Zoochosis
- September 30, 2024
- Clapperheads
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Zoochosis" is a night shift zookeeper simulation where players must care for and save infected animals from turning into mutants. Interaction with the animals includes preparing meals, restocking, and cleaning enclosures. The player's choices determine the ending, as they try to save specific animals and survive the night, leading to multiple possible endings.
Reviews
- The game has a unique and interesting concept that combines animal care with horror elements.
- The graphics and monster designs are impressive, creating a creepy atmosphere.
- The multiple endings and replayability add depth to the gameplay experience.
- The game is riddled with bugs and glitches, leading to frustrating soft locks and crashes.
- The gameplay loop becomes repetitive quickly, with little variation between enclosures.
- The tutorial is inadequate, leaving players confused about key mechanics and objectives.
- gameplay208 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it repetitive, tedious, and poorly executed. Critics highlight issues such as clunky mechanics, lack of clear instructions, and a monotonous gameplay loop that quickly loses its appeal after a few hours. While some appreciate the game's aesthetic and potential, the overall consensus is that the gameplay fails to deliver a satisfying experience, often feeling more like a chore than an engaging game.
“Great game, the mechanics are awesome and very exhilarating!”
“The gameplay loop is visiting different enclosures, performing tasks for and on the animals - you feed them, take blood, monitor sound, and collect feces - before diagnosing maladies, and concocting and then administering various remedies.”
“The game is very good honestly, it has a lot of mechanics that make the game more challenging and fun, overall amazing experience.”
“The game had a lot of potential gameplay-wise, but oh boy, in its current state, it's complete and utter trash.”
“The gameplay loop is tedious chore bait, and the routine gets old fast.”
“The gameplay gets boring fast, and the whole experience was pretty underwhelming, especially compared to how it was advertised.”
- story173 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its intriguing premise but criticizing its execution. Common complaints include a rushed narrative, lack of depth, and poor pacing, which detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the multiple endings and replayability, others feel the story is shallow and fails to deliver on the promises made in the trailers, leaving a sense of missed potential.
“The story is intriguing.”
“I love the story/world/situation and am really invested in following along and figuring stuff out!”
“Amazing storytelling, your decisions actually matter.”
“The unique nature of the game portrayed in the trailers is reduced to nothing more than a poorly-executed rip-off of the plot of the Happy Meat Farms ARG.”
“The story just isn't great, predictable, and rushed.”
“The story is very lackluster and about as deep as a puddle of water.”
- stability61 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly hinder gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences such as freezing and soft-locking. Many players recommend waiting for patches and fixes before purchasing, as the current state is described as a "buggy mess" that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some users report fewer issues, the consensus is that stability remains a major concern that needs addressing.
“Playing on Steam Deck, this game runs great (plugged) on medium/low settings with fast loading between the zones.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences, which enhances the overall experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the online multiplayer is; I rarely encounter lag or disconnections.”
“A buggy mess, had several game freezes when interacting with objects and when being attacked by the creatures where it simply fades to black, yet you can still move around and do stuff.”
“The glitches and bugs are very overwhelming.”
“Paid $25 for a half-baked game that freezes, glitches and leaves you disappointed.”
- graphics45 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the high-quality visuals, immersive atmosphere, and creative creature designs. However, some players criticize the graphics for being misleading compared to promotional materials, experiencing performance issues, and feeling rushed in execution. Overall, while the aesthetics are generally well-received, they are often overshadowed by gameplay and technical shortcomings.
“The graphics are amazing and the immersion feels incredible, glad they managed to patch up a few glitches which helped me actually finish the game.”
“The graphics and creature design are amazing, I love the freaky mutated animals.”
“The graphics are gorgeous, gameplay was smooth for me.”
“Overall, if you like simulations, you might like this game. The graphics are not something to be proud of, and the only way to fix this royal mess that the developers had a year to create is to take it down and try again.”
“Don't let the 'pretty' graphics and hype trailers fool you.”
“The graphics are also nowhere near as pristine as past renditions, even when set on 'epic' settings.”
- atmosphere29 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as deeply unsettling and spooky, with commendable visuals, sound design, and unique monster designs that enhance the horror experience. However, the lack of gameplay consequences and repetitive mechanics detract from the overall immersion, leading to mixed feelings about the game's ability to maintain tension and fear. While the premise and aesthetic are praised, many reviewers feel that the execution falls short, resulting in an atmosphere that, despite its potential, often feels more like a chore than a thrilling experience.
“The dark atmosphere is really oppressive, and anyone sensitive to that kind of thing will totally get it.”
“Ultimately, Zoochosis is a game with a lot of heart and a genuinely creepy atmosphere.”
“The voice acting is commendable and truly enhances the unsettling atmosphere.”
“Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is very spooky, but the actual gameplay is closer to a job simulator / deduction game.”
“The monster cannot actually hurt you in any way; it takes away from the otherwise creepy atmosphere. When you get attacked, it has no consequences, and it just makes the game not as scary as it could be.”
“At first, things are confusing to understand, which for me created a frustrating atmosphere rather than a spooky one.”
- grinding28 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being incredibly tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the monotonous tasks required to care for animals and manage resources. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay loop quickly becomes boring, as it involves performing the same actions repeatedly without significant variation or excitement. While some elements of the game show potential, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it feel unpolished and lacking in engaging content.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The tediousness of tasks, running back and forth to cut food bricks, feed animals, get blood, suck up poop, figure out what's wrong with the animals, make the medicine, cure/kill the mutant, rinse, repeat.”
