Zanki Zero: Last Beginning

Zanki Zero: Last Beginning oozes both charm and horror in equal measure. It’s a highly enjoyable game that deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting. Perfect for fans of horror, mystery, and dungeon crawling RPGs.

74%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, optimization

76% User Score Based on 686 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Zanki Zero: Last Beginning" is a post-apocalyptic survival game where modern civilization has been destroyed and ruined islands wade in the sea. Players explore the world from the perspective of eight clones, each with their own past and deadly sins. With only 13 days in one life, players must hunt for materials and food while fending off monsters in real-time battle environments, and face the consequences of not taking care of basic needs like going to the bathroom. The story unfolds as players uncover the reasons behind the destruction of the world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 699 reviews

story327 positive mentions

grinding75 negative mentions

The story is captivating with well-developed characters, keeping players engaged throughout the game.
The unique mechanics, such as the aging and rebirth system, add depth to the gameplay and encourage strategic thinking.
The game features a variety of difficulty settings, allowing players to tailor their experience to their skill level.

The controls and combat mechanics can be clunky and frustrating, detracting from the overall experience.
Inventory management is cumbersome, often leading to tedious gameplay as players have to constantly rearrange items.
Some puzzles and dungeon designs can be confusing and poorly explained, making progression feel unnecessarily difficult.

