July 23, 2015
bitHuffel

Zenzizenzic

Zenzizenzic is rapid, colorful, simple, and just about as much fun as you can have playing a video game. The game presents a complete and fully operational game in its standard mode, and then extends the worth with an open-world “macro” mode. With the non-stop, full screen, and full tilt destruction of battle waiting, there is not a reason in the world you shouldn’t be navigating the little square ship to victory.

88%Game Brain Score

music, gameplay

replayability, story

88% User Score Based on 73 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom €9.99

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About

"Zenzizenzic is a frenetic shooter game with stunning graphics and an amazing soundtrack. In Classic Mode, play single-player or local co-op, battling through five levels with varied challenges and boss encounters, using an arsenal of weapons and power-ups. Macro Mode offers an open world to explore, stuffed with enemies and opportunities for destruction. High scores and Gauntlet Mode offer challenges for the determined player."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 73 reviews

music27 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

The game features a unique art style and great visuals that are both colorful and engaging.
It has a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience and keeps players motivated.
The gameplay is challenging yet rewarding, with tight controls and interesting mechanics that encourage skill development.

The game can feel overwhelming at times due to the cluttered visuals and effects, making it hard to focus on important gameplay elements.
There are significant issues with hit detection and respawning, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The roguelike mode feels underdeveloped and lacks depth, making it less engaging compared to other modes.

