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Zenzizenzic

If you’re a fan of the psychedelic, or if you like your games throwing more shapes and enemies at you than you can shake a stick at, then Zenzizenzic is for you.
Zenzizenzic Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
replayability, story
88% User Score Based on 75 reviews
Critic Score 90%Based on 7 reviews

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Zenzizenzic Game Cover

About

Zenzizenzic is a single player arcade shooter game. It was developed by bitHuffel and was released on July 23, 2015. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

Zenzizenzic hurls you into the abstract perils of a bullet-strewn fever dream. Battle your way through five varied levels in Classic Mode or explore an open world in Macro Mode, both of which are stuffed to the brim with legions of enemies. You'll dodge an onslaught of bullets while returning fire with an awesome arsenal of weapons and power-ups, leaving complete and utter destruction in your wake…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
Zenzizenzic screenshot
+4
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88%
Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews
music28 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Zenzizenzic features a unique and striking visual style combined with a pulsating electronic soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • The game offers a challenging bullet hell experience with tight controls and rewarding gameplay, encouraging players to improve their skills and adapt to increasingly complex enemy patterns.
  • The inclusion of a Macro mode adds depth and variety to the gameplay, providing a roguelike experience that keeps players engaged with its open-world exploration and upgrade mechanics.
  • The game's steep difficulty curve and chaotic visuals can be overwhelming, making it hard for players to discern important gameplay elements amidst the action.
  • Some players may find the lack of narrative or progression in the game to be shallow, as it focuses primarily on arcade-style gameplay without a story context.
  • Technical issues such as hitbox sensitivity and occasional bugs can detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • music
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and pulsating electronic soundtrack, which enhances the gameplay experience by creating a rhythmic atmosphere that complements the intense bullet hell mechanics. Many players highlight the quality and fitting nature of the soundtrack, describing it as a standout feature that elevates the overall enjoyment of the game, despite some noting its limited variety. Overall, the music is considered a key element that adds to the game's excitement and replay value.

    • “Combined with the pulsating electronic soundtrack, the game achieves a rhythm that feels as much musical as mechanical... dodging bullets becomes a dance as much as a survival challenge.”
    • “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
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Zenzinzenzic is characterized by its fast-paced, minimalist shooter mechanics that blend bullet hell and twin-stick elements, offering a unique and energetic experience. Players appreciate the elegant simplicity of controls, strategic power-ups, and the engaging roguelike mode, which enhances replayability despite some critiques about the depth of gameplay changes. Overall, the combination of tight mechanics, vibrant visuals, and a pulsating soundtrack creates a captivating and challenging environment that encourages quick adaptation and multitasking.

    • “Zenzinzenzic is a fast-paced, minimalist shooter that challenges players with abstract visuals, frantic gameplay, and a relentless rhythm.”
    • “The gameplay is tight, the music is amazing, and the best part: it's a bullet hell without any anime kitsch!”
    • “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.”
    • “The triggers managing your speed and letting you trade power for speed, or accuracy for fire-rate are great ideas, but the elemental gameplay is rife with concepts that are there for their own sake.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Zenzinzenzic are characterized by a unique, minimalist art style that effectively complements its fast-paced gameplay. Players appreciate the abstract visuals, which, while initially challenging, become satisfying and engaging as they adapt. Overall, the visuals are described as colorful and well-designed, enhancing the game's atmosphere and experience without detracting from gameplay.

    • “Zenzinzenzic is a fast-paced, minimalist shooter that challenges players with abstract visuals, frantic gameplay, and a relentless rhythm.”
    • “Featuring a beautifully abstract art style and a thumping, full-throttle soundtrack, it's sure to get your thumbs sweating and your blood pumping!”
    • “The art style is so simple, and yet, it's so satisfying to the eyes.”
    • “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 graphics are crowded but discernable, and the game uses the rogue mechanics perfectly to make the player feel like he’s making progress in the game.”
    • “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

    The game boasts high replayability due to its multiple difficulty levels, co-op mode, and engaging bullet hell mechanics, appealing to fans of both roguelikes and twin-stick shooters. Players appreciate the variety in gameplay modes and the competitive aspect of leaderboards, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a challenging and enjoyable experience. Overall, the combination of solid gameplay, great visuals, and music contributes to its significant replay value.

    • “It's a very fun mode that offers a different style of gameplay to the classic mode, as well as a lot of replayability like every good roguelike.”
    • “Having the great gameplay of a twin-stick shooter mixed with the near endless replayability and tense action of a rogue-like make this interesting and fun enough to recommend to most anyone who enjoys either genre.”
    • “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
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is minimal, focusing more on action and gameplay rather than narrative progression, which may leave players seeking a deeper context feeling unsatisfied. Unlike other story-driven titles, it features a rogue-like macro mode that emphasizes combat over storytelling. Overall, it caters to those who prefer fast-paced action rather than a rich narrative experience.

    • “There are games with fantastic stories, and there are games that are built on pure mental acuity.”
    • “The lack of narrative or progression might feel empty to players seeking story or context.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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, contributing to 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 empty and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
    • “Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is overshadowed by repetitive visuals and a lack of engaging sound design.”
    • “The overall ambiance is dull, making it hard to stay invested in the gameplay experience.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 freezes and had to restart my console multiple times.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is notably poor, with players experiencing significant framerate drops and stuttering, particularly when settings are adjusted beyond the lowest options. Despite its simple 2D graphics, users report being unable to achieve stable performance at higher settings, often resulting in a frustrating gameplay experience.

    • “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, 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.”
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90%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Zenzizenzic is a arcade shooter game.

Zenzizenzic is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

Zenzizenzic was released on July 23, 2015.

Zenzizenzic was developed by bitHuffel.

Zenzizenzic has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its replayability.

Zenzizenzic is a single player game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Steredenn, Nex Machina, Horizon Shift, Nova Drift, LUFTRAUSERS and others.