Reviewed on Playstation 5
Zorro The Chronicles is an action-packed, family-friendly adventure game that includes combat and exploration scenarios inspired by the French TV series and immerses you in the world of the animated series. The game follows the same formula as the animated series and you can play as Don Diego or his sister Ines, who fights for justice for all.
Story & Gameplay
Set in 19th century Spanish California, you’ll be taking on 18 levels as you play as Diego or Ines, with each one having different stats to consider. Ines is faster and has more health, while Diego has more stamina can more easily take advantage of special KO attacks. The game is not difficult and is easy to master. Each button has a function such as hitting, countering, sneaking and stunning enemies. The difficulty can also be set to hard, which bumps up challenges a bit.
In terms of combat, the gameplay feels similar to the system of the Batman Arkham series with stealth elements. With light attacks you can perform knockout finishes like pulling down enemies’ pants, knocking them into fountains, or carving a Z into their uniform before they fall down in confusion. With well-timed attacks you can counterattack and if an enemy is shield-protected, you can jump over to attack from behind. There is also special bar that can be filled to perform special KO moves that can take out several opponents at once. You can also knockout enemies silently from behind or fall on them from above. The combat system itself works quite good.
However, there are some problems with the camera controls. They’re slow to control and it’ll often collide with a wall or get stuck behind an object. This is most frustrating during combat, as it can make it hard to see enemies. The game also gets repetitive quickly as you spend most of your time game fighting group after group of enemies with little variation.
There are four skill tiers and the coins you collect at each stage can be used to purchase new skills for your character. These skills include a stealth KO to instantly defeat an enemy, a whip spin that will dizzy enemies for a longer period of time, a powerful hammer-strike attack, a double KO that grants an extra energy slot or an extra health bar. In terms of graphics, they are cartoonish and reminiscent of early 2000s platformers. Instead of gritty hard hitting violent action.
Another big disadvantage in the game is that you can’t jump. You can only walk past objects, demolish an object to proceed or ascend to a higher surface using your whip. Unfortunately, Zorro can’t swim either, so if you fall into the water, you’ll have to load your previous spot where the auto-save was.
Audio
There is no spoken dialogue by the characters. The sound design is quite cartoonish, and there’s the occasional slapstick sound effect. The background music is somewhat energetic with some Spanish music. It fits the overall Zorro feel of it.
Zorro The Chronicles Review Verdict
Zorro The Chronicles is a fun action-game based on the animated series of same name. It’s a family-friendly experience and if you’re a lifelong Zorro fan, you probably won’t find a better alternative. But the game can be a little rough around the edges and some may find it to be monotonous. The game also has a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy.
