Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 267 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal Game Cover
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In Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal, players enter a magical world, filled with mythical creatures and enchanting landscapes. As the chosen hero, your mission is to catch and train these creatures, and compete in a grand tournament to save the land from dark forces. With rich storytelling, diverse creature selection, and a range of mini-games, this game offers an immersive and once-in-a-lifetime experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 267 reviews
graphics15 positive mentions
stability20 negative mentions
  • Zanzarah offers a unique blend of creature collection and first-person shooter mechanics, providing a refreshing twist on the genre.
  • The game features a charming fantasy world with beautiful environments, engaging story, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Players enjoy the nostalgia and replayability of the game, with many returning to it for its whimsical atmosphere and the fun of collecting and evolving fairies.
  • The game suffers from significant performance issues on modern systems, including laggy menus and graphical glitches that can hinder gameplay.
  • Many players find the controls clunky and unresponsive, particularly in the menu and during battles, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • The lack of official support or updates for compatibility with newer operating systems leaves many players frustrated and unable to fully experience the game.
  • graphics78 mentions

    The graphics of the game, while considered dated by modern standards, still possess a certain charm and beauty that many players appreciate, particularly for its time of release. However, numerous users report significant graphical issues, including glitches, stuttering, and compatibility problems with modern hardware, especially NVIDIA graphics cards, which can render the game nearly unplayable. Overall, while the aesthetic and art style are praised, the technical execution leaves much to be desired, requiring user fixes for a smoother experience.

    • “To be spellbound by its breathtaking visuals, immersive atmosphere, and intricate character design.”
    • “Graphically, other than some rare texture tearing, the game is stunning for its age and still holds up to this day.”
    • “Despite early 2000's graphics, it manages to be quite pretty and many of the fairy designs are very creative and intriguing to look at.”
    • “I really enjoyed the parts that were playable, it was pleasing to the eye, and the gameplay was cute, but the controls being what they are, the graphical flashes all over the screen when inside any form of building, and the overall feeling of just trying to control your fairies while fighting was just kind of a turn off for me.”
    • “Unfortunately with modern graphics cards this game usually requires some user fixes in order to have a playable experience.”
    • “This game used to run smoothly on my Pentium 2 with barely a graphics card and now that I have a 4GHz i7 and a GeForce GTX 960 it lags in menus so that they become unnavigable and there are so many graphical glitches that it's become impossible to navigate up the stairs to the rune.”
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay of Zanzarah is a unique blend of creature collection and first-person shooter mechanics, reminiscent of Pokémon but set in an arena format where players control fairies in combat. While many players appreciate the engaging story and tactical elements, some criticize the clunky controls and technical issues that can detract from the experience. Overall, the game is praised for its creativity and charm, despite its outdated mechanics and occasional graphical glitches.

    • “I love everything about it - the story, the mechanics (which some might simplify to a Pokémon clone), collecting fairies and training them, evolving them, knowing their strengths and weaknesses which leads to on-the-fly strategies when you are facing adversaries' fairies in the arena.”
    • “The gameplay consists of exploring the world of Zanzarah, collecting fairies, training them, and fighting other fairies in the arcane arenas.”
    • “It's a truly unique game, and I recommend it to anyone who wants something made of light and bunnies, yet also has captivating gameplay and sometimes bunnies want to eat your face while still looking cute.”
    • “Normally I hate cheating in games I haven’t finished yet, but there really wasn’t anything new to experience gameplay-wise, so I don’t feel too bad about it.”
    • “It can have issues on newer PCs and the controls/gameplay are sometimes a little bit clunky.”
    • “I hate giving a game with such potential a 'not recommended' rating, but the UI and gameplay are so primitive.”
  • story41 mentions

    The story of the game is widely praised for its engaging narrative and atmospheric world, often compared to classic creature-collecting games like Pokémon. Players appreciate the organic progression and exploration, with a solid storyline that unfolds as they interact with the environment and characters. While some mention difficulty spikes and limitations in depth, the overall sentiment is that the story is enjoyable, intriguing, and enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “Probably the best story game I have ever played; the story, the gameplay, the feel, everything is just perfect.”
    • “The story is great and the world is very atmospheric and beautiful, like a fairy tale.”
    • “There is a solid story which unfolds in bits and pieces as the player explores further and uncovers more of the puzzles and mysteries.”
    • “It's amusing and passes a bit of time but the actual story is quite limited.”
    • “Highly recommend it, even though the combat isn't as fast and the story is not as thick and well thought-out as I'm used to.”
    • “The story can be speed-run in some fifteenish hours, mostly because you need to level up faeries in order to defeat certain enemies blocking passage or to progress the story.”
  • music37 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its superb quality, enchanting atmosphere, and ability to enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful main theme and diverse soundtrack, which features calming and nostalgic melodies that complement the game's visuals and settings. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout aspects, contributing significantly to the game's charm and immersion.

