ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman
- May 10, 2022
- Codeglue
Get on Steam"ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman" is a turn-based rogue-like dungeon crawler set in a training ground called Bizarro Earth. The game allows players to arm themselves with various equipment and use a grid-based Body Modification system to boost attributes and gain beneficial effects. Between missions, players can plan their next move within their home base, access various dungeons, interact with allies, and customize their home base with facilities.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
PSP
Reviews
- The game offers a quirky and humorous story that parodies superhero tropes, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of NIS's unique style.
- Gameplay is engaging with a mix of roguelike mechanics and character progression, allowing for deep customization and strategic play.
- Despite some content being cut from the original release, the game still provides a good amount of fun and entertainment value, especially for those who appreciate dungeon crawlers.
- The port suffers from significant content removal, including 16 dungeons, which detracts from the overall experience and replayability.
- The saving feature is unreliable, leading to potential loss of progress and frustration due to crashes during gameplay.
- The game can feel overloaded with unnecessary mechanics, making it complex and sometimes tedious for players who prefer a more streamlined experience.
- story44 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story is characterized as a quirky blend of satire, humor, and absurdity, starting as a parody of sentai superheroes before evolving with unexpected twists and deeper themes. While some players appreciate its charm and comedic elements, others find it tedious and overly generic, leading to mixed feelings about its execution and pacing. Overall, it offers a unique narrative experience that may appeal to fans of offbeat humor and roguelike gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding its depth and engagement.
“I love the storyline the most, which is a mix of satire, irony, slapstick, and dark comedy; even just reading responses from idle NPCs ends up being hilarious (their text changes quite often too).”
“Later on, the story also gets more involved and more serious, without losing its charm.”
“All in all, I highly recommend this game for anyone who likes a good roguelike, with a really nice, charming, and super funny story.”
“The humor barely makes up for the over-the-top generic idea of the story. The rate at which the main character grows stronger is so bad it makes Disgaea 6 look like an absolute masterpiece, and simply put, I genuinely wish they would have let this completely outdated and worthless game stay in their past.”
“Story was okay for what I played, but I couldn't finish as I wasn't finding joy in completing dungeons.”
“But I definitely just played through the story and feel like I'm going to stop there, knowing that the endgame isn't going to be anywhere near as fun or interesting as the original release.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of old-school mechanics and innovative features, offering a satisfying experience for fans of dungeon-crawlers and roguelikes. While it incorporates complex systems like base building and unique item interactions, some players find the multitude of mechanics overwhelming and the saving feature lacking. Overall, it combines engaging combat, a quirky narrative, and a rewarding progression system, making it appealing for those willing to embrace its retro style.
“Very good story, solid mystery dungeon-type gameplay.”
“At its surface level, it's a classic roguelike, with grid-based combat, a hunger mechanic that influences your health regen, items to pick up, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary; however, unlike many of the other roguelikes I've played, this one feels incredibly satisfying.”
“The gameplay works and it's got a lot of entertainment value, but that saving feature is horrible.”
“Failing feeds into the weird leveling mechanic where you get better base stats on every death.”
“On top of that, it seemed like there were too many game mechanics of little value for the added complexity being introduced.”
- humor26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and absurd, blending satire, irony, slapstick, and dark comedy, which some players find charming despite its dated references. While the writing features frequent fourth-wall breaks and amusing NPC interactions, opinions vary on whether the humor compensates for the game's generic storyline and character progression issues. Overall, it appeals to fans of traditional roguelikes who appreciate a humorous narrative, even if it feels outdated.
“A quirky game with a funny story.”
“I love the storyline the most, which is a mix of satire, irony, slapstick, and dark comedy; even just reading responses from idle NPCs ends up being hilarious (their text changes quite often too).”
“This game is like if Monty Python had a threesome with anime and dark humor.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of absurd humor and heartfelt moments, appealing particularly to fans of quirky writing and action-packed narratives. Players appreciate the mix of goofy elements with wholesome storytelling, creating a unique experience that balances comedy with emotional depth. Overall, it offers a memorable journey filled with laughter and genuine sentiment.
“I bought it just so I can experience some of the funniest and most heartfelt moments in gaming interspersed with some good mystery dungeon vibes.”
“Absurd humor with a bit of wholesomeness in the story.”
“Mostly recommended for fans of NIS, goofy writing, occasional wholesome moments, badass hero-ing, tokusatsu sentai hero stuff, and games that are like rogue.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can feel tedious and monotonous, even for casual players, with some finding it a chore to earn cash on easier levels. However, there is a viable farming system in dungeons that rewards players who understand the mechanics of monsters and items.
“Grinding for cash on easy levels seems monotonous even for a casual Disgaea player like myself.”
“Typical anime storytelling—two good ideas hidden behind tons of tedious, mediocre graphomania.”
“>viable 'farming/grinding' system within dungeons if you know how each monster/item works.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics in this NIS port are largely unchanged from the original PSP version, with minimal enhancements aside from a few filters that some players recommend disabling due to blurriness. While the user interface has been updated for modern screens, the core visual elements like sprites and textures remain consistent with the original, relying heavily on art direction rather than graphical fidelity.
“Not much has been done to the visuals except a couple of filters added, which I recommend you turn off as they make everything look blurry.”
“[i]Some[/i] work has been done on the UI side to ensure you're not looking at tiny PSP-era text and menus, but the sprites, artwork, textures, etc. are all pretty much the same, blown up to modern screen sizes.”
“Like all NIS ports, I don't really mind the graphical fidelity (I think this was a PSP game) because they couch a lot of it in things like art direction and stuff like that.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its randomly generated dungeons, multiple endings, and extensive customization options, further enhanced by a new game+ feature.
“The dungeons are randomly generated, there are multiple endings, lots of customizations, and high replayability with New Game+.”
