History VideoGame / ZenoClash

A sequel, ''Zeno Clash II'' was revealed at E3 2012, with 2013 release dates planned on Steam, XBLA and PSN. ''Zeno Clash II'' will continue on where the first game's story left off, and introduce a WideOpenSandbox, RPGElements and Co-op Multiplayer to the mix.

!!''ZenoClash'' contains examples of:

* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Ghat implements one to return to Halstedom.
* AscendedExtra: Rimat, TheDragon[=/=]TheRival and a recurring enemy from the first game, will be your partner in the second.

* AnimeHair: Many of the human and mostly-human characters, particularly Deadra and Rimat.
* AvengingTheVillain: Ghat's siblings are after him for killing their parent.

* BigBad: Father-Mother... maybe.
* BigDamnHeroes: Golem at the end of [[spoiler: the second boss fight with Hunter]].

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: The Corwid each have their own individual set of morals (some feel that they must eat others, some feel that alternately training and attempting to a kill a random visitor to their forest makes perfect sense).
* BountyHunter: Recurring boss Hunter.
* CrapsackWorld: Downplayed. It seems pretty horrifying to us, but its inhabitants are clearly used to it and go about their lives.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Many characters, most notably Deadra.
* DeusExMachina: Golem.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Thoroughly, completely, and utterly averted. That's part of the game's [[MindScrew charm]].

* HarderThanHard: Hard mode is the default difficulty setting, there is no Easy mode.
* HeelFaceTurn: Rimat joins Ghat in the sequel.

* ImAHumanitarian: [[MiniBoss Gabel]], one of the Corwids.

* InsaneEqualsViolent: DoubleSubversion, Ghat notes that the Corwid are no threat because [[ItAmusedMe they simply do what they want]] . . . then they decide they ''want'' to attack him.

* LivingShadow: The creatures guarding Golem.
* LowCultureHighTech
* TheMadHatter: The Corwid.
* MadOracle: TheObiWan, who kills himself [[spoiler:in exactly the same way Ghat defeats Father-Mother for the first time]].

* PardonMyKlingon / UnusualEuphemism: Eat kak, you tef.

* TheStoic: Golem.
* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty: Absolutely mandatory if you want to live. Fighting honorably with your fists is all very well, but you literally cannot beat your tougher opponents unless you make use of guns, grenades, blunt instruments, and/or the terrain.
** There is a steam achievement for using the bare minimum amount of weaponry to beat the game. There's a handful of enemies that can only be hit (initially, at least) with a weapon.
* UnusableEnemyEquipment: Averted. Any weapon can be knocked out of an opponent's hand (or yours). Any weapon that's lying around can be picked up by anyone (including your enemies).

* MirrorMatch: The boss fight of the lowest level of the Challenge Pit is Ghat, [PaletteSwap except all shadow-like]].

* FlunkyBoss: During the final battle, Ghat has to deal with several of his brothers as well as the final boss.

* LargeAndInCharge: Father-Mother towers at nearly 12 feet tall, making him-her much larger than any other sapient lifeform seen in the game's world. He-she (they?) is also the primary authority figure and parent(s) of a family so large it's implied to effectively be its own city-state.

* ImAHumanitarian: Gabel, one of the Corwids.

* InsaneTrollLogic: One of the Corwid wants to be invisible, so he takes out the eyes of any creature that looks at him. Oddly, he may be more rational than average for a Corwid...

** StonePunk? [[Creator/SalvadorDali Dalí Punk?]] [[DaftPunk Daft Punk?]]

** StonePunk? [[Creator/SalvadorDali Dalí Punk?]]

* AscendedExtra: Rimat, a recurring enemy from the first game, will be your partner in the second.

* AcendedExtra: Rimat, a recurring enemy from the first game, will be your partner in the second.

* HandicappedBadass: Hunter is blind. Not that it stops him from being a top-notch sniper using his hearing and explosive squirrels. When you fight him in hand-to-hand combat, he's [[HopelessBossFight unbeatable]].

* HeyItsThatVoice: In the [=XBLA=] release Atlus saw to it that Deadra's lines were [[TheOtherDarrin redubbed]] by KateHiggins. Why Deadra appears to be the only character redubbed is a mystery, since her old voice is far from the only source of narm in the original cast.

* CrapsackWorld: Sort of. It seems pretty horrifying to us, but not a lot of its inhabitants are weeping with despair or anything.

** StonePunk? [[SalvadorDali Dali Punk?]]

** It might be more accurate to describe the Corwid as hardcore ascetics, rather than insane. Their devotion to a single task (such as head butting things) and disregard for basic necessities, bears a strong resemblance to certain religious practitioners.

** It might be more accurate to describe the Corwid as hardcore ascetics, rather than insane. Their devotion to a single task (such as head butting things) and disregard for basic necessities, bears a resemblance to the behaviour of certain subsets of real religious practitioners.

* VideogameCrueltyPotential: Here's how a typical fight goes: a guy comes at you, you block a punch or two, and then you smack him around until he's too dazed to fight back. Then you grab him and hold him in place while you introduce his nose to your kneecap several times. Then you throw him to the ground, and kick him while he's down until he can't get up anymore. [[SarcasmMode Sounds pleasant, doesn't it?]]

* InsaneTrollLogic: One of the Corwid wants to be invisible, so he takes out the eyes of any creature that looks at him.

* LargeAndInCharge: Father-Mother towers at nearly 12 feet tall, making him-her much larger than any other sapient lifeform seen in the game's world. He's also the primary authority figure and parent(s) of a family so large it's implied to effectively be it's own city-state.

* InsaneTrollLogic: One of the Corwid wants to be invisible, so he takes out the eyes of any creature that can see him.

* LargeAndInCharge: Father-Mother towers at nearly 12 feet tall, making him much larger than any other sapient lifeform seen in the game's world. He's also the closest thing the entire world seems to have to an authority figure.

* {{Mooks}}: Completely averted, apart from the shadow people, every character you fight has a unique name and returns at least once.

* NonLethalKO: Liberally applied to your foes. Despite the brutal and bone-crushing nature of the fights, you don't seem to deal any permanent damage, as they can be back up in minutes (plot-wise) to fight you again. And again.

* RailShooter: A short section has you standing on a boat picking off rock-throwing tribals with a rifle, while [[MrExposition Golem]] and Deadra have a plot-expanding chat.

* SchizoTech: Crossbows that fire skulls, seashell pistols, gunpowder rifles made from spines and metal pipes, automated doors which need passwords, bombs made of skulls and... [[spoiler: Rubix cubes]]. All but the [[spoiler:cube]] have a decidedly stone-age aesthetic, being made mostly from [[BambooTechnology wood and bones]]. Yes, even the rifles.

* VideogameCrueltyPotential: Here's how a typical fight goes: you find a guy, you block a punch or two, and then you smack him around until he's too dazed to fight back. Then you grab him and hold him in place while you introduce his nose to your kneecap several times. Then you throw him to the ground, and kick him while he's down until he can't get up anymore. [[SarcasmMode Sounds pleasant, doesn't it?]]

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Prior to the battle with Chneero, Ghat mentions that as long as Chneero keeps playing his music the Corwid won't stay down. Interestingly, during the course of the battle, if Chneero is still standing even ''Ghat'' is healed by his music.

More than a little surreal, ''Zeno Clash'' is what you might get after following up a class on surrealist art with a double feature of ''[[TheDarkCrystal The Dark Crystal]]'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', followed by an eight hour ''[[DoubleDragon Double Dragon]]'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on mescaline]]. Oh, and the voice acting's [[SoBadItsGood terrible]].

More than a little surreal, ''Zeno Clash'' is what you might get after following up a class on surrealist art with a double feature of ''[[TheDarkCrystal The Dark Crystal]]'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', followed by an eight hour ''[[DoubleDragon Double Dragon]]'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on mescaline]].

Oh, and the voice acting's [[SoBadItsGood terrible]].

* ImAHumanitarian: At least one Corwid.

* MultiBoobage: On the female rodent-people.

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Father-Mother]].
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The preferred method of fighting for... pretty much everyone.

More than a little surreal, ''Zeno Clash'' is what you might get after following up a double feature of ''[[TheDarkCrystal The Dark Crystal]]'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' with an eight hour ''[[DoubleDragon Double Dragon]]'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on about as many drugs as]] SalvadorDali.

More than a little surreal, ''Zeno Clash'' is what you might get after following up a double feature of ''[[TheDarkCrystal The Dark Crystal]]'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' with an eight hour ''[[DoubleDragon Double Dragon]]'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on about as many drugs as Salvador Dali]].

More than a little surreal, ''Zeno Clash'' is what you might get after following up a double feature of ''[[TheDarkCrystal The Dark Crystal]]'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' with an eight hour ''[[DoubleDragon Double Dragon]]'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on mescaline]].