Clash: Artifacts of Chaos

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos offers a beautiful new rendition of Zenozoik with suitable fisticuffs against whacky creatures, offset by awfully circuitous traversal and repetitive gameplay.

93%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

93% User Score Based on 731 reviews

Critic Score 67%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Clash: Artifacts of Chaos" is an action-adventure game set in the surreal and punk-influenced world of Zenozoik. As the master of martial arts Pseudo, protect the Boy and his mysterious powers from the Mistress of the Artifacts while exploring the land and battling opponents using fists and speed. Customize your combat style and learn various techniques to defeat formidable foes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 731 reviews

story135 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

The game features a unique and beautiful art style that captivates players.
Combat is fun and engaging, with a variety of fighting styles and special moves to customize gameplay.
The story is heartfelt and well-told, with memorable characters and emotional moments.

Navigation can be confusing, with a lack of clear direction and a map that is not very helpful.
Some combat mechanics feel clunky, with issues related to hit detection and enemy AI.
The game can be frustrating at times due to bugs and crashes, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.

story
333 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
58%
2%
The story of "Clash: Artifacts of Chaos" is generally described as engaging and heartfelt, focusing on the relationship between the main character, Pseudo, and a feathered boy in the unique world of Zenozoik. While some players found the narrative to be simple or lacking depth compared to previous entries in the series, many appreciated its emotional weight and the intriguing world-building that accompanies it. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a strong aspect of the game, enhanced by excellent voice acting and a distinctive art style, though some felt it could benefit from more clarity and development in certain plot points.
- “A thoroughly gripping experience, and a great title within the Zeno Clash universe, with fun and challenging combat, a great story, and incredible visuals.”
- “The story and characters are made with as much soul, care, and dedication as the amazing art style and world itself.”
- “The story was beautifully told, it has good writing and good voice acting and I was engaged with the journey because I wanted to know where it ends, and I wasn't disappointed; the ending was emotional and beautiful!”
- “The story is barely there and the main plot point of the game (the ritual) is entirely optional and better left unused.”
- “The writing, disappointingly, doesn't really take the Zenozoik story in any new direction, but it is a much more eloquent treatment of the same themes, with tenuous connections to the other games.”
- “I wish I could recommend this game, but it's just not very compelling for most people not invested in Zenozoik with the amount of backtracking and the weak story.”
gameplay
281 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The gameplay of "Clash: Artifacts of Chaos" is a blend of martial arts combat and souls-like mechanics, featuring a variety of unlockable moves and unique mechanics such as the "ritual" and day/night transformations that influence encounters. While many players appreciate the innovative combat and exploration elements, some criticize the clunky mechanics and lack of depth in certain systems, leading to a mixed reception overall. The game is visually stunning and offers a unique experience, but its gameplay can feel repetitive and occasionally frustrating.
- “The combat is great, with a good amount of unlockable moves and fighting techniques, and the ritual mechanic is a really nice touch, making fights more memorable due to all of the nasty and strange debuffs you can give your rivals.”
- “The gameplay is a fantastic evolution of the nu-brawler that they started in Zeno Clash; it was a smart idea to transfer to mostly third-person and use first-person for special moves and abilities.”
- “The gameplay offers a wide variety of different stances and special attacks which you can freely combine into all forms of combos to dominate the various battlefields.”
- “The gameplay is still the weak part of the equation.”
- “A pointless crafting system, a progression system that even once you figure out what the ingredients are translates into game mechanics that are never explained.”
- “Everything from animations being bugged to a huge lack of tutorial/explanation for any of the mechanics to the game just slowing to an absolute halt to pad out the runtime.”
music
197 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its exceptional quality and emotional depth, often described as beautiful, unique, and fitting for the game's bizarre world. Many players noted that the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, with standout tracks that evoke nostalgia and elevate key moments in the gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a highlight, with some reviewers even comparing it to iconic soundtracks from other renowned games.
- “The music varied greatly in my opinion, but I am also the only person who listens to music 24 hours a day but can't tell you what sound is a guitar and what sound is a drum.”
