With so many mature rated games dominating the video game scene all the time it’s important to remember that we need games for the younger audience as well. Companies like Outright Games and Nintendo have been doing a great job of supplying them but it never hurts to have more. Nacon now has one of their own with developer BKOM Studios new title Zorro the Chronicles which is based on the animated series.
Zorro the Chronicles is a single-player action-adventure game that is out now on all the major platforms. I took the PlayStation 5 version for a spin where I was presented with the choice of playing as either Diego or his sister Ines. It doesn’t really matter which one you choose as they play mostly the same but Ines does get more health while Diego is better at using certain skills. The story follows our characters in 19th century Spanish occupied California as you fight for justice. The game contains 18 levels to play through so it should last you a few hours but not much more than that.
The gameplay isn’t very deep which is why older players might not find it very engaging. You’ll mostly be doing the same things over and over through all the levels which means sneaking around, marking enemies like in Sniper Elite, and getting into brawls. The game had some bugs and glitches when I first started playing it but the team has since released a patch that ironed out a lot of the problems that I was having. The combat in the game is pretty mindless as just pressing the attack button over and over can usually get the job done. You can also parry the enemy attacks by paying attention to the on-screen prompt and unleash special moves. As you progress you also are able to unlock new skills in a skill tree giving you more options on how to take down the enemies. It got a bit repetitive by the time I was finishing the game up but younger players may not find that as much of a problem.
With this being a more budget priced title, you can expect that to be reflected in the visual and audio presentation. There are some visual bugs in the game and it isn’t very detailed but it does feature some OK animation work at times. The game seemed to run at a pretty smooth 60fps on the PS5 but the camera can be a bit wonky at times and not as responsive as it should be. I was also disappointed that there really is no voice acting to speak of and the rest of the audio isn’t anything special either whether it be the music or sound effects. Trophy hunters will find 13 trophies to collect including a Platinum. It’s a very easy list that you should have no problems completing by the time you finish the game.
Zorro the Chronicles is a solid family-friendly action-adventure game but one that is mainly aimed at younger players. If you got a young gamer who enjoys the types of titles that Outright Games puts out then they will most likely enjoy this one too. Anyone older will likely find the gameplay to be too simple and repetitive to get much enjoyment out of it.
*Zorro the Chronicles is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. PlayStation 5 version reviewed. Review copy provided by the publisher for this review.
Zorro The Chronicles
$34.99
Pros
- Family-friendly cartoon action adventure that plays well
- Has some cool combat animations
Cons
- Annoying camera that gets in the way
- Combat isn't very deep and the gameplay loop gets repetitive
- Visuals and audio leave a lot to be desired
