Town of Zoz has a lot of great ideas and incredible presentation, but the overall stilted flow of combat stymies what could be a top-notch indie gem. Regardless, the positives are numerous here and worth experiencing, so long as you’re open to a somewhat challenging combat system.
Action-RPGs and 2D The Legend of Zelda games are two of my favorite genres, so Town of Zoz seemed like a natural fit for me. As someone who, admittedly, doesn’t know much about Latin American indigenous cultures, I was also pretty intrigued to see how it informed the world and story of the game. Though I found I wasn’t able to jive with the combat much, the rest of the game is a gorgeous, well-made package that does a lot right.
The gameplay in Town of Zoz primarily consists of exploration, combat, and cooking segments. Combat has you utilizing a short sword and your Heritage spirit, Zee, to attack cute little monsters that litter the many environments you visit. You can control Zee using the right analog stick, or allow him to do his own thing during combat. It’s a pretty nifty way of having you think a bit more than you might in most games like this, as controlling and properly utilizing Zee in combat can prove to be both satisfying and helpful.
My primary issue with Town of Zoz is that the flow of combat is a bit jumpy. Hitting enemies doesn’t seem to stun them too often, so they’ll frequently attack you while you’re in the midst of swinging. Dodging requires energy and takes a second to do, so you’ll often get hit in the middle of an attack. Enemies do a fair bit of damage in the game as well, so you’ll see your health get quickly whittled away while trying to battle even regular enemies. It can be a bit frustrating to get into battles as a result of this, as you’re frequently being hurt or killed, leading you to be sent back a few screens. I love fast-paced and dodge-heavy combat normally, so I was surprised at how much I struggled with battling here.
The cooking sections are like Undercooked in that you pick up ingredients and run them through different stations to prepare them and, consequently, the meal itself. If you cook the meal before a certain amount of time passes, it turns out much better, so there’s just the right amount of pressure to perform these timing-based QTEs quickly and with precision. Meals are super helpful for keeping you alive and providing you with handy buffs, so you’ll be cooking a fair amount, making it a good thing that this segment of the game is both enjoyable and brisk enough not to get old.
There are simple puzzles to solve throughout the different areas, too, as well as a pleasantly simple farming mechanic to supplement your cooking, and side quests that can be taken on while you tackle your main objectives. It feels great to turn in side quests, as the rewards are typically pretty solid alongside getting the chance to learn a bit more about the quest-givers and the world around them. The characters are all distinct and interesting, both visually and in their overall vibes, so spending more time with them doesn’t feel like much of a chore. I especially enjoyed Ito and Zee’s relationship, as well as Ito’s struggles with his difficult father.
The highlight of Town of Zoz is certainly its visual style, which is fantastic all around. It’s extremely colorful, with smooth animation throughout, from the well-made cutscenes to the fast-paced gameplay. The character designs and models are very endearing and convey quite a bit about each character before you even hear them speak, and seeing them in action in the animated cutscenes is even better. The art style has a homey warmth, giving the game a cozier feel than I anticipated when reading up on it before playing.
Town of Zoz has absolutely brilliant music.
The same goes for the music, which is brilliant. It frequently evokes the work of Shunsuke Kikuchi, who you likely know best for his iconic work on the Dragon Ball anime. It’s energetic and spirited, with a very uplifting, exciting feeling that permeates the battle music especially. It’s a fantastic soundtrack that really complements the game’s vibes and elevates the action, making it feel like a fun, action-based shonen anime.
I do wish there were voice acting in Town of Zoz, as I think it would have benefited from the main characters speaking more. They speak in cutscenes via text lines, but the gorgeous visuals are so enthralling that I missed a couple of lines of dialogue. Plus, the gravitas the voices would bring to elements like exposition would add a fantastic new layer to how the narrative is presented.
Fair
The Final Word
Town of Zoz’s combat feels a bit jumbled, but the presentation, general gameplay, and music are excellent and make for a pretty unique title. If you don’t see potentially bumpy combat as a dealbreaker, I think there’s a lot to really dig about this game, as it juggles a number of concepts in a distinct and mostly enjoyable way.
