Zanki Zero: Last Beginning - PlayStation 4

I'll start by saying this game is wonderful, it has far exceeded my expectations, I've written a few reviews, which is something I usually only do when I have a very positive experience. I received this game yesterday and figured I'd play about an hour then get some stuff done around the house, *nine hours later* I went to bed thinking about this world, it's characters and systems. In the small amount of time I've logged in this game, it's easily within my top 10 games ever, maybe even top 5. Story: The story is great, I hate spoilers so I'll just give you all a vague idea of the goings on, its crazy stuff that often focuses in on the eight protagonists lives while they seek answers in an insane world. Its well told and so far in my little time I've already been surprised a few times, it is rather mature so be prepared for some adult conversations and humor. Graphic: This game has a very interesting design aesthetic, it often has hub elements that are reminiscent of arcade games, with a lush world and detailed environments. The character design is pretty much what you would expect from this developer, similar to Danganronpa or Zero escape games. Sound: The BGM is solid and often tows the line between creepy and quiet with ambient nature sounds thrown in, the VO is top notch and in English, but for the the folks that enjoy Japanese VO that too is an option. Combat sounds are crunchy and satisfying especially when you break off parts of your enemies. Game-play: There is a lot of content to cover but I'll try to keep it concise, this game is a 1st person RPG dungeon crawler, with survival elements. Very similar to a game called Legend of Grimrock in its movement and play-style. You form a party of 4 out of your eight pro-tags and explore on a grid of squares. You fight enemies in real-time by approaching and attacking with basic, charge or combo attacks, there is no magic but that is the only realistic thing about this game, it is important to learn an enemies attack pattern as the game can be a reasonable challenge on the recommended difficulty (you can adjust the difficulty in game but higher risk comes with better rewards). There are a handful of survival elements in place, such as hunting, crafting, base building, scavenging, managing stress and eating to maintain proper stamina, you also have to remember to use the bathroom. Managing these systems never seem too intrusive and feel more like a clever balancing act than a nuisance. There are many other systems in place that make the feedback loop satisfying in every way. Bottom line if you were interested in this game even a little bit, its much better and more addictive than I can explain. It would take a lot of time and patience to get to everything, but you don't have to take my word for it. *Update: There are complaints about censorship, which I also don’t support, but understand the narrative before you judge the entire game on that, Spike Chunsoft did not want to censor this game after-all they distribute the uncensored Japanese version, but parts of the game were censored in order for a smooth western release, and what was censored were a few scenes that depict sexual situations with child characters, which honestly does not ruin the game for me, but don’t have misplaced anger with developers or publishers, they really just do what they can to release their art to as many folks as they can

Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is a first person dungeon crawler, which are not my cup of tea, but I decided to give it a chance anyways. Immediately, the world design, lighting, and sound effects caught my attention. I absolutely loved the aesthetic and ambiance that the developers created, and it really does give you that -"we are all that's left in the world" vibe. The characters are great with their unique personalities and enjoyable dialogue. They design is also great, and I had no problem with "censorship". The story is extremely interesting as you fill the shoes of a different survivors each chapter an learn more about their life prior to waking up on the island. There is mystery, horror, and comedy in this story. Exploring the world is cool, but the combat is kind of weak and I would have preferred a time based set up. Overall, this is a fun game and I would recommend to those who enjoy narrative, and beautiful visuals.

If you're a fan of dark visual novels like Danganronpa, 999, and Chaos;Child, you'll probably love Zanki Zero. It takes great characters and an intriguing, mysterious story and combines it with gameplay that breaks up the novel segments and keeps you hooked (and it feeds into the themes of the story, which is awesome too). There's a lot going on in Zanki Zero and each part feeds into other aspects of the game; the complete package feels even better than the sum of its parts. Don't sleep on this one! (Also, don't worry about any censorship stuff. People are getting angry over basically nothing. They only removed like two scenes of underage characters in their underwear. The story is still plenty messed up and disturbing at parts, and it certainly didn't feel like anything was missing while I was playing it.)

When I first started playing this game, I loved almost everything about it, except for the overuse of animals for experience points. I loved the mystery and intrigue. The Prologue and Chapter 1, I was completely enamored with, as well as the story line. That really fell apart in the second chapter, which henceforth seems like an unmitigated disaster. It turns into a highly redundant game, where the original story line and plot are brilliant, but then someone fell asleep at the wheel. I would give this 2 and 1/2 stars, but since amazon is limited in the rating system, I'll be generous and give it three, mainly for originality. This game could have been so much better though, which is a shame because it has a great premise. I suggest that the makers of this game return to the drawing board with a similar concept that doesn't shrivel up with old age like many of the characters in a few days.

This game is censored and a lot of its content is removed by the Western localizers, if you really want to play it then just rent it or buy it used.

Ignore the bad reviews upset because a few panty shots of a little girl and some bedtime scenes were taken out. Look it up. Nothing removed affects the game, and it’s all things that were suggestive with children. That said. I just couldn’t get into this game. I’m not sure if it was the first person perspective or the aimless wandering around. Maybe it was my failure to connect with the story, or not liking the characters. I loved Dangan Ronpa 1,2, and the spin off. I did not enjoy this. Reading some of the positive reviews, I may try the demo again.

Any "Censorship Crusaders" lmao that keep leaving 1 star reviews, get OUT of here. Sorry something that will never be undone upset you, but here we are. Come back when you've actually played this game & can assess what was provided. Zanki Zero is a pretty interesting game, impeccable UI & some crazy hard AI at times. If you're someone who likes anime, RPG's, or dungeon crawlers, I couldn't recommend this game enough. I was super hoping to play this on my Vita, but publishers really have given up on it everywhere except sometimes Japan, so I occasionally torture my gf making her watch me grind away. Spoiler heavy storyline so I won't really go into it. Highly recommend this game, even though it was censored.

The game is amazing, is well balanced, good story, a excelente mixed of an action game with a dungeo crawler, a very unique game.