    • “The music is absolutely superb and calming.”
    • “The soundtrack further enhances the enchanting atmosphere, immersing you in a realm where you can truly lose yourself.”
    • “The game features a hauntingly beautiful main theme and an overall exceptional soundtrack, with catchy creature voices and item sounds.”
    • “The only good thing about this game is the idea and maybe the music; everything else is just bad.”
    • “Because the fact that the developer makes a song and dance on the store page about updating it to work with modern iterations of Windows, yet conveniently leaves out that certain modern iteration of Windows that's been around for nearly a month at the time of writing.”
    • “Music filled with Celtic motifs is really enjoyable to listen to.”
  • stability22 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, graphical glitches, and control issues that make it nearly unplayable on modern PCs. While it may run well on older systems or with extensive community fixes, the lack of official support and necessary updates for contemporary hardware has left many players frustrated. Overall, the game is deemed a poor release on Steam, requiring significant troubleshooting to achieve a playable state.

    • “The game runs great on Steam Deck without any additional tinkering (but you have to choose one of the community control layouts or create your own, and enable gyro for better aiming).”
    • “It runs great on modern PCs with a program called dgVoodoo, which deserves its own respective credit.”
    • “It's surprisingly buggy, there's noticeable balancing issues, and it has that clunkiness with the controls and interface.”
    • “It's a huge shame that this Steam release, which according to the store page was in 2015, was done years after the original release. The company behind this re-release did a poor job ensuring the game could even be played on modern computers. To get this game running on my Windows 10 PC with more modern specs, I had to download tons of fan fixes and patches. I shouldn't have to do this when I buy a game from Steam. Despite the community fixes, I still experienced performance issues, graphical glitches, and could not play above a resolution of 1024x768 without encountering texture stretching and UI glitches. This Steam release is just unplayable on modern PCs unless you have an old PC with Windows XP. It's a huge shame because this is a really good game, but it's so broken on modern setups.”
    • “But the fact of the matter is that the troubleshooting and patching work shouldn't be on you, the consumer, to fix your broken purchase.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and graphical glitches, particularly on modern PCs running Windows 10. Users have noted that the game often requires third-party fixes and patches to become somewhat playable, which is frustrating given its re-release on Steam. Overall, the lack of proper optimization renders the game nearly unplayable for most players with contemporary hardware.

    • “Using dgvoodoo2 (a free glide- and dx-wrapper) you can make it run smoothly on modern machines (I'm running it on Windows 10 64-bit), even in 1080p!”
    • “There is absolutely no optimization!!!”
    • “Technically speaking, this game is severely unoptimized for Windows 10 or newer hardware as of now (26/04/2019).”
    • “After several tweaks to try to improve performance, it's still unplayable.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy the challenge of leveling up fairies and completing collections, others view it as tedious and time-consuming. The game offers options to mitigate the grind, such as using cheat codes for resources, which can make the experience more manageable. Overall, while grinding is necessary for full completion, it is not always required for progression, and the game's pacing helps alleviate some of the tedium.

    • “I do have a rather long playtime, though that is directly because I did a lot of grinding trying to level up fairies exhaustively to evolve and so I could fill out the collection.”
    • “It's not an ideal solution but it does make it much more palatable in this day and age as grinding for levels is otherwise a chore.”
    • “Of course, being a fairy collection RPG, Zanzarah requires a fair bit of grinding if you want to 'collect 'em all', but I think this is completely worth it.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its breathtaking visuals, immersive soundtracks, and enchanting fantasy settings, evoking a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs from the 90s and 00s. Players appreciate the colorful and relaxing environment, alongside the engaging story and character design, which collectively create a wholesome and captivating experience. Despite its outdated graphics, the overall atmosphere remains a significant highlight, making it a worthwhile play for fans of the genre.

    • “To be spellbound by its breathtaking visuals, immersive atmosphere, and intricate character.”
    • “The atmosphere that it creates is very wholesome if you grew up with RPGs in the 90s or 00s; the devs got it bang on.”
    • “The story is great and the world is very atmospheric and beautiful (like a fairy tale).”
    • “The atmosphere that it creates is very wholesome if you grew up with RPGs in the 90s or 00s; the devs got it spot on.”
    • “It is an old game, and thus the graphics and maps are as can be expected, but I absolutely love the story, collecting all the fairies, the soundtrack, and the overall feel of the atmosphere.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and warmth, particularly for players familiar with RPGs from the 90s and 00s, creating a wholesome atmosphere despite some technical challenges. Users appreciate the emotional connection fostered by the game's design, even if they encounter issues with controls and graphics.

    • “This is one of the most wholesome RPGs I've played in a long time. The atmosphere it creates is very wholesome if you grew up with RPGs in the 90s or 00s; the devs got it spot on.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    While the game features enjoyable visuals and cute gameplay, issues with controls and graphical glitches detract from its overall replayability, making it less appealing for players to revisit.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The game's monetization suffered due to a lack of advertising support from THQ, which was facing financial difficulties, resulting in limited visibility and promotion at its launch.

  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is derived from the whimsical contrast between the cute heroine, Amy, and the diverse, often comical fairies she encounters, which include both enchanting creatures and quirky, devilish beings. This blend of charming and absurd elements adds a lighthearted tone to the gameplay experience.

    • “Playing as the cute heroine Amy, a girl from smoke-covered London suddenly teleported into a picturesque fantasy world, you capture and evolve magical fairies during battles. They range from beautiful creatures of nature, oceans, and light to funny grunts of earth, screeching metal constructs, and devil-like inhabitants of shadowy crypts.”
    • “The humor in the dialogue is absolutely delightful, with witty one-liners and playful banter that keeps you chuckling throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously; the quirky characters and absurd situations had me laughing out loud!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

100hMedian play time
100hAverage play time
100-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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