Zack H of The Cube gives his verdict on the latest JRPG Dungeon Crawler, Mind Zero
The PlayStation Vita has become a haven for RPGs, but there is one particular type that has really made itself at home on the system. People who love first-person dungeon-crawlers with turn-based battles and often customizable parties can find tons on the system. Developers like Experience and Compile Heart have taken to the system. This means people who enjoy level grinding and customizing characters have plenty of options to choose from when looking for a new game to play.
Review of the PS Vita exclusive Mind Zero by Aksys Games
Gary Hartley Writes: The problem with aping someone else’s formula of success is that you’re already courting obsoleteness. Is it better than its source material? Does it do enough differently to justify its existence? Mind Zero is always going to struggle against direct comparisons, because the answer to both questions is no. Not really. It’s too keen on taking shortcuts; on being a shallower experience. There are twelve chapters to play through, and I saw my first case of palette-swapped enemies as early as stage three. Progression is based on power levelling, in exploring non-randomised dungeons that often lose their lustre long before completion, and on grinding levels and skill cards to stand a chance against boss fights that range between insultingly easy and genuinely challenging. Even then, the challenge to most bosses is in their overly-burdened health bars which make these fights gruelling wars of attrition.
I didn't know this was ported to PC. I'd call it a poor man's Persona, but my opinion of this title isn't quite as high. I don't think there's a single character in this game that isn't a cliched archetype, and it's a pretty graphically poor game. Random encounters just make the game repetitive, and having Erin Fitzgerald and Yuri Lowenthall voice the two supporting characters who are around at the start of the game just calls further attention to the fact that I'm not playing the vastly superior Persona 4: Golden. I'd give this game a 5.5 or 6, but I'd really only recommend it to someone who's really desperate for something to satisfy their Persona craving that isn't actually Persona.