but give me a year and this experience might just blend in with Star Fox 64 since it shares so much DNA with that classic.
The Star Fox game fans have been waiting for; however, getting to the experience will require wading through unique controls.
Overall, I loved the experience Star Fox Zero provided. I felt my skills improve every time I ran a new mission and I still get cravings to just go back into the game for the feeling it offers of flying and shooting down enemies. It's extremely disappointing that there isn't more content to offer above its 20 levels as the Gameplay is incredibly fun for those who take the time to master it.
Surely if Nintendo thought it was time to bring back Star Fox now there'd be some big things in store, right?
Star Fox's loooooooong awaited return doesn't disappoint on any conceivable level…well…maybe online multiplayer, but given how great this game is, it would be silly to complain.
Star Fox Zero brings the series back in a big way. Taking the franchise back to its roots, while amping up the action to new heights. Unfortunately not everything that was added was perfect though, with the Gamepad controls actually taking away from the experience, rather than adding to it. Once you get past them there is a great game here, but it will take some players quite a while to do that.
There is a good game somewhere inside Star Fox Zero, but its forced reliance on the Gamepad's screen and motion controls cause it to barrel roll right into mediocrity.
Though Star Fox Guard is presented separately, it is packed in with Star Fox Zero and essentially serves as a mini-game. This repurposed tech demo, once called Project Guard, showed potential when it was first shown off, and that's been realized fairly well here. The tower defense structure does make good use of the dual cameras, forcing you to pay attention and swap on the fly to take out enemies. I did often wish there was a more reliable way to swap camera views, since my thumb was too imprecise but holding the stylus while shooting isn't comfortable. It's a shallow experience on the whole, and not meant for long stretches. While it does offer some longevity, due to the variety of stages, it definitely isn't a reason to pick up the Star Fox Zero package in itself. It will be sold separately for $14.99 on the Nintendo eShop.
Star Fox Zero is like visiting a place you remember fondly, but have outgrown
Hearing about how different Star Fox Zero was compared to its inception, it's almost like Miyamoto jettisoned most of the new ideas in favor of playing it safe due to complaints from testers. Even with Platinum's involvement, it's a confusing project that isn't quite sure of itself, wanting to try new things while simultaneously reigning it in. Despite these blemishes, I enjoyed my time with it.
Star Fox Zero is a decent but unspectacular return of a once great series, and is held back by forced motion controls and some questionable level design.
While Star Fox Zero offers up some exhilarating dogfights with a unique control scheme that actually makes motion controls work, its highest highs are let down all too frequently by repetitive, mundane on-rails segments that sour the freedom that the game gives you in short bursts.