Rock, Paper, Shotgun

The Gamasutra postmortem on previous RPS-fave Zeno Clash caught my eye. They’re almost always a good read, but from a game coming from a very different place than most of the industry (both literally and figuratively), there’s much to learn. Choice details include how it emerged from a previous failed project – the Lithtech-2 based Zenozoik – and how the experience of that made them focus as tightly as they did: “Many years after this failed attempt we gathered around our original concept and re-thought the game in a manner that would focus on few but solid elements, those that we would be able to produce as a small team”. With a team of seven, you have to or risk disaster. Lots more in the full piece.

Direct 2 Drive have announced they’re running and indie games bundle until Sunday. The bundle contains Democracy 2, Cogs, Zeno Clash, The Path, and Defence Grid. All great games. Which rather reveals the problem with the pack: you probably own a couple of these games already.

Nevertheless, for those aberrant consumers among us, the deal is good. £11.50 for Britons, and $17.75 for North Americans. I dunno about Euro types. Anyone got a link?

ACE Team have promised they’ll be releasing the SDK for Zeno Clash since release, and because they’re honest folk, now they have. The Source-based first-person thwacker is one of our favourite games of the year, and you’d have to be Earth’s Wrongest Idiot not to find the game’s world fascinating and beautiful. Now using the magic cogs and accompanying text files, you can create your own levels and mods for the game. That link will guide you toward the SDK itself, as well as all the accompanying documentation. If you make something excellent, make sure to let us know.

ACE Team have just announced the excellent news that they’re already working on a sequel to Zeno Clash, the first-person beat-em-up we poured praise upon last month. Zeno Clash 2, as it’s currently known, will take place after the events of the first game, continuing the adventures of Ghat, this time in a larger world, with mysterious “RPG elements”.

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Inspired by my recent plea for Zeno Clash/Garry’s Mod mash-ups, veteran RPS reader Dartt revisits his own past glory to delightfully strange effect. A bigger version awaits you upon a click. The tragic absence of Tall-Nut aside, most excellent work, sir.

Oddball birdman-punching game Zeno Clash has just received its first downloadable content – the option to use its beautiful, absurd character models in the world-conquering meta-game/toolset Garry’s Mod. Go go crazy, surreal fantasyscapes!
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The word from the rumbling innards of Steam is that a Zeno Clash demo is now available. The demo contains a slice of the single player campaign, and the first level of the challenge mode, so you’ll be able to sample both. Then, should you fancy, you can compare and contrast your impressions with our verdict.

Zeno Clash goes live today on Steam and Direct2Drive, and you’ll have noticed that we were really rather taken with it. The melee combat packs an extraordinary punch, accompanied by jaw-dropping world and character design. We’ve strongly recommended you buy it. But how about one better – we’ve arranged with developers Ace Team to give away ten copies of the game via Steam.

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We’ve been playing Zeno Clash. Developers Ace Team were kind enough to suggest that we should furnish you with the world’s first review of their insane beat ‘em up. Our razor-sharp analysis of defeating elephantmen and bludgeoning lunatics follows.

Jim: Right, our subject today is the esoteric fist ‘em up, Zeno Clash, by Chilean types, Ace Team.
Alec: I liked the bit where I repeatedly punched a bird-man in the face.
Jim: Bird-men are scum.
Kieron: Shall I do a brief fact-o-list of the game so we have the FACTS on the table?
Jim: Yes, facts, because facts are super-true.
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There’s a new Zeno Clash trailer, which is a good way to fill in some of the time before its 21st April release. This time we’re introduced to the nature of some of the characters, as well as shown some more splendid in game face-punching action. Sadly no elephants were harmed in the contents of this video.

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