Zeno Clash is an independently created first person fighting game. While there is some shooting involved, the majority of this unusual game is spent punching, kicking and dodging enemies.
The game starts with you slipping in and out of consciousness. While you're unconscious, a dream sequence trains you in the art of fighting. In game, unlike a shooter, when you meet attackers the game pauses to announce the fight, and you are then put into fight mode until it's over.
The world of Zeno Clash is a strange, surreal fantasy land, which is well realized with attractive graphics. Controlling your character is similar to a traditional FPS game, using mouse and keys, so is not hard to pick up. Attackers usually come in groups, making fights quite frantic.
While it could have been a button basher, fighting does have an element of thought about it - you need to dodge and block, switch targets and time your attacks. It's quite satisfying, although some might find it a bit repetitive, the focus on melee fighting makes a nice change.
Zeno Clash stands out as an unusual looking game, with an unusual focus on hand to hand fighting that works really well, with a weird storyline that will keep you intrigued as you progress.
