Remember the Zeno Clash games? ACE Team‘s wonderfully weird first person combat titles seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth after the second game came out way back in 2013, which is a damned shame if you ask me. Thankfully, the developers are revisiting the world of Zenozoik with Clash: Artifacts of Chaos, a third person action title scheduled for release in June 2022.
Nacon is handling publishing duties for this one (Sega were responsible for that for Zeno Clash 2, and the first one was self-published). The game is as wonderfully weird as its two predecessors though, as you’ll see in the trailer I’ve embedded below.
You are Pseudo, a powerful warrior living as a recluse in the strange land of Zenozoik. When you become embroiled in a quest for the Artifacts of Chaos, everything changes. Explore the world and defeat your enemies, but never forget the sacred rules of the Ritual.
The Mysteries of Zenozoik
You are about to enter a strange and inhospitable world. During your quest you will meet unusual characters, travel across breath-taking landscapes, and discover ancient secrets.
The Protector and the Protected
Pseudo is a formidable warrior. Despite his outer stoicism, he is haunted by his memories and chooses to live apart from civilization. This quiet existence is upheaved when he meets a small orphaned creature whose incredible healing powers have attracted the attention of Gemini, the terrible mistress of the Artifacts. Unable to leave the boy to face this threat alone, Pseudo decides to protect him – not realizing that larger forces are at play.
The Only Law
In Zenozoik, there is only one law. According to an ancient custom, the rules of combat are determined by a game of dice using artifacts with special properties. To succeed, you will have to search for the most powerful of these artifacts, fighting your battles according to the ever-changing rules of the Ritual.
Martial Arts
To succeed in hand-to-hand combat, you must master all the ancient techniques. Every warrior, no matter how strong, has weaknesses that can be exploited. Grab your enemies, block their hits, stun them, dodge attacks… every opportunity seized takes you closer to victory, but mistakes can be fatal. To bring down the toughest opponents, you will have to perfect your skills.
One Night, Infinite Stars
Every night, Pseudo’s dreams are so vivid that they literally come to life. Enter his mysterious dreamscape and embark on a multiplayer adventure. Play co-op with up to three players or challenge other players in arena combat.
