History Videogame / ZenoClash

''Zeno Clash'' is a 2009 FirstPersonShooter[=/=]BeatEmUp hybrid game made by ACE Team using the Source Engine. It was published by ACE Team themselves on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, by Creator/TripwireInteractive for retail, and by Creator/{{Atlus}} on Xbox Live Arcade. The main emphasis is on melee combat. You can throw complex combos, and the game is essentially a string of battles. The few projectile weapons are slow to reload and somewhat inaccurate and the melee weapons are slow, meaning that most of the emphasis is on [[GoodOldFisticuffs fistfights]].

A sequel, ''VideoGame/ZenoClash2'', was released in 2013 on {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, [[UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade XBLA]] and [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork PSN]]. ''Zeno Clash II'' continues the story of the first game, and introduce a WideOpenSandbox, RPGElements and CoOpMultiplayer to the mix.

* GrievousHarmWithABody: Ghat can take stunned enemies and throw them at other enemies. There's a UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} achievement for doing this a lot.

** The second boss fight against Hunter, once he stops holding back. [[spoiler: Luckily Golem intervenes]]. The first clue on this is the absence of a certain item that would make it easier to survive. The second clue is the UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} achievement related to the fight.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Many characters, most notably Deadra, Ghat's companion.

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 ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', followed by an eight hour ''Film/DoubleDragon'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on mescaline]]. Or as some call it, "Fever Dream: The Game." Oh, and the voice acting's [[SoBadItsGood terrible]].

* NiceHat:
** Rimat is the only character in the game wearing a sedge hat. It tends to [[UselessAccessory go flying off her head]] the moment she gets hit.
** Pott, another brother fittingly wears a fancy pot-like helmet on his head.
** Golem has his nice crown-like headwear, but it seems to be growing out of his head.

''Zeno Clash'' is a FirstPersonShooter[=/=]BeatEmUp hybrid game made by ACE Team using the Source Engine and published by Valve on {{UsefulNotes/Steam}} and Microsoft on Xbox Live Arcade. The main emphasis is on melee combat. You can throw complex combos, and the game is essentially a string of battles. The few projectile weapons are slow to reload and somewhat inaccurate and the melee weapons are slow, meaning that most of the emphasis is on [[GoodOldFisticuffs fistfights]].

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 ''[[Film/TheDarkCrystal The Dark Crystal]]'' and ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', followed by an eight hour ''Film/DoubleDragon'' marathon... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs while on mescaline]]. Or as some call it, "Fever Dream: The Game." Oh, and the voice acting's [[SoBadItsGood terrible]].

A sequel, ''Videogame/ZenoClash2'', was released in 2013 on {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, [[UsefulNotes/XBoxLiveArcade XBLA]] and [[UsefulNotes/PlaystationNetwork PSN]]. ''Zeno Clash II'' continues the story of the first game, and introduce a WideOpenSandbox, RPGElements and CoOpMultiplayer to the mix.

!!''Videogame/Zeno Clash'' contains examples of:

* AHandfulForAnEye: [[spoiler: employed by the Hunter on you in your last battle]].
* AnimeHair: Many of the human and mostly-human characters, particularly Deadra and Rimat; the former has an enormous afro with ornamental horns sticking out of it, and the latter lengthy, unkempt hair topped by a wide-brimmed hat.
** Ghat's segmented crew cut also counts.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Averted; part of the game's charm is how [[MindScrew atypical it is as a setting]].
** Despite how primitive it is, they still have their own versions of guns, locking mechanisms and even bars.
** *Also one Rubik's cube, but it could come from a prior civilization.

* FinishingMove: The game lets you deliver a powerful uppercut to foes that are stunned. This often is enough to finish them.

* FlunkyBoss: During the final battle, Ghat has to deal with several of his brothers as well as the [[FinalBoss final boss]]. The final level of the Challenge Tower ramps it up a notch: you have to fight the entire Family at the same time, Father-Mother included.

* GrievousHarmWithABody: Ghat can take stunned enemies and throw them at other enemies. There's a {{UsefulNotes/Steam}} achievement for doing this a lot.

