ZED

About

"ZED" is a single-player adventure game with an intriguing story about an aging artist, suffering from dementia, trying to reconcile his past through his dreams. With exceptional graphics, a good soundtrack, and highly emotional narrative, players help the artist leave a lasting legacy for his granddaughter. This bittersweet journey is brought to life by industry veterans from Myst, Bioshock Infinite, and the Metal Gear Solid series, with an option for VR support on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 90 reviews

story35 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Zed is a beautifully crafted game with stunning visuals and a touching narrative that resonates deeply with players, especially those familiar with themes of memory and regret.
The voice acting and music are exceptional, enhancing the emotional experience and drawing players into the story.
The game offers a unique and immersive experience, allowing players to explore surreal environments while engaging with a heartfelt story.

Zed is primarily a walking simulator with minimal gameplay elements, featuring repetitive object collection and simple puzzles that may disappoint players expecting a more interactive experience.
The game suffers from technical issues, particularly in VR, where players have reported bugs and poor performance that detract from the overall experience.
Many players found the pacing slow and the environments lacking in interactivity, leading to a sense of frustration and a feeling that the game does not live up to the legacy of previous Cyan titles.

story
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The story of *Zed* is a poignant and emotionally charged narrative that unfolds through the surreal memories of an aging artist, exploring themes of family, regret, and creativity. While the storytelling is praised for its heartfelt delivery and beautiful visuals, some players found the pacing slow and the gameplay lacking in depth, often feeling more like a walking simulator than a traditional game. Overall, it resonates deeply with those who appreciate narrative-driven experiences, despite some critiques regarding its coherence and engagement.
- “Zed is a game of beautiful environments, good voice acting, and deep storytelling ambition, with a brilliantly odd and touching premise, and at its best, it provides moments of intense and earned emotion that have stayed with me long after playing.”
- “A heart-wrenching story told beautifully, that left me in tears by the end.”
- “The story was emotionally engaging and the voice acting decent, especially for me personally, many of the regrets expressed being common to someone my age and career path where some personal life was sacrificed.”
- “Despite being produced by some of the team from Cyan, it doesn't have any actual 'game' to it, and contains no more 'puzzle solving' than reading a short story does.”
- “Much of it is meant to be inferred through the artist's thoughts and memories, but they are often incomplete, and potentially heart-wrenching story beats end up served in an underwhelming way.”
- “The story as originally intended may have been more poignant, but I found the player character to be yet another horribly unlikeable bad dad, who regrets being a bad dad and tries to make up for being a bad dad.”
emotional
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of [i]zed[/i] is characterized by its heartfelt storytelling and the exploration of complex psychological themes, resonating deeply with players who have experienced personal struggles. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke intense emotions, particularly through its narrative and music, leading to powerful, memorable moments that can leave players in tears. However, some critiques mention a lack of emotional investment for certain players, suggesting that the experience may vary based on individual perspectives and expectations.
- “Zed is a game of beautiful environments, good voice acting, and deep storytelling ambition, with a brilliantly odd and touching premise, and at its best, it provides moments of intense and earned emotion that have stayed with me long after playing.”
- “A heart-wrenching story told beautifully, that left me in tears by the end.”
- “The game's intent is to emotionally involve you in this man's journey back from his personal oblivion.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
33%
13%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals, intricate details, and unique art style that effectively complement the narrative. While many players appreciate the immersive and emotional landscapes, some note inconsistencies in lighting and texture quality, particularly in certain areas. Overall, the visuals are considered a highlight, enhancing the storytelling experience despite some critiques regarding the game's lack of puzzles and action.
- “Ultimately, I would recommend this game due to the great visuals.”
- “Giant sculptures of expressive faces and heads, hovering and spinning cracked stone spheres, and an aesthetic that somehow combines quirky fun comic strip characters and bright colors with a deep melancholy and sense of regret, all make it worth playing.”
- “The visuals have been well-thought-out, and many of the spaces have been filled with interesting details that add to the immersion.”
- “Lastly, while the visuals are okay overall, the lighting and textures are poor in some areas.”
- “The game starts with blurry graphics but gets sharper as he processes through his memories.”
- “No real content other than half-decent visuals and incredibly unoptimized particle effects.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and lacking depth, with a core loop that primarily involves collecting objects and passively experiencing the story without meaningful interaction or puzzles. Many players found the mechanics simplistic and uninspired, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement. Despite the artistic visuals, the overall experience is deemed lacking in substance and challenge.
- “Gameplay is very basic and involves going through memories and collecting objects from your past, which gives you a journal entry with a writing about them.”
- “As far as the game mechanics, they are simple and sometimes a little clunky, but that's not what the game is about.”
- “Chuck is an exceptionally talented artist with an eye for environments, but it didn't work out on the gameplay side this time.”
- “It suffers a bit from some repetitive pacing, and don't expect any puzzles or gameplay elements of consequence.”
- “The entire gameplay loop consists of walking around collecting objects in silence and then standing still while the game tells you the story.”
- “False advertising, horrible progression, uninspired gameplay.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
29%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhancing the storytelling and immersive experience, particularly in VR. While many players appreciate the well-timed soundtrack and its connection to the game's visuals and narrative, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of excellent music and voice acting contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere, despite some mixed feelings about its repetitiveness.
- “If you want to explore fantastic looking environments while listening to great voice-over storytelling and music, check this one out.”
- “The music throughout the game was perfectly placed in connection with the memories that were shared.”
- “The game was plenty immersive in VR with a really great soundtrack.”
- “The music could become annoyingly repetitive at times.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The optimization of Zed has been criticized for its unoptimized particle effects, which detract from the overall experience despite the game's stunning visuals and strong narrative. While the game excels in storytelling and voice acting, the technical performance leaves much to be desired.
- “No real content other than half-decent visuals and incredibly unoptimized particle effects.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with many feeling that the search for objects detracts from the overall story and emotional impact. The experience is often described as short, repetitive, and lacking innovation.
- “However, I found the process of looking for objects to be tedious, and the impact of the story was a bit lost on me.”
- “Short, tedious, uninnovative, and emotionally shallow.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by exceptional voice acting and a compelling setting, distinguishing it from others in the genre.
- “The superb voice acting and atmospheric setting definitely set this game apart from others in the genre.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report experiencing significant stability issues, with some encountering frequent bugs and glitches that detract from their overall gameplay experience.
- “It may just be my system having a buggy, glitch-filled experience, but it is forcing me to write this negative review.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Sanitarium is praised for its unique blend of humor, combining touching and scary elements with delightful comedic moments, creating a multifaceted experience for players.
- “Sanitarium is touching, scary, hilarious, and delightful.”