This game is rough to say the least. I enjoyed the original ZX when I played it but acknowledge there are so many ways to improve it, and this game tries to do that but then takes several steps back.
Take the map and using forms. ZXA's map on the bottom screen is infinitely better than ZX. However the actual areas are a pain to navigate, still managing to get lost. Not all areas are as connected as it feels in ZX, and areas just feel like a massive chore. Fuck Floating Ruins especially, with invincible enemies who shoot you and remove your ability to jump. In an area named Floating Ruins. Cool. Some areas can only be teleported to, and if you go there you have to go to the end if you want to the end, no if or buts about it.
In ZX, if you wanted to talk to some characters, you had to transform into Hu to get anything done. Annoying stuff. ZXA "solves" this by not requiring you to transform into Hu, but then also automatically transforms you into Model A if you're in a cutscene. Which is great except it does this for the entire game and I have to prepare to getting back to my desire form for a fight. Made worse in the collection because toggled saves are right next to warp points, which also force you into Model A.
This stems from Model A's Trans-On mechanic, letting you copy the data of enemies, biometal/livemetal or pseudodroid. So you're not really just changing armor, but literally becoming someone else. Conceptually it's cool, but it's kind of lame compared to actually getting parts of enemies. In execution it makes the transform menu feel bloated, with plenty of very limited use Forms. Take Model F and Bifrost. There a blocks that Model F can break, and breaks that Bifrost can break on top of that. I think it would've been better if they had just made the Livemetals have more utility in the world than just have an entire different set that isn't as fun to use. The only one I think is worth it's while is Chronoforce, only because Time Bomb is definitely not balanced.
The boss fights also are kind of annoying. The instant you get Chronoforce and your last Livemetal copied, much of them just becomes a silly joke.
There's also a lot of busy work. The blocks mentioned above will constantly respawn, making it kind of stupid as a way to make shortcuts if I have to do it every time. And sidequests vary from just item hunts to "find 50 enemies and don't know how many you're at." I was almost done with all the Item B chips but then it does this.
I couldn't find a reason to care for the plot and eventually started skipping cutscenes just to get a move on. It's not like it acts all that connected to ZX.
Couldn't care about much of the music either, the only one I liked off the top of my head is a returning track from ZX.
To say something nicer, I do like that BM/LM energy can be regenerated while waiting. Yeah.
I'm just disappointed in a sequel for a game I thought was super cool and could be cooler.
Take the map and using forms. ZXA's map on the bottom screen is infinitely better than ZX. However the actual areas are a pain to navigate, still managing to get lost. Not all areas are as connected as it feels in ZX, and areas just feel like a massive chore. Fuck Floating Ruins especially, with invincible enemies who shoot you and remove your ability to jump. In an area named Floating Ruins. Cool. Some areas can only be teleported to, and if you go there you have to go to the end if you want to the end, no if or buts about it.
In ZX, if you wanted to talk to some characters, you had to transform into Hu to get anything done. Annoying stuff. ZXA "solves" this by not requiring you to transform into Hu, but then also automatically transforms you into Model A if you're in a cutscene. Which is great except it does this for the entire game and I have to prepare to getting back to my desire form for a fight. Made worse in the collection because toggled saves are right next to warp points, which also force you into Model A.
This stems from Model A's Trans-On mechanic, letting you copy the data of enemies, biometal/livemetal or pseudodroid. So you're not really just changing armor, but literally becoming someone else. Conceptually it's cool, but it's kind of lame compared to actually getting parts of enemies. In execution it makes the transform menu feel bloated, with plenty of very limited use Forms. Take Model F and Bifrost. There a blocks that Model F can break, and breaks that Bifrost can break on top of that. I think it would've been better if they had just made the Livemetals have more utility in the world than just have an entire different set that isn't as fun to use. The only one I think is worth it's while is Chronoforce, only because Time Bomb is definitely not balanced.
The boss fights also are kind of annoying. The instant you get Chronoforce and your last Livemetal copied, much of them just becomes a silly joke.
There's also a lot of busy work. The blocks mentioned above will constantly respawn, making it kind of stupid as a way to make shortcuts if I have to do it every time. And sidequests vary from just item hunts to "find 50 enemies and don't know how many you're at." I was almost done with all the Item B chips but then it does this.
I couldn't find a reason to care for the plot and eventually started skipping cutscenes just to get a move on. It's not like it acts all that connected to ZX.
Couldn't care about much of the music either, the only one I liked off the top of my head is a returning track from ZX.
To say something nicer, I do like that BM/LM energy can be regenerated while waiting. Yeah.
I'm just disappointed in a sequel for a game I thought was super cool and could be cooler.