Z.O.N.A: Origin
- August 26, 2024
- AGaming+
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamIn Z.O.N.A: Origin, players explore a post-apocalyptic world in the aftermath of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2022. The game combines action, horror, survival, and RPG elements, featuring next-gen graphics and realistic weapon handling. Survive against dangerous anomalies, mutants, and gangs, while searching for valuable artifacts and uncovering the Zone's mysteries.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Z.O.N.A Origin features a visually captivating open world that enhances the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, making for an immersive experience.
- The game shows significant improvements over its predecessor, Project X, with better environments, NPC quest givers, and engaging gameplay mechanics.
- The developer is highly active in the community, frequently releasing updates and listening to player feedback, which bodes well for the game's future development.
- The game suffers from various technical issues, including poor enemy AI, visual quality problems, and a frustrating inventory management system that can break immersion.
- Players have reported significant gameplay frustrations, such as weapons disappearing, aiming difficulties, and a lack of clarity in the user interface.
- Despite its potential, the game feels unfinished in its current early access state, with many players suggesting it requires further refinement and polish before it can be fully recommended.
- story30 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story has been generally well-received, with many players finding it engaging and reminiscent of the Stalker series, featuring factions and a mix of action, horror, and exploration. However, some users noted issues with quest clarity and progression, particularly with quest markers not updating, which can disrupt the experience. Overall, while the narrative shows promise and depth, it may require some refinement in its execution.
“The plot seems to be interesting too.”
“Even though I'm still somewhat new to the game, the storyline has also been solid enough.”
“Story: I can't pronounce myself all that well, but respecting the Stalker franchise tradition: the game will not hold your hand a lot.”
“I think the developer might have looked at Into the Radius and decided to simulate the feeling of an open world, but these missions feel like self-contained missions. It feels more like if you were playing Mario and had to go back to the beginning after clearing the level.”
“There was an issue in the starting area where you are given your objectives but not told how to start the mission.”
“After completing the first quest I had, the quest marker got stuck on the little shack, and taking new quests never updated the quest marker.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this title is generally well-received, with players appreciating the immersive environments and balanced enemy encounters, though some mechanics, such as the looting system and weapon management, are seen as needing improvement. The absence of running and reliance on walking can make exploration feel slow, while the saving mechanic has drawn criticism for being less intuitive. Overall, the game offers a solid experience, especially for fans of the genre, with ongoing updates promising to address existing issues.
“This developer actually seems to listen to the players, which is hard to come by. Playing this game, you won't get the feel or quality of some AAA or even AA-rated games, and it is a little rough around the edges, but nothing that I'm sure won't be fixed in the near future since this developer seems to be pumping out updates nearly every week. All in all, if you're like me and are sick of the ITR 1 & 2's horrible optimization, then this game will fully fit what you are looking for with really nice environments, balanced enemies, and exploring that does not drag or seem to get boring, resulting in overall good gameplay.”
“As someone who is a pretty big fan of Stalker, this game is pretty neat. I really like all the visual effects; they look very nice, and the atmosphere and environments are very pretty. The environmental design is excellent, and the gameplay was okay to say the least. I really like the ITR-style backpack as well.”
“Graphics, quests, and gameplay are truly on a great level.”
“I don't know if this is just a game mechanic, but it isn't fun finding the same loot in every building I search.”
“There is no running, no jogging; most of your gameplay time will be walking through the dark and figuring out how to shove more things into your backpack.”
“I also dislike the PDA saving mechanic; in other games, it's done through the UI, and in these types of games, you'll want to save all the time.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and visually captivating open world, effectively capturing the essence of a post-apocalyptic setting. Reviewers highlight the excellent environmental design, vibrant visuals, and the ability to evoke tension and fear, reminiscent of classic titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances the player's experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Atmospheric world: the game successfully creates an immersive world, enhancing the player's experience.”
“The environments, effects, and general atmosphere are top notch.”
“But now with a new strange creature, and hostile stalkers in raids, plus the atmosphere and built-up environment, a little risk and threat has come back in.”
“Atmosphere is way scarier than Into the Radius, which I absolutely love.”
“The open world is visually captivating and fits the post-apocalyptic atmosphere very well.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the optimization and overall visual quality, particularly on higher-end hardware, while others note inconsistencies in texture quality that can detract from the experience. Despite some aesthetic discomfort in certain environments, many agree that the visuals are immersive and have the potential to improve further. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, there are calls for enhancements in texture consistency and VR accommodations.
“For me personally, this game runs way better than I expected while seeming to be more or less on par graphically. I have an RTX 4060 8GB and an i5 11600KF, so it's not a top-of-the-range PC, but this game has been running with no stutters on the highest settings possible, which is actually really surprising. So props to the dev for the really good optimization.”
“Graphics, quests, and gameplay are truly on a great level.”
“I must say these graphics are better than almost anything I've seen in VR, including the new Into the Radius 2. This is looking like it will be a great-looking game one day.”
“I found that the graphics are also a bit uncomfortable; some textures are fairly high resolution, but then others are like Minecraft, which to me was a bit nauseating and unpleasant, mainly in levels with lots of foliage like the radio tower level and the swamps.”
“Tldr; game runs well, not very buggy, visuals are kinda lacking, not very good VR accommodations, goofy gun logic, hope to see improvements in the future.”
“I must say these graphics are better than almost anything I've seen in VR, including the new Into the Radius 2; this is looking like it could be a great-looking game one day.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, players report significant optimization issues, experiencing stuttering and frame pacing problems even on high-end hardware like the RTX 4090 and 4070. While the graphics and gunplay are praised, the inconsistent performance detracts from immersion and gameplay experience, particularly during early missions.
“I am a fan of the vision of this game; unfortunately, the performance didn't allow for a smooth playthrough of the early missions.”
“This is the closest thing to Stalker games we have as Stalker fans. I played the tutorial and first missions; the graphics are awesome and really optimized, and the gunplay is solid. Some mechanics taken from Into the Radius, like cleaning weapons, are a great addition.”
“Performance could definitely be a bit better. I was averaging 60-77 fps on high and ultra settings on a 4070, which isn't great, because the framerate makes the gun physics (since there's quite a bit of weight to the AK) unpredictable.”
“I have a 4090 and performance is still jittery.”
“Performance could definitely be a bit better; I was averaging 60-77 fps on high and ultra settings on a 4070. That's not great, because the framerate makes the gun physics (since there's quite a bit of weight to the AK) unpredictable.”
“Right from the start, even on a powerful gaming rig, you'll notice heavy stuttering and frame pacing, which absolutely kills the immersion.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report it runs well with minimal bugs, others experience significant issues with inventory management and loading functions. The need for autosave features is highlighted due to the potential for losing progress from crashes or bugs. Players hope for future improvements to enhance stability and user experience.
“I know it's early access still, but it is pretty janky with grabbing stuff out of your bag and it's a bit buggy.”
“Needs autosave on because of how buggy it is; I accidentally quit the game without saving while the PDA is on my waist.”
“And if you think reloading would help, you'll be correct, but good luck with that because trying to click the load button is extremely buggy and like the backpack, it only works by chance.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to the long distances required to return to key locations like dens or shops after making mistakes, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
“It gets very tedious having to run so far back to the den/shop after returning, especially if you select the wrong area and have to run all the way back to reselect the correct one.”
“The grinding feels endless, and the rewards just don't justify the time spent.”
“I find myself doing the same repetitive tasks over and over, which makes the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