story
924 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The story of "Zanki Zero: Last Beginning" is a complex and engaging narrative that intertwines dark themes with character-driven arcs, reminiscent of the Danganronpa series. While many players appreciate the depth and twists of the plot, some criticize the pacing and gameplay mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the story remains a strong point, compelling players to explore the characters' backstories and the overarching mysteries, often leading to emotional investment and intrigue.
- “The story is captivating in a way that is expected of Spike Chunsoft but it's held back by gameplay that gets really tedious after a while.”
- “A wonderful story from front to back with very likeable characters that have their own gripping stories to tell.”
- “The story is incredible, and the difficulty settings don't treat me like I'm 5, like many other games where normal means easy.”
- “Then there's the dissonance with the main story; your characters can die, but you will walk over points where that character is suddenly alive and talking for no particular reason other than they probably couldn't figure out a system to make character deaths/scenarios sync up.”
- “The game hooks you in the beginning with mysteries and gimmicks, but after a while you'll likely realize it's a slog to play, and the story pacing weighed against the tedious dungeon grinding with frustrating systems feels severely unbalanced, favoring the latter.”
- “The story starts out engrossing, with tons of intriguing mysteries to be investigated, and while it mostly keeps that up to a satisfying degree, the play mechanics can be so mind-numbing and unfair-feeling that it ruins the pacing of the story.”
gameplay
607 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
67%
13%
The gameplay of "Zanki Zero" is a divisive aspect, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating due to its complex survival mechanics, repetitive dungeon crawling, and clunky controls. While some appreciate the unique aging and rebirth mechanics that add depth to the experience, others feel these elements detract from the overall enjoyment, often leading to a grindy and unbalanced gameplay loop. Ultimately, the game is recommended for those who prioritize story and character development over gameplay, as the narrative is compelling but often overshadowed by the gameplay's shortcomings.
- “Zanki Zero is a very interesting mix of concepts and mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is where this game changes the most from what most are used to in a Spike Chunsoft published title.”
- “I enjoyed the start and setup of characters; the dungeon crawling gameplay mixed with survival elements was interesting to me as well.”
- “Boring and linear, predictable chapter-based arcs and gameplay that gets old very fast.”
- “The gameplay does the story injustice.”
- “The gameplay is so horrible that even with an epic story, I can't recommend this game.”
music
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its quality and ability to set the mood, while others criticize its limited variety and repetitiveness, noting that it can become grating over time. Although the soundtrack is described as decent and fitting for the game's atmosphere, many players feel it lacks depth and memorability, with some even expressing disappointment over the audio quality of the soundtrack. Overall, while the music serves its purpose, it may not stand out as a highlight of the game.
- “The music and visuals are extremely impressive, especially for such a small game like this.”
- “The soundtrack is expertly crafted and sets the mood just right.”
- “I loved the music!!”
- “The soundtrack is extremely limited--I swear they made like 4 songs for this game.”
- “They're fine musically, but it gets pretty grating hearing the same music over and over again for multiple different scenes and menus.”
- “The music is rather lackluster.”
grinding
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it tedious and unfun, particularly in the context of dungeon crawling and resource management. While some appreciate the story and unique mechanics, the repetitive nature of gameplay and the overwhelming grind for upgrades or completion can lead to burnout. Overall, the experience is described as a slog, making it less appealing for those with a low tolerance for grinding.
- “However, the answer is buried beneath a tedious grindfest of weird unfun game design choices and a pile of turn-offs/flaws that ultimately made me decide to put the game down after 25 hours.”
- “I truly cannot emphasize enough how tedious this game gets as it goes on, which in my opinion makes this game far worse.”
- “The combat isn't fun, it's grindy as hell and feels like a chore.”
graphics
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and visual direction as a significant improvement over previous titles, while others find them underwhelming for a 2019 release. The environments are noted for their beauty and unique character backgrounds, though some dungeons are described as drab. Overall, the visuals are considered appealing, especially for a smaller game, but there are criticisms regarding the limitations imposed by its development for the PS Vita.
- “The graphics are surprisingly good (Danganronpa, please try this style).”
- “The music and visuals are extremely impressive, especially for such a small game like this.”
- “The initial environments you start in are gorgeous, and some of the dungeons have a satisfyingly creepy aesthetic.”
- “As it was developed with the PS Vita in mind, its graphical elements were held back.”
- “Yeah, this game takes a long time to beat, or you can beat it quickly if you just cheese the game by doing difficulty level one, but for the visuals, gameplay, soundtrack, and overall playability... this game should have only been $30 tops, and that is being generous.”
- “As an aside, some evil wizard has turned all of the lizards in the game into 2D graphics... it's only a bit unsettling when you notice it.”
emotional
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players noting its touching and unique story, well-developed characters, and heart-wrenching backstories that create strong emotional attachments. While some found the gameplay frustrating, the narrative's ability to evoke tears and deep feelings, especially during pivotal moments and the ending, stands out as a significant strength. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate emotional storytelling in RPGs, despite some gameplay challenges.
- “Easily one of the most touching, emotional, and unique stories that is comparable to other spike hits.”
- “The characters are well crafted and each backstory is touching and paces the overarching story really well.”
- “This story of a few humans surviving together and forming bonds in a world full of monsters is a touching one that makes the game worth playing, but one should be prepared to deal with some difficulty.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and others feeling that attempts at humor often fall flat or come off as forced. While certain cutscenes and character interactions provide moments of dark and intelligent comedy, the writing can also veer into edginess that doesn't resonate with everyone. Overall, the game features a blend of tragedy and comedy, with a quirky cast that contributes to its unique sense of humor.
- “Sometimes the cutscenes/dialogues were a little too long and halted the action, but they were at least funny.”
- “Amazing story, memorable characters, and its weird and funny sense of humor.”
- “While sorting through the menu for the umpteenth time to ensure you're not over carrying capacity can be annoying, it's not without its own (possibly unintentional?) humor; 'thanks for the grub!' a certain party member will intone, after eating something from his own stock, while yet another will exclaim, 'it's important to eat properly!' as he ingests the remains of a baboon that he just picked up off the ground.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and emotional resonance, with many players appreciating the well-rounded designs and engaging backstories that foster attachment. However, some critiques highlight that certain characters feel bland, suggesting inconsistency in the overall quality of character arcs. Overall, the character-centric focus and unique art direction contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The character designs are quite well done, and I liked exploring their back-stories, which were pretty good.”
- “As the game is heavily character-centered, character development is the most amazing.”
- “Other than that, the game is overly amazing, with its amazing character developments, and its unique game features that left me slightly confused during my first few hours of playing the game, but I soon got the hang of it.”
- “The story and the character development of the several characters just feels bland.”
- “The Danganronpa games kind of lived from the character development, the suspense when a murder is going to happen, the stories of the characters, and sometimes even from the murder solving, at least in my opinion.”
- “The character designs are very pleasing and fit each one perfectly.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
27%
18%
The game's atmosphere is a compelling blend of horror and survival elements, creating an immersive experience that can be both chilling and frustrating. Players appreciate the unique and eerie ambiance of the dungeons, which enhances the sense of mystery and hopelessness in a post-apocalyptic world. However, the lack of music in certain areas and the intense emotional themes may not appeal to everyone, particularly those sensitive to dark narratives involving children.
- “Together with the calm and eerie atmosphere, it creates a very immersive experience, definitely something where you have to stay concentrated since you have to make decisions all the time.”
- “Each set of ruins really had its own unique atmosphere while also giving off a sense of mystery and hopelessness.”
- “The atmosphere was eerie and very chilling at times, which was a constant reminder of just how barren and hopeless the world had become following the end of the world.”
- “Not for people who don't like games with scary atmospheres (gameplay-wise) and dark situations involving children (story-wise).”
- “If you decide to stick with the game, you can expect the usual in terms of writing: tragedy, comedy, a creepy and foreboding atmosphere, optimism despite misfortune, and a full cast of characters that are lovable, hilarious, terrifying, or all of the above.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it offers deep resource and base management for those who enjoy micromanagement, players report significant performance issues even on high-end PCs. The game's heavy reliance on menus can lead to frustration, and performance varies greatly depending on rendering resolution, with other technical aspects remaining unaddressed.
- “So if survival mechanics are not your thing, you should still enjoy this game solely because the story is that good, but if you do like the micromanaging and grind that comes with resource and base optimization, this game should be a great fit for you, as it was for me.”
- “Be aware of bad performance even though my PC is really high-end.”
- “While you'll do less damage if you're not as optimized, the game is so bogged down in menus that you'll just get tired of setting up the optimal equipment and party formations all the time.”
- “This is one of these games where performance is highly dependent on the rendering resolution.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with some users noting that the game has "little replay value," a common critique for many of Spike Chunsoft's visual novel titles. However, there are also mentions of the game being "infinitely replayable," suggesting that certain elements may encourage multiple playthroughs despite the overall sentiment leaning towards limited replayability.
- “🔲 infinitely replayable”
- “Now to the real cons: little replay value.”
- “No, like the majority of Spike Chunsoft's other visual novel style games, there is very little replay value.”
- “Replayability is lacking.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game is generally stable and not considered buggy, players have reported frustrating issues during specific boss battles, where certain bosses may become unresponsive or impossible to defeat due to potential glitches. This suggests that some aspects of the game may not have been thoroughly playtested, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- “The combat can become even more frustrating during certain boss battles, where some of them (possibly due to difficulty-specific glitches, I've read) simply refuse to die, resulting in you using standard procedures on them interminably while your characters literally urinate themselves, die of starvation, or some combination thereof.”
- “It's not a buggy game by any means, but it just seems some things were not playtested very well. For example, a boss in the high school later on, on a certain difficulty, will not die.”

73%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews

Buy Zanki Zero: Last Beginning

Zanki Zero: Last Beginning
$59.99
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23h Median play time

37h Average play time

9-80h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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