- “The music is truly beautiful and the scenery is captivating.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and perfectly fits the whole theme of the world.”
- “Sometimes the game would have scary and exciting music in a completely random and barren part of the map, whilst other times you would barely hear any at all while fighting a boss.”
- “The only redeeming factor is the music and art style (performance on mid-range PCs blows though).”
- “Also some parts the music didn't quite match the action (or lack thereof), and it felt a bit like it was doing the heavy lifting.”
graphics
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
54%
2%
The graphics of "Clash: Artifacts of Chaos" are widely praised for their unique and striking art style, which blends elements of cel-shading and cross-hatching to create a vibrant, surreal world filled with bizarre character designs. Many reviewers highlight the visuals as a standout feature, noting their beauty and creativity, although some mention performance issues on high settings. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a major selling point, contributing significantly to the immersive experience of the Zeno Clash universe.
- “The art style is absolutely gorgeous, everything looks like it was hand-drawn.”
- “The visuals are simply outstanding, from character design to art direction, the game is simply beautiful to look at, filled with creatures so strange that you've never seen anything like it.”
- “The graphics are beautiful; in Ace Team fashion, the art style is completely unique and really there is nothing else like it.”
- “The art style is fine, but it is done zero favors by the cluttered, ugly environments that look like pieces of different game worlds patched together awkwardly.”
- “Despite its 'cartoony' art style, the graphics were pretty demanding on 4K with max settings even on high-end hardware, with some dips in FPS and plenty of microstutters when running through areas.”
- “Graphics make it hard to see items in the world and makes pathfinding harder.”
emotional
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Clash: Artifacts of Chaos" is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling, compelling character relationships, and a unique blend of bizarre aesthetics with deep emotional resonance. Players are particularly moved by the bond between the main characters, Pseudo and the boy, which is enriched by excellent voice acting and writing, leading to a touching narrative that evokes genuine feelings throughout the gameplay. The game's ability to balance humor with poignant moments contributes to a memorable emotional experience that resonates long after the game ends.
- “The ending though...had me pretty damn emotional.”
- “The story was beautifully told, it has good writing and good voice acting and I was engaged with the journey because I wanted to know where it ends and I wasn't disappointed; the ending was emotional and beautiful!”
- “I could never get enough of the relationship between Pseudo and the boy; they made me chuckle with their banter and cry multiple times with their heartfelt connection.”
character development
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
40%
9%
Character development in the game is highlighted by the engaging and unique designs of the characters, which contribute significantly to the overall experience. Players appreciate the depth and evolution of the main characters, particularly the dynamic between them, while the bizarre and imaginative character designs enhance the game's absurdist world. Overall, the character design is consistently praised for its creativity and distinctiveness, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The character development of the two main characters, Pseudo and the boy, was a highlight during my time playing the game.”
- “Beautiful art style, great story with some really fun dialogue between the two main characters, incredible world and areas, and some of the best enemy and character design I've seen in a game.”
- “The character design is as fascinating as it is fun to look at.”
- “The character design seems to have shifted a bit compared to the other games, less interesting and more bizarre freaks.”
- “To say that the character design is ugly is an understatement, because they are ugly as hell, which made it gain my respect as they value artistic integrity over anything.”
- “I would say though that it's definitely not a game for everyone, the art style and character design is bizarre; you have to really dig it.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, such as stuttering and awkward hitboxes, particularly in seamless mode. While some users report smooth performance on specific platforms like the Steam Deck and mid-range PCs, others highlight the need for better optimization, especially given the game's relatively low graphical demands. Despite these issues, the art style and music received praise, and some players found the combat fluid and enjoyable when performance was stable.
- “Great optimization, fluid (one on one) combat, detected my PS5 controller off the bat.”
- “Performance was consistently great, no stutter or frame dips.”
- “And if performance on your machine isn't a problem, make sure the settings have the open world enabled rather than the segmented chunks, makes the game feel a lot smoother.”
- “In some areas, I got stuck in geometry after being thrown by enemies and using attacks that move you, and in one small region, I occasionally had stuttering.”
