Who Doesn't Like a Good Movie?
It's that time again for a new episode of Chichuki Plays, the show where I go hands-on with upcoming games and show them off. Usually, it's about an hour or so but I don't want to spoil too much of the game for you. This time, we're looking at ZOE Begone on Steam. It's a cross between a bullet hell and a run and gun! Fans of those genres will want to check it out.
I mentioned prior that ZOE Begone is a bullet hell game mixed with run and gun elements. One of the main things right off the bat that I didn't care for were the controls. I'm not the biggest dual aim game player. What I mean by that is when you have to use one control stick to maneuver your character and aim their projectiles with the other. The gameplay reminds me a lot of the classic Looney Toons cartoons where one character is in the picture and another one has control of the animation and messes with them. The big one was Bugs Bunny screwing with Daffy Duck but there were others too. Zoe wants to get some sleep but the animator is in the way. We'll have to help ZOE take care of said animator to get some free time. The level or the film loops so you'll have plenty of time/space to attack enemies and take care of them. Take care of the enemies and move on to the next level.
You'll only be able to shoot left and right while flying. When you're not flying you can shoot in five different directions. You'll have to figure out the best way to aim to take down enemies while keeping your health at a good amount. You'll have a limited number of healing items/accessories so plan accordingly. I found it hard to aim diagonally so I would go under the enemy and shoot up.You kill enemies and you get apples for your trouble. You'll use those apples to buy skill upgrades or limited upgrades. You'll have to conserve your power because your energy becomes ammo and when that runs out, you lose said power up. You will need to figure out how to save ammo/energy quickly because there will be times when there are tons of enemies on screen and you could get overwhelmed.
ZOE Begone is an interesting take on the bullet hell/run and gun genre. It really does feel like you're playing a game in a classic cartoon. My biggest issue with the game is the controls. It would have been nice to be able to change the layout of controls so I could shoot, aim and fly a little better. Fans of bullet hell games will really want to check this out.
Make sure you check out the hands-on video below!