Zengeon

A single run through Zengeon will probably take you an hour to an hour and a half if you make it all the way through, and the game is relatively on the easier side for the genre — you’ll likely clear the game’s easiest difficulty on your first or second attempt without too much difficulty. There’s plenty of replayability, though, with how different the playable characters feel and the inherent variation in the randomised equipment you acquire from the chests on each run.

Zengeon is a chore to play with a mixture of its stiff and boring combat, game-breaking bugs, and systems that don't work right.

Zengeon catches the eye with stylish art but offers little else. Combat is a sluggish chore, progression feels meaningless, and what little variety comes from the different characters is quickly exhausted. Add in a clunky interface and shaky performance, and there’s not much to recommend Zengeon. If you and a friend have cash to burn, you might be able to eke out a few hours of amusement, but I’d say this is one you’re better off leaving on the shelves.

For those who love action roguelikes and can play online with friends, Zengeon might even be interesting. However, overall the game is too shallow to be worth it. Switch already has several other more interesting examples of the genre.

I know I’m coming off as overly pessimistic, and I apologize for that, but Zengeon fails when executed in almost every possible way. The variety of playable characters is neat, and the co-op feature is nice, but I can’t see myself recommending this. After playing, players will swiftly notice the inept synergy between the combat mechanics alongside the mangled performance and atrocious enemy frequency. There are plenty of other roguelikes out there, and I promise that any one of those is likely better worth your time than Zengeon.

A good game, fast and dynamic at its base, but with some technical problems that hinder it excessively.

I was hoping for more from Zengeon. “Chinese Diablo” or “Hades but Asian” are keywords that should have translated into one of my favourite games of the year. Unfortunately, while the effort on the part of the developers is clear for all to see, and the aesthetics are there, Zengeon otherwise struggles to meet the highs of its peers. It is a perfectly workable game, and I could easily see a better-resourced sequel from this team delivering, but as it stands, this is a touch too shallow and mundane for its own good.

Starting Zengeon up there's a feel of real promise with a great animated opener, distinctive characters, and everything exuding a sense of style...