- “The game is very janky; the combat and hitboxes can feel awkward at times, some enemies glitch out, often the level geometry fights against you, and game performance isn't great.”
- “The entire game is one big map you unlock, and you can have it seamless, but it's off by default, and has serious performance issues if you don't split it up into chunks that each need a loading screen, which is not an optimization issue we should be having in a game that has relatively low graphics.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
17%
The humor in the game is highlighted by top-tier voice acting and a blend of serious, cute, and genuinely funny moments that enhance the storytelling. Players appreciate the vibrant characters and imaginative world, with many finding the interactions and quirky scenarios—like challenging foes to dice games or the humorous consequences of friendly fire—particularly amusing. While some jokes may feel overused, the overall comedic tone is well-received, contributing to a fun and engaging experience.
- “The voice acting is top tier and it has both its serious, cute, and humorous moments.”
- “Such a creative and unique world, diverse gameplay with the unique twist of 'the one law' and the number of special moves and fighting styles, phenomenal music (especially towards the end) and a great story with funny, wholesome, and touching moments.”
- “Enemies can hit each other in this game which adds a new layer to the group fights which always made me laugh.”
- “Walking into a fight, challenging someone to a dice game, winning, and then making them deal with a random swarm of bees is never not funny.”
- “The humor feels forced and often falls flat, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “I expected more clever jokes, but most of the humor is just juvenile and predictable.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
94%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with complaints about the level design, exploration, and the need for excessive farming to progress. While some elements, like the collection mechanics, are appreciated, the lack of guidance and the repetitive nature of certain tasks detract from the overall experience. Many reviewers suggest that improvements such as fast travel could alleviate some of the grindiness and enhance gameplay satisfaction.
- “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
- “One is unnecessarily long and grindy, offers no fun, has a world too big and too empty, bad artistic direction, bland story, etc. and on the other hand you have this game.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “And if you tell me that I have to farm and outscale everyone with leveling and farming just to prevent all that... well that talks about not very well made game design and mechanics.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting frequent but non-gamebreaking bugs, such as out-of-bounds glitches and AI issues. While some users experienced minor stutters and occasional glitches, the overall performance is generally smooth, especially on platforms like the Steam Deck. Despite its flaws, most reviewers feel that the positives outweigh the negatives, making it a solid experience overall.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck - with some minor adjustments.”
- “The game runs great, has an option to stream an open world with no loading zones or switch to zone loading for HDD.”
- “It's not buggy or anything like that; it just isn't as smooth and seamless as the premier offerings of the genre, but it honestly gets the job done and never hinders the art design with janky animations.”
- “I really didn't want to leave a negative review, but this game is insanely buggy.”
- “However, it's pretty buggy and the nonsensical checkpoint system makes the bugs even worse.”
- “Furthermore, there exist several locations within the game where players may become permanently trapped, and the ritual artifacts frequently suffer from glitches arising from technical or logical oversights.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful and diverse environments, each zone offering a unique ambiance that enhances the overall experience. While many players appreciate the captivating and surprising elements of the atmosphere, some critiques highlight that it may not fully compensate for issues like repetitive gameplay and technical flaws. Overall, the atmospheric design is a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The game world is an ingenious web of connections, with each zone having a different atmosphere and landmarks.”
- “Very beautiful world, nice atmosphere overall.”
- “That atmosphere kept me surprised from the start to the very end.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game features a fascinating story and interesting visual style that contribute to its replayability; however, some users feel that it lacks significant replay value, suggesting that it may not be highly replayable for everyone.
- “Fascinating story with an interesting visual style and good replayability.”
- “Not much replayability, though.”
- “The game lacks incentives to play through again.”
- “Once you've completed it, there's little reason to return.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization aspect of the game is highlighted by the presence of ads that enhance exploration, though there is criticism directed at Nacon for insufficient marketing efforts, especially given the significance of the game's release as the first in the Zenozoik series in a decade.
- “Night form ads a whole other level to your exploration.”