Zanki Zero: Last Beginning Reviews
Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is the best Dungeon-Crawling RPG I’ve played to date, you need to buy this game! As soon as you begin to play this masterpiece, you’ll become absorbed by the beautiful environments, addicted to the combat, obsessed with uncovering 100% of the maps, and in love with the banter being thrown about within the narrative. For a game with so many parts to it, such as survival, combat, exploration, puzzles, and narrative segments, every aspect is presented perfectly to create a rock-solid experience.
There’s a time and a place for that stuff, but as a reward for tenacious grinding, I’m not buying what Zanki Zero is selling.
Zanki Zero is a really entertaining blend of visual novel and survival RPG gameplay. The story is just as eccentric and zany as the Danganronpa series and features that grittiness fans have come to expect. The combat system is a little simplistic, but the human cloning makes it a really unique experience. However, the title doesn't quite hit the same deliciously dark heights as Danganronpa.
An interesting story and concept that may be too hardcore if you are not an RPG fan, but that may fullfill your wishes if you are that kind of gamer.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Zanki Zero is a fun dungeon crawler set in the remains of Earth after a catastrophic event took place with a plot that feels like it belongs in the Danganronpa series.
Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is a surprisingly good RPG with survival elements, a mature video game able to keep on their toes those who'll have the patience to tame a rich but demanding gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If it takes some JRPG or dungeon crawling mechanics to help broaden the appeal of the kind of storytelling experience that Danganronpa champions, then so be it. Zanki Zero isn't really "new"; underneath the dungeon crawler window dressing it's too similar to its predecessors thematically to stand out as a bold new statement.
Zanki Zero's strange blend of roguelike exploration, survival gameplay, and sci-fi character drama is truly unique, but lousy combat and a rough beginning stretch keep it from greatness.
Zanki Zero takes the dark and compelling storytelling of Lancarse' Danganronpa and successfully applies it to a new genre. Mixing together heavy simulation elements with a deep narrative and first-person dungeon crawling this might not be the game for anyone but if you're in for a wild adventure this might be your cup of tea.
Obtuse inventory aside, there are too many systems in play at the same time to fully enjoy the first class plot and characters of Zanki Zero - Last Beginning. tone down the difficulty to enjoy a great visual novel from the creators of Danganronpa.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If science fiction interwoven with tales of family, loss, relationships and survival sounds like your thing, then Zanki Zero is worth a look.
Zanki Zero: Last Beginning offers an interesting story, an oddball set of characters and an even crazier scenario. That is without mentioning the rather annoying Extend TV characters Sho (a horny adolescent boy) and Mirai (a talking sheep no less). With its fusion of gameplay styles, it actually works very well when all elements slide into place. This isn't a game for everyone as the reliance of long conversations and minimal imagery might not suit those looking for more direct action. Still, it's easy to become invested in the 8 characters and their plight, and if you like laid-back puzzle fueled entertainment then this is a solid enjoyable experience to work through.
Despite bringing plenty of ideas and a deep set of systems, Zanki Zero never quite coalesces into a strong all-round experience; instead, many of its elements just seem to float on top of each other for an enjoyable but not resolute offering.
If you’re a fan of very dark and “mind screwy” type of stories, then you’ll definitely find something to enjoy with Zanki Zero: Last Beginning.
The use of shock often associated with the Saw franchise would be a fair comparison to how Zanki Zero successfully generates an emotional response. If that's your thing, you'll likely have a great time. But if you were hoping for a more psychologically deep experience, it's not to be found here, just like Sho's sense of decency.
In the end, Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is a credible and entertaining adventure, but its potential to stand alongside its developers' best works is hampered by its systems and story's inability to come together and elevate the experience beyond the sum of its parts.
It's weird how a developer who is both so skilled at crafting visual novels and dungeon crawlers ended up creating a game that is not perfectly suited toward either audience.
Zanki Zero’s unique premise and the way it connects to the various mechanics surrounding the game is noteworthy for its ambition and creativity. However, the shaky foundation of its overly simple combat engine and level designs holds it back from greatness.
Although it attempts to combine a number of different gameplay mechanics, Zanki Zero: Last Beginning ultimately fails to bring these together in a compelling fashion. That said, it's a great visual novel, assuming you can handle the discomfort.
Zanki Zero is a game I never expected to enjoy as much as I did. With its diverse cast, bizarre storyline, and myriad of odd quirks aimed to kill your party, it's a brilliant experience, and one I plan to come back to in the future.