In what was seemingly a dying breed of games, ‘rogue-like’ Ziggurat powers onto the Xbox One stage without flash nor excitement around it. But as we have seen so often hidden gems are lurking amidst the Xbox store, so will be revitalised arcade game, now for the Xbox One, come to the forefront of your screens or simply stay on the shelf?
It’s fair to say that I haven’t played anything like Ziggurat in a long, long time and it often reminds me of something you would find on the original Xbox, with its simplistic controls, nowhere near hip and with it graphics, and enemies that look like vegetables. Ziggurat though offers something which isn’t on the Xbox One at the moment. A Rogue-Like game.
For those you who don’t know what this means, Rogue was a game that came out in the 80’s (Before my time I may add) was rather successful. Characterised by progressive level playing, fantasy game which also featured permanent death, which you never see these days, Rogue captured gamers hearts and became a hit. Much of Ziggurat is similar to that of Rogue.
I have to admit, at first I wasn’t a fan of Ziggurat. It’s very old graphics and very strange enemies, put me off slightly. But as I got it into the game I enjoyed it more and more, the challenge and the ever threat of permanent death kept me coming back for more. The expansive map with hidden ever-changing rooms was also a major plus point.
So how does it all work together? Ziggurat centres on an apprentice aiming to become a member of the circle of wizards. To do so he must complete the challenge of the Ziggurat. Comprising of multiple levels, the challenge is partly taking on the enemies which lurk but also exploring the hidden wonders of each floors. To progress you must defeat the boss at each level and remember as soon as you die, you start again.
Each time you do die, it is a brand new experience, changing characters and new perks allow the player to have a different chance to explore the level and abilities differently each time. A breath of fresh air to some of the structured set in stone games out there. Ziggurat is definitely one on of its own in this current day market.
As you play the more spells become available, the controls are set up like a simple FPS with the trigger being used to shoot. It’s simple as that really, all spells are centred and there is little in skill to be honest. The biggest challenge is the use of resources and the ability to dodge. You use ammo called Mana, and as you swap through the different spells it becomes clear that you can progress through with ease once you get to grips with it.
So there isn’t much depth to Ziggurat, its old style graphics and pretty linear system gives you a blast from the past, but it doesn’t really wow you to the point of return. The only thing that really had me coming back for more was the different ways to attack the level, but as I got to the boss levels it was frustrating to see myself use the same patterns never mind which spells I used.
The environment seems to be very dark and gloomy; a change of scenery would have been nice to make it a bit more interesting. It seemed throughout every level I passed it was much of a muchness. Having said that though, graphically it all looked very similar due to the low standard. Fans of this game will definitely love this, once you get into the challenge its clear to see the appeal to fans out there, but aside from that it’s difficult to see the point of sale for anyone who isn’t really into these types of games.
Ziggurat is certainly an experience to try if anything else, the interest map layout and different things to try in the game, added in the challenge of permanent death could give players the buzz they need, but for me I didn’t really feel it at all which was a shame. I could see myself coming back into this but I don’t think I could sit there and play solid for a few hours like I would with another game.
Thanks to XCN and Mircosoft for allowing me to review Ziggurat.