Android Gaming: Zenonia
A new Android game has been made available recently –a port of the successful Korean made real time RPG, Zenonia.
Getting past the odd title, this game is a definite nod to many of the tradition Japanese RPGs that have dominated the console gaming market in the recent decades. The character art is unapologetically Japanese-inspired and even the graphical style of the backgrounds, user interface and special effects for skills look like the things one would expect from an old Namco or Square game.
Still, being a tribute game to classics is not so bad, considering the hardware limitations of the standard smart phone – it still makes for a good formula. Zenonia brings nothing new to the table, it does make the gaming fun and easy with its simplistic controls, straightforward gameplay and of course, pick up and play game mechanics.
Amnesiac lead character Regret and his cadre of well proportioned female party members are drawn in an art style that looks quite similar to Nippon Ichi’s turn based strategy RPG games for the Sony Playstation. The music is that all too familiar RPG theme –which is actually great. Since dramatic scenes actually do feel serious and the combat music gets the blood pumping.
The interface below the screen for health, action icons and others can tend to be quite difficult to understand at some points, especially when your focus on the center of the display. On the other hand, long time RPG players might find Zenonia far too simplistic when compared to other RPG titles.
The bottom line here, if you like RPGs and just need a quick fix or if you have never tried the genre, then Zenonia is a perfect fit. On the other hand, players who want something that will give them a challenge might want to pass this title up for something that is a little more than casual.