music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
33%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality, energetic electronic beats, and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, particularly in the bullet hell genre. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as both fitting and immersive, contributing to the game's intense atmosphere. However, a few players noted that the limited number of tracks could lead to repetitiveness over extended play sessions.
- “Great bullet hell game, very difficult and has good music.”
- “A highlight of the game is its small soundtrack that provides a feeling of 'quality over quantity.' I consider it a fitting and, in some ways, relaxing atmosphere to the bullet hell wrapped up in visuals of basic shapes shooting shapes.”
- “Quite literally some of the best electronic game music I've ever heard, and it's worth buying the game to just experience that alone.”
- “The game music that’s played is fine, but pretty quickly I found myself turning the music off, so that I could listen to my own music in the background.”
- “The game music that’s played is fine, but pretty quickly I found myself turning the music off, so that I could listen to my own music in the background.”
- “The game music that’s played is fine, but pretty quickly I found myself turning the music off, so that I could listen to my own music in the background.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced, energetic mechanics that blend bullet hell and twin-stick shooter elements, enhanced by strategic power-ups and roguelike features that offer significant replayability. While some players appreciate the unique art style and tight controls, others feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety beyond weapon choices. Overall, the game is praised for its smooth performance, engaging music, and the ability to challenge players' multitasking skills.
- “The gameplay is tight, the music is amazing, and the best part: it's a bullet hell without any anime kitsch!”
- “The gameplay's great too, taking the basics of bullet hell and twin-stick madness and adding much more to it with its mesmerizing patterns, strategic power-ups, and daunting roguelike mode, all while listening to a fantastic soundtrack.”
- “Having the great gameplay of a twin-stick shooter mixed with the near endless replayability and tense action of a roguelike makes this interesting and fun enough to recommend to anyone who enjoys either genre.”
- “Honestly, I don't think the gameplay is strong enough for that.”
- “While the roguelike elements do keep things fresh, the gameplay itself doesn't really change all that much aside from weapon choices.”
- “I haven't played it much considering that I'm refunding it during the window, but I wasn't really sold by the gameplay.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The game's graphics are characterized by a unique and minimalistic art style that effectively complements its fast-paced gameplay, creating a visually satisfying experience. Players appreciate the colorful yet simplistic visuals, which enhance gameplay without overwhelming the senses, while the tight controls and discernible graphics contribute to an engaging bullet hell experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful aesthetics and a fitting soundtrack elevates the game's appeal, making it a standout in its genre.
- “The art style is unique and very good-looking, communicative and stylish; the music is fantastic, well-produced and very fitting; the gameplay has some nice twists that make it more than just another twin-stick.”
- “Featuring a beautifully abstract art style and a thumping, full throttle soundtrack, it's sure to get your thumbs sweating and your blood pumping!”
- “A superb and original twin-stick shooter with incredible soundtrack and visuals.”
- “Not to mention the low-key aesthetics of your own ship and frankly lifeless sound design mean you might not even know if you're shooting at all.”
- “The visuals are unusual at first, but once used to it they show their strength with the reduced visual input.”
- “Mind, my computer isn't a powerhouse, but a game with visuals of this style shouldn't be an issue.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game boasts high replayability due to multiple difficulty levels, engaging gameplay modes, and features like leaderboards and co-op options. Players appreciate the blend of bullet hell and roguelike elements, which contribute to a solid and enjoyable experience that encourages repeated play. Overall, it is highly recommended for fans of both genres seeking varied and challenging gameplay.
- “There are multiple difficulties, and the game offers quite a high replay value if you enjoy bullet hell style games.”
- “Zenzizenzic has everything you could want in its genre, from leaderboards, co-op, and buckets of replay value.”
- “These two factors alone do increase the replay value of the game tremendously.”
- “Having the great gameplay of a twin-stick shooter mixed with the near endless replayability and tense action of a rogue-like makes this interesting and fun enough to recommend to most anyone who enjoys either genre.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's story is minimal, focusing more on action and gameplay mechanics rather than a deep narrative, distinguishing it from more story-driven titles. It features a rogue-like macro mode that emphasizes combat and progression over storytelling, appealing to players who enjoy fast-paced, arcade-style experiences. Overall, it is characterized as light on story but heavy on action.
- “There are games with fantastic stories, and there are games that are built on pure mental acuity.”
- “This game is light on story, high on action, being the type of game that you would probably sink quarter after quarter into if this were sometime in the mid 90's.”
- “So, what sets this one apart is that, unlike Tachyon Project, which is 'story driven', ZC had a so-called macro mode, which is essentially a rogue-like procedurally generated mode, where you advance and kill enemies and bosses.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Overall, the game is praised for its smooth performance and tight controls, with most users reporting a bug-free experience. While there are minor issues, such as occasional menu bugs, they do not affect gameplay stability.
- “Everything in the game feels smooth and runs great.”
- “The game is completely bug-free and controls tightly for dodging all those pesky rectangles.”
- “While it has a few hitches (I ran into a weird menu bug myself), none of the glitches or lag issues occur during gameplay.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced several instances of freezing, which disrupted my overall experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's optimization is notably poor, with players experiencing significant framerate drops and stuttering, even on lower graphical settings. Users report being unable to achieve stable performance at higher settings, with framerates plummeting to as low as 15-20 fps despite the game's simple 2D graphics. Additionally, a major bug involving enemy spawn locations can lead to frustrating immediate deaths.
- “On the issues regarding performance and framerate, here are my technical specifications for the sake of knowing what you could expect out of your own computer: I typically got 60+ fps on the fastest graphical setting, and around 20 fps on the highest graphical setting, all running at 1366x768.”
- “The level of optimization is relatively low, as even though this is a 2D game with mostly simple geometric shapes, I am unable to run it at anything but the 'fastest' option in regards to a stable and smooth framerate. Setting it to the highest option resulted in anywhere from 15-20 fps.”
- “The level of optimization is relatively low, as even though this is a 2D game with mostly simple geometric shapes, I am unable to run it at anything but the 'fastest' option in regards to a stable and smooth framerate, as putting it at the highest setting made it anywhere from 15-20 fps.”
- “On the issues regarding performance and framerate, here are my technical specifications for the sake of knowing what you could expect out of your own computer: I typically got 60+ on the fastest graphical setting, and ~20 on the highest graphical setting, all running at 1366x768.”
- “The minor ones were temporary dips in framerate and occasional stuttering, and the major bug being several enemies spawning on top of my location in macro, resulting in a near immediate death.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its unique blend of a minimalistic soundtrack and visually simplistic design, creating a relaxing yet engaging experience within the bullet hell genre. Reviewers appreciate the focus on quality over quantity, resulting in a fun and distinctive ambiance that stands out in an often over-saturated market.
- “A highlight of the game is its small soundtrack that provides a feeling of 'quality over quantity.' I consider it a fitting and, in some ways, relaxing atmosphere to the bullet hell wrapped up in visuals of basic shapes shooting shapes.”
- “It's simple, fun to play and watch, and the overall atmosphere is pretty unique for this often oversaturated genre.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the overall ambiance is dull and fails to evoke any real emotion or tension.”
- “The visuals are simplistic to the point of being bland, which detracts from the overall atmosphere and makes it hard to stay engaged.”