“The gameplay loop is tedious chore bait and the routine gets old fast.”
“The game follows a tedious recipe of repetitive gameplay with no added value on replays other than to get alternative endings or unlock new animals to help, but even then, it's just applying the same formula on a different character model.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a mixed perception of replayability in the game, with some players appreciating the variety of endings and gameplay mechanics that encourage experimentation, while others criticize the lack of meaningful content and repetitive loops that diminish the overall replay value. Many feel that despite the initial fun, the game ultimately lacks depth and fails to justify its price, leading to disappointment in its replayability potential. Overall, while some find it entertaining for multiple playthroughs, others see it as a short-lived experience with limited incentive to return.
“Game is a lot of fun, animals are adorable and different endings add to the replayability.”
“Game's concept is really cool and the gameplay loop is fun while maintaining lots of replayability (even if it does take some patience on the player's side to get comfortable with all the game mechanics).”
“It's designed as a replayable experience where you experiment with different choices or methods to calm the mutations each run, eventually allowing you to discover more and more of the story.”
“The idea of replay value isn't really there with 8 animals and a repetitive loop for each one.”
“Unlocking more animal enclosures after finishing is lame; this game is barely replayable. I'm not replaying it; I'm getting a refund.”
“The lack of meaningful unlocks or an endless mode further diminishes the replayability factor.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players experiencing severe lag, stuttering, and frame rate issues, particularly in key areas like animal enclosures. While some users report smooth performance on high-end systems, those with budget rigs struggle, leading to a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements before it can be recommended for purchase. Overall, players suggest waiting for updates to address these performance problems.
“Here are some areas for optimization, hoping the developers can listen to consumers.”
“The game both looks great and runs smoothly, letting the player jump headlong into the insane and skin crawling story!”
“Didn't have much problems with performance either.”
“As much as I want to love and play it for its unique concept and great designs, my experience is ruined by the poor optimization. The biggest issue is with the lag you get when inside the animal enclosures, which is arguably the most important location to not have that lag since your reaction time is delayed.”
“I trust the developers will try their hardest to fix this, but for now I say this game isn't worth your money unless you have an ultra-high-performance computer.”
“The game is poorly optimized, and I was getting heavy stuttering even after dropping everything down to the lowest possible settings with a GTX 3060.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of campy and unintentional comedy, with players finding amusement in quirky animations and absurd scenarios, such as a penguin's clumsy attack. While some elements are intended to be funny, others come off as unintentionally humorous due to awkward design choices and bugs. Overall, the game blends elements of horror and comedy, often leading to more laughter than genuine scares.
“But I must say I had a ton of fun getting all the endings and seeing how much dedication and work was put into this game with the nice looking graphics, awesome designs, and pretty funny animations.”
“I will say it was quite hilarious to have the penguin forced to attack me as it just bobbed me up and down on the roof for a bit before dropping me.”
“Maybe assuming the game might be a bit of a 'horror comedy' was on me: while I'm fully aware that part of taking care of animals is cleaning up their waste, I just assumed that a trailer that so proudly showcased their 'poop-sucker' had a sense of humor.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a potential cash grab, with many reviewers feeling that it fails to deliver on its advertised promises and lacks meaningful gameplay. Suggestions for improvement include making the game free with a demo to attract players, and significantly overhauling its mechanics to enhance player engagement and experience. Overall, the current monetization approach is seen as detrimental to the game's potential success.
“I actually am wondering if the whole point of the trailers was to make this a cash grab.”
“Whatever this is, it feels like a petty cash grab and a bastardization of the original vision.”
“If not, then it was a cash grab that will fade into obscurity.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the dark ambient tracks that enhance the atmosphere, while others criticize the implementation of background music in key cutscenes as rushed and ineffective. Additionally, the boss music has been described as disappointing, lacking the intensity expected for such encounters. Overall, while there are moments of effective sound design, many feel that the music does not fully support the horror experience.
“Also, the dark ambient music is really awesome.”
“It's clear they had an idea but rushed on key features that really make a horror game beyond just the graphics, including the addition of background music to enrich key cutscenes.”
“Boring game, not scary at all; just some music and loud sounds with animals running through the zoo.”
“I hate to say it, but the game was a major letdown. The atmosphere, infected animal designs, and overall idea were really good, but they kept taking the simple way to make something happen. For example, the infected animals just appear without any transformation. The boss music is awful too; it's more suspense music than boss music, sounding like jumbled-up sound effects.”
“--1 save/reload bug, where it was telling me to 'do the thing,' but the game crashed. Upon reload, everything seemed normal yet had an obvious 'stuff is going down' music/visual representation.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the emotional inclusivity offered by the option to toggle certain features off, enhancing their connection to the game. The wholesome portrayal of animals adds a positive emotional layer, while initial bugs created a sense of disappointment, which was alleviated by subsequent updates. Overall, the game successfully blends fun, spookiness, and emotional depth, appealing to fans of various horror and crafting genres.
“The fact there is a way to toggle this off in the game made me feel included.”
“The animals were pretty wholesome in my opinion.”
“To me, this is a fun, spooky, challenging game that I've very much enjoyed playing. However, the bugs I found on the day this game came out made me feel like the game was rushed a bit, but with the nice update, it doesn't feel rushed anymore.”