** The second boss fight against Hunter, once he stops holding back. [[spoiler: Luckily Golem intervenes]].
*** The first clue on this is the absence of a certain item that would make it easier to survive. The second clue is the {{UsefulNotes/Steam}} achievement related to the fight.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Go right ahead. [[FridgeLogic It doesn't do as much damage as a punch and doesn't prevent anyone from getting back up to fight if they still have more than a silver of health,]] but it's a good way to hurt people who [[VideogameCrueltyPotential can't fight back.]] [[CherryTapping And it can be used to defeat enemies, too.]]

* MadeOfIron: Apparently just about everyone. The amount of punishment that Ghat takes and deals is very much out of proportion to the game's actual death toll. [[spoiler: the Hunter takes the first prize for being shot until he fell off a tall edifice twice and still having enough stamina to kick Ghat's ass.]]

* MindScrew: The world of Zenozoik is ''weird'', and has no obvious roots outside of, perhaps, surrealist art, or Doctor Seuss landscapes through a mirror darkly.
* {{Mooks}}: Completely averted, apart from the shadow people, every character you fight has a unique name, distinctive fighting style, and returns at least once.

* MookChivalry: Totally averted. In fact, only the lack of obvious team tactics makes it apparent that your enemies AREN'T ganging up on you. Your ability to stun and throw people will be critical to avoid being overwhelmed.

* MysteriousCubeOfRubik: The Golem has a rubik's cube that he fiddles with throughout the game. [[spoiler: He finally completes it at the end, and it's revealed that there is a shadow double of the Golem that did the same.]]
* NiceHat: Rimat is the only character in the game wearing a sedge hat. It tends to [[UselessAccessory go flying off her head]] the moment she gets hit.

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Father-Mother]].
* PardonMyKlingon / UnusualEuphemism: "Eat kak, you tef."
* PerceptionFilter / ExactWords: There's that guy who wants to be invisible. Invisibility involves people being not able to see you. Being able to see someone involves having eyes. So... see InsaneTrollLogic above.

* PunkPunk: StonePunk? [[Creator/SalvadorDali Dalí Punk]]? Music/DaftPunk? Well, it's ''[[GenreBusting some kind]]'' of punk...
** Arguably, it's a piece of NewWeird, with hefty doses of surrealism.
* RailShooter: A short section has you standing on a boat picking off hostile rock-throwing tribals with a rifle, while [[MrExposition Golem]] and Deadra have a plot-expanding chat.
** Can also be [[ThatOneLevel That One Level]] before it was patched, as it was insanely easy to accidentally heave your rifle into the water and spend the entire mission trying to dodge tribals.
* SchizoTech: Crossbows that fire skulls are the ''closest'' thing you find to real world technology. Other highlights include semi-automatic pistols made from seashells, 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.
* SpiritualSuccessor: Likely unintentional, but the game plays very similarly to the Xbox game ''Videogame/{{Breakdown}}''. Both are First-Person Shooter/Beat 'em ups with a half-and-half focus between punching and shooting. Aside from that, they are very different, though.

* TheUnreveal: Subverted, Ghat decides not to reveal Father-Mother's secret, then [[spoiler: Golem steps in to ShootTheDog and spill the beans]].
* 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.

* WretchedHive: Halstedom is both the largest city on the planet and the most dangerous, a horizon spanning sprawl of violence addiction and general misery. It's citizens either fall under the control of the isolationist Family (Who don't really help anyone who wasn't birthed from Father Mother) and the brutal Northern Gate Gang (Who actively exploit and harm those in their territory). Deadra was willing to risk the harsh wilderness because there was a minuscule chance of escaping Halstedom by doing so.

* PettingZooPeople: No distinct races are named and many creatures' looks can only be described as "weird", but it's plain that some of them are anthropomorphic animals. Examples include rodent-people, elephant-people, (several kinds of) bird-people, pig-people and more. WordOfGod claims they are based on prehistoric mammals and birds.

* MysteriousCubeOfRubik: * The Golem has a rubik's cube that he fiddles with throughout the game. [[spoiler: He finally completes it at the end, and it's revealed that there is a shadow double of the Golem that did the same.]]