Ballistic Zen

About

Ballistic Zen is a single player platformer game. It was developed by footnotesforthefuture and was released on January 25, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Ballistic Zen" is a serene yet challenging physics-based puzzle game. Players navigate a tranquil environment, skillfully launching balls into intricately designed mazes to reach target zones. With increasing complexity and multiple solutions, it offers a zen-like experience that rewards precise aiming and strategic thinking.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

optimization1 negative mentions

Ballistic Zen features a fun and unique core gameplay experience centered around first-person movement and parkour mechanics.
The game has a smooth learning curve, allowing players to quickly grasp the controls and enjoy the satisfying movement.
The art style and atmosphere create a relaxing environment, making it a great game for casual play and exploration.

There is a lack of content, with only a few environments and a short playtime, which may not justify the price for some players.
The game could benefit from additional features such as key remapping, clearer collectible tracking, and achievements.
Some mechanics and directions are not well explained, leading to initial confusion for new players.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
8%
21%
The gameplay of Ballistic Zen is highly praised for its fluid and intuitive movement mechanics, particularly appealing to fans of first-person parkour and platforming. While the core gameplay loop of exploring for collectibles and completing lines is engaging, some players feel the content is limited for the price, suggesting a need for more character interactions and additional stages. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience with a smooth learning curve, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a focus on gameplay.
- “Absolutely worth buying full price if you enjoy first-person parkour or platforming games with lots of wallrunning and beautifully realized movement mechanics.”
- “The movement mechanics are fun and unique, the atmosphere is simple but elegant, and although there is an initial learning curve, it's easily overcome and makes the game so much more satisfying.”
- “Extremely cool movement mechanics combined with chill, zen vibes.”
- “Ballistic Zen's main gameplay loop is exploring areas for collectibles and doing lines.”
- “There are 'lines' to complete, but it's so easy to just start relishing moving around the different zones and seeing what you can do and where you can go with the mechanics the game gives you.”
- “Very well polished movement mechanics.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are praised for their vibrant vaporwave aesthetic in "Perfect Stride," which enhances the exploration experience, while "Ballistic Zen" features a less detailed art style that can lead to a blending of environments. Overall, the visuals align well with the game's themes, though some players desire more content for the price.
- “The vaporwave visuals of Perfect Stride were amazing and fit the vibe of exploring and doing lines.”
- “Music and art style perfectly align with the theme of the game.”
- “I like the art style, but I do wish there was a little more content for the price.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The music in the game is well-received, complementing the art style and overall theme effectively. However, some players feel that the game could benefit from more musical content and options to enjoy the soundtrack continuously.
- “Only wish I could listen to the in-game music all of the time.”
- “Music and art style perfectly complement the theme of the game.”
- “Although I enjoyed the core gameplay concept, it needs more content to justify the price, whether in character interactions, music, or additional stages/areas.”
- “I only wish I could listen to the in-game music all of the time.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players appreciate the replayability of the game, highlighting the enjoyment of collecting items and exploring maps. The unique platforming mechanics and built-in speedrun features further enhance its value, making it a worthwhile experience for those seeking to replay.
- “This allows for replayability in collecting all of the respect and exploring the maps.”
- “Great value for the price, a unique platformer with replayability and speedrun features built in.”
- “This allows replayability in collecting all of the respect and exploring the maps.”
- “Great value for the price, a unique platformer with replayability and speedrun capabilities built in.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game's performance could be improved, players report a stable experience when capping the frame rate at 45 fps.
- “The performance could be better, but I had a stable experience capping the game to 45 fps.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized as simple yet elegant, enhancing the overall experience. Players find the unique movement mechanics contribute positively to the atmosphere, which, despite an initial learning curve, ultimately leads to a satisfying gameplay experience.
- “The movement mechanics are fun and unique, the atmosphere is simple but elegant, and although there is an initial learning curve, it's easily overcome and makes the game so much more satisfying.”