What is Zenonia? [UPDATED]
Zenonia is an action-RPG which is developed by a KOREAN based game company called GamEvil. The Game was originally released for the iPhone and Windows Mobile Platform, but GamEvil has recently published the game for the Android Market. Before I'd like to start reviewing this game, I have decided to purchase the game and fully experience the game for over 6 hours (This includes writing notes). This will allow me to explore the game more in-depth and experience more of the classes and gameplay.
(There is a DEMO available, but this game is seriously worth it)
Personal Experience Overview
During my adventure in Zenonia, I loved grinding because you get all sorts of items when you killed monsters. I know I'm repeating myself but the game is just exciting and brings back memories from the old RPG I used to play, and this experience were all delivered to my very own Android device. The music, environment and gameplay have been surprised well developed and everything works so well. So enjoy my review and I hope I'll persuade you to buy this game when it the ends. - Nearly
[UPDATE] - I've completed the game as a Warrior, took around 6 hours using the fastest method possible, I'm only Level 54 (56 when final boss is down); and the storyline really does progress. I think the ending was nice, and wonder how the game will move on towards the sequel, anyway, I'll be updating this review since I've nearly explore 70% of the game (Still a lot to look at, from side quests to end-game stats/skills etc.)
Gameplay
I've never seen a RPG on Android so well developed. The gameplay is exciting, and the controls are really clear and fluid. From the engagement of a battle, to the swing of your sword, Zenonia really shows how a RPG should feel. The leveling system is immersive, and the talent tree (Skill development system) is very complexed and allows you to develop a character that is unique through the use of different skills / passive abilities and stat bonuses. For example, each level you get 3 stat points and 1 skill point. You can spend these points to develop your character. The deep customisation is typical of a RPG, and Zenonia is the first Android game that I've really felt that has done it's genre proud. The game also has a day and night system, monsters will be harder to see in the night so better watch your back.
>> Hunger System
You're SP can decrease over time if you don't eat an item that restores hunger. You can get these items from the shop or they could drop off monsters. Make sure you always top your SP bar or else you'll be limited to half or 3/4 of the SP bar to use on skills. I didn't really find any problems with the hunger system because a good fruit could last your character a couple of days, they could've made this system more intense but it's not over the top which could be quite annoying if it becomes too repetitive. Throughout the game you'll require more hunger points because you might get hungry faster, you'll be able to buy different variations of food that will restore a certain amount of hunger.
>> Classes
I really liked playing the Warrior and Assassin. These two classes stood out from the three, and I thought the skills were very nice to launch whilst in combat. The dagger wielding class; Assassin was my guinea pig, I used this character to see how the story would develop as a good character. However on my Warrior; I decided to opt for the evil side of the story which would allow me to experience the other side of the story, sadly there wasn't major changes to the story yet, so I couldn't really differ a lot from the two. The Warrior is more of a brutality class in my opinion, which allows heavy damage and also provide a rock solid health pool, whilst the Assassin is more based around the evades and fast attacks that allows them to gain speed to initiate fast damage. Paladins are more like the magical users in the game, which is really nice since the other two classes rely more on physical combat, although paladins do use swords, but there skills are more birthed around holy light. The game has three different classes to choose: Paladin, Warrior and Assassin.
>> Items
Potions are very useful for grinding large amount of monsters quickly to gain fast experience or items. You should find gear that'll drop every so often that'll be colour marked with a specific unique tag. These items basically refer the items rarity, and like World of Warcraft; Purple is the big daddy of the game. The current rarities, I've picked up are : White, Yellow, Blue and Purple. I really like this system since it gives an excitement when you pick up your first purple item. (I got a chest item, which I am refusing to upgrade). Grinding is something you'll realise that you need to do since you need better gear for the content that you'll be tackling in the future, you realise this when you enter your first dungeon with is the 'Cave of Deceit'. Each item will weight a certain amount depending on how high the level of the item is, by adding more strength you'll be able to carry more items as you level. You can also buy the feather of Oblivion to increase the amount you can hold significantly 20% [10,000 gold]. I've also ran into gold items, which I'm not sure if it's better or equal to purple, but these item stats are really good, so I think it's more superior than purple (epic). You will also notice that these items will be a lot more heavier and will require more weight.
>> Shops and Combine
Shops are plotted around each time to give you the opportunity to restock your potions, repair your items or buy additional equipment. However the game also offers another shop that I came across that allows you to combine items (Blacksmith). I didn't get the chance to explore this feature since I didn't have any scrolls on me, but I remember on my Assassin that they were rewarded from side quests. Combining items could also make your items stronger and increase its stats, so for now I'll leave it for you to explore. All of these options will cost more and more while you progress through the game, so keep saving those gold pieces because you'll find that you'll need to repair a lot more often.
There are also enchanting materials in the game, but I'm not sure how to use these and I've finished the game. I guess I'll explore how I actually enchant because I haven't really been noticing on small things for the past few hours but progress in the story itself.
>> Quests
Quests have two different elements in this game. There are the main quests which progress the story, and there are side quests which are used to gain experience and gold quickly. The side quests are quite repetitive because they are basically collecting items or talking to NPCs. Although you get some gold and items, I think grinding mobs are more faster, but you might as well grind the side quest mobs for a little while to gain a little more experience and gold. The game gets quite repetitive if you choose to undergo the option of doing ALL the side quests before you embark on the next chapter.
