Clash: Artifacts of Chaos Review

thesixthaxis.com:

There’s a unique and wonderful strain of oddity that runs through everything that ACE Team touches, from their original first-person brawler Zeno Clash, through the ball-busting Rock of Ages series up to 2021’s The Eternal Cylinder. That atypical tone seems unlikely to change, with Clash: Artifacts of Chaos the latest game set in the Zeno Clash universe, and one that’s just as completely and utterly weird as its older siblings.

Set in the world of Zenozoik, Clash: Artifacts of Chaos centres on the exploits of Pseudo and his small feathery charge, the Boy. These two are the most curious-looking protagonists you’re likely to see this year, but they swiftly find their way under your skin. Pseudo unwittingly becomes the Boy’s guardian, journeying through the world whilst protecting him from the clutches of the terrifying, tall and two-headed Gemini as well as her lethal henchmen.

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos is a brawler by way of the Souls genre, meaning you face off with your fists and feet against a series of viciously dangerous creatures, all of whom can reduce Pseudo to a wraith-like wood spirit in no time at all. Just like FromSoftware’s punishing titles, the key here is timing and knowing when to strike, which is occasionally hard to do when things are going your way and Artifacts of Chaos fools you into momentarily thinking you can mash the buttons for success (Note: you can’t). As you progress you can level up your skills, learn new moves and select from different fighting stances, giving you a variety of ways to engage in battle.

The earlier Zeno Clash games were played out in first-person, but Artifacts of Chaos takes a third-person approach most of the time. There’s a nice nod to its predecessors though as you can