FZ: Formation Z PS5 Review: Massive Mechs, Massive Firepower, Classic Arcade Vibes!
FZ: Formation Z drops you headfirst into a stunning 2.5D world where massive 3D mechs and enemies collide in a beautifully destructive dance of lasers and metal. The action hits with an undeniable old-school arcade intensity that demands quick reflexes as you swap between ground assault and airborne dominance. Every location feels incredibly connected, seamlessly weaving gorgeous 3D environments right into your path of destruction. It is a pure, unrelenting rush that instantly hooks you with its spectacular vertical scale and classic bullet hell energy.
[Specs] [Gameplay] [Performance] [Settings]
FZ: Formation Z PlayStation 5 Review
- Developer: City Connection
- Publisher: City Connection
- Official Store Link: PlayStation Store UK Listing
- Download Size: 9.28GB download size.
- Trophy List: Platinum trophy with 43 trophies total.
- Bonus Features: Fantastic opening rolling demo of the game playing out right on your screen.
- Gallery Mode: The gallery shows off any unlocked enemy data cards and gallery shots.
- Pilot Customisation: Full pilot customisation for looks, helmet, suit, standing posture, salute pose, and name.
- Mech Customisation: Full customisation for your mech, including body colour, head, shoulder, legs, stickers, and modules.
- Unlockables: Progress through the game to unlock new customisation pieces for both your pilot and mech.
- Replayability: You can replay levels and change the difficulty once you finish them.
- Competitive Features: Full stats and leaderboards support to track your best runs.
FZ: Formation Z PlayStation 5 Review
What I love is how the game can be played in two ways, giving you an absolute ton of vertical space to fly around, which makes it feel like a complete experience. You can be perfectly OK on the ground attacking enemies and busting out your melee moves, and then you can transform instantly into a ship and fly around shooting bullets and missiles. It has a beautiful arcade-style feel to it, from the pop-up text to the general atmosphere of the game. Power-ups and health can appear as you play or drop randomly from enemies to keep you in the fight. This is a game that Shmup bullet hell veterans will get a lot from, but new players, however, are in for an absolute treat. I do wish it had a few game mode variations and just a bit more choice, but as it stands, it is a stone-cold arcade shooter classic.
You don’t have any actual playable tutorials or on-screen help, so make use of the manual, otherwise it is going to be a long ride. Thankfully, the manual is a fully animated game manual showing off aspects of the game, using video and text to say exactly what is going on and detailing the controls. The shooting is strictly directional, but only in the direction you are facing, so it is not 8-way, and the movement of the shooting feels a bit more mechanical than fluid. When you do take a hit, the constant checkpoints will respawn you, but the game just freezes long enough to think your game has completely locked up before it fades to black and carries on. Also, the music on the main menu is absolutely not for me; it has a horribly loud, high-pitched noise in the background that grates on the ears.
FZ: Formation Z PlayStation 5 Review: Performance & Fidelity
- Visual Style: 2.5D game world populated with highly detailed 3D characters and enemies.
- Graphics Quality: Amazing graphics across the board that bring the chaotic action to life.
- Environmental Design: All the locations look fantastic with their 3D design and how they integrate what is in your path and what isn’t, making the world feel truly connected.
Settings, Customisation & Control Details
- Control Remapping: Complete freedom to remap the controls to your liking.
- General Game Settings: Options available for language adjustments, vibration toggle, and screen brightness.
- Gameplay Pacing: Includes a dedicated game speed slider to adjust how fast the action flows.
- Difficulty Modes: Five game difficulties to choose from: very easy, easy, normal, hard, and very hard.
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FZ: Formation Z PlayStation 5 Review
Summary
GOOD STUFF
The graphics in this game are absolutely amazing, bringing a fantastic 2.5D world to life with brilliant 3D characters and enemies. All the locations look gorgeous, and the way the team integrates what is in your path and what isn’t makes the entire world feel wonderfully connