Zheros Review (PC)

good
key review info
  • Game: Zheros
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
  • Reviewed on:
Zheros review on PC

A big portion of my childhood involved playing side-scrolling brawlers, like Streets of Rage or Metal Slug, vanquishing waves of foes with outlandish weapons or just my fists, with or without the help of a friend. Nowadays, a lot of independent game developers who went through similar experiences when they were younger have started bringing back the brawler genre, with or without the side-scrolling aspect.

One such example is Zheros, coming from Italian group Rimlight Studios. The game promises to provide intense combat and hectic brawling, letting players control one of two characters while wielding sci-fi guns as well as good old-fashioned brawn. Throw in the 3D perspective as well as the varied enemies and environments, and Zheros is looking quite good. Does it have what it takes to win the brawl or should it be knocked out? Let’s find out.

Story

Zheros has a pretty simple plot, involving a sci-fi universe in which you control the two members of the Zheros squad - Mike and Captain Dorian. The two characters, while pretty different in personality or traits, must work together to defeat the evil Dr. Vendetta, a pretty classical villain who wants to transform the universe into his own playground.

In order to defeat him, you must vanquish his ever-increasing army of minions before taking him down for good. The story has quite a few hilarious moments, and the two main characters keep things lighthearted. While it won’t blow you away, you’ll certainly enjoy the various cut scenes provided by the plot.

Kick foes in Zheros
Kick foes in Zheros

Gameplay and multiplayer

Zheros is a pretty classical brawler experience, letting you take on ever-increasing numbers of enemies using a variety of weapons. From your punches to sci-fi weapons, your arsenal is pretty impressive in theory and lets you unleash a pretty big array of combo moves and explosions. Unfortunately, in practice, many of your choices are illusions, and you'll still rely more on your punches and kicks than on other items.

As you progress through the stages, you unlock better and better gear, but also score skill points to grow your character’s abilities. You can choose to invest in various things, from your health to your energy levels, which dictate how often you can use your gun. These do add a bit more variety to the overall gameplay.

The two main characters use different primary attacks, with Mike employing his fists while Dorian uses her legs. While this does provide a bit of replayability, gameplay soon becomes the same for both of them.

Environments are relatively varied in terms of design, and while the themes don’t alternate all that much, you won’t have trouble navigating them. The actual enemies aren't that smart, but they do provide a decent challenge, especially when they gang up on your character.

Controls are decent when it comes to the mouse and keyboard, but as expected, a controller is recommended and makes blasting away waves of foes easier.

Going through the game alone can be pretty fun, but things get much more entertaining when another person joins in. You can work together to perform combo attacks but also split up the enemies so that you can dispatch of them more easily. The co-op mode is only local, so make sure you invite a friend over for some good old-fashioned alien-blasting fun.

Visuals and sound

The visuals in Zheros are pretty good. Colors are sharp, the style is futuristic, and the animations are well done. The monster design is also quite varied, although early stages don't offer that much variety. The soundtrack matches the sci-fi and futuristic theme of the whole experience but doesn't stand out all that much.


The Good

  • Varied stages and designs
  • Quite fun in co-op
  • Vibrant visuals

The Bad

  • Repetitive gameplay
  • Combat mostly relies on punches and kicks
  • Enemies aren't that varied

Conclusion

Zheros is a decent experience alone, but it's a bit better with a friend. The chaos you unleash is quite satisfying, and racking up bigger and bigger combos does much to alleviate the repetitive gameplay. Combat variety might not delight all players, but you can still have a bit of fun with this brawler.
story 6
gameplay 7
concept 7
graphics 8
audio 7
multiplayer 8
final rating 7
Editor's review
good
 
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Zheros Screenshots (16 Images)

Zheros review on PCMike in ZherosMike's punches in ZherosThe bad guy in ZherosEnemies in Zheros
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