>> Dungeons
'Cave of Deceit'; I finally reached the point of the game where I have to enter my first dungeon. The quests follow that I should read some kind of seal which is hidden deep beneath this cave. I really like the maps since there big and you have time to explore certain elements of the cave before moving to the next room. I also found my first Mimic chest which is popular in games such as Dragon Quest or Breath of Fire. These chests don't contain loot but instead attack you when you try to open them. Mobs were much higher level than me so I needed to grind and bash potions quickly to keep me alive. I noticed that I was really low level (13) when I entered a cave suited for (16+). I also grinded some mobs to get some gear back outside, so I'm not really feeling the huge level gaps in this game. As I progressed through the dungeon I saw higher level mobs and got a few nice upgrades which is always nice. However, once I tried entering one map I was prompted with a box claiming (Something a long the lines of this) 'You can not save in a Boss map, do you wish to enter?'. I will talk more about the Boss mechanics in my next section.
>>> Bosses
Pale is the main badass in this dungeon. When I first entered the map it highlighted three switches on three different corners that I had to do something to which enabled a certain element of the boss to be killable. I didn't stand a chance anyway, with all the monsters running around so I tried warding them in different directions hoping that I could escape and press these buttons before I'm surrounded by monsters. I realised that you had to push the wooden crates on top of these switches instead of standing on them, so basically I wasted around 10 potions reaching from each switch doing nothing. I quickly gathered speed and pushed the crates to witness a light is now shining down into the map. This light will presumably allow me to kill Pale, because of Regrets jokingly dialogue. I was spamming my attack, tapping my skills from left to right and keeping my health solid so that he wouldn't kill me. I then realised he's around 5 levels higher than me and fled.... well I got killed but that's because he hit me for 700+ damage. All my gear is broken and now I have to go all the way back to town, Pale wins! Once I grind a few more levels and obtain stronger gear, I'm going to slay his head.. *He's a ghost* /shudders
Exploration / Graphics
The games graphics are gorgeous, and the art-style resembles the earlier games from the Final Fantasy series or Secret of Mana games. The SNES like graphics really capture the fantasy 'world' which gives players an excitement visual experience while playing the game. The environment for the game is really well developed and a solid foundation to a typical fantasy RPG. The smooth movement of the sprites make the game feel alive and progressive, the detailed actions of swinging your sword or abilities cutscenes display very fluidly. The maps are all adapted to capture a specific scene and the graphics are well built around the visual overview of a small town, forest or cave. I've also noticed that some maps also rain, so weather is something the game has really nicely thought about.
Music
The music is very light hearted and successfully portray a fantasy vibe. The sound effects are very detailed and goes down to the very specific character moans when thrusting your sword at enemies are being damaged. Spells also highlight sounds that make them more realistic, like the sound of rocks crumbling when you use Rising Spine which is a Warrior skill.
Storyline
Storylines are the most important aspect of a well built RPG. Zenonia is no other exception, and the story is immersive. The story follows a boy called Regret, and during his adventures he tries to unveil why his adoptive father died. All he knows is that he was killed by a demon, but as the story progress and meeting new friends like Sun, it all turns into a brilliant fantasy story and the ending is breathtaking like any classic RPGs. The game features a set of NPC's that show emotion through the use of avatars and emotes that really capture a more relevant environment (through the use of mood/personality). The game also allows you to make options during the important phases of the storyline, and this allows you to choose a side to follow. (Good / Evil) One of the events that allowed you to choose which one you wanted to follow. One example of this was you had to save a guild representative from one of the other, and whoever you choose decides who you gain trust from and who will hate you. In my experience, the game storyline didn't really differ a lot but small changes like the quest hub is obtained in another building rather than if you had choose the other option.
The game lasts for a at least 7 hours, and you'll be exploring a whole load of different environments where you'll be saving or destroying each seal. However, the final encounter is something much deeper inside.
Conclusion
I really love this game and it's the best game I've ever played on the Android! It's so smooth and very detailed to the bone. It's also advertised as a classic RPG and I really agree with that since it's does bring back memories of other 2D RPG games on the SNES. Everything about this game is well polished and addictive, and it's a good time waster. I truly think it's well worth the money and that if the DEMO isn't enough for you, than get the full game because I was amazed by just how good this game is. The game may get repetitive but it'll be all worth it because you'll be grinding an amazing adventure. The game has over 20 hours of game play so you shouldn't be getting bored anytime soon. GamEvil has already unveiled the development of Zenonia 2: The Lost Memories. (Already released for iOS platform).
>> Extra, and Advice
After completion of the game: I found that the story has developed quite nicely for a RPG title, I think the levelling system is a bit off since I finished the game at level 54/56. The game was really well thought into and I'm sure I'm going to level up every once in awhile to obtain the best rank gear and skills. I'm pretty sure that if you buy this game than make sure you buy as much potions before you head out. It really saves time and especially if you can afford the repair hammers.
If you want a CLASSIC RPG, than this will be the best six dollars you've spent in awhile, because of it's excellent gameplay and full of content for you to explore, I'm going to give this game a:
PERFECT 10!
- Reviewed by Nearly of AndroidApplications.com
- Thanks for your time!
- (Source: GamEvil USA Youtube channel - TV AD South Korea / Language: Korean)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGvKSFiQpEU
The skeletons should also give a lot of XP, so keep trying to do range attacks to weaken them so that you can level a bit more safely. SP pots would be handy too 
But the graphics, sounds and gameplay seems to be good. My younger brother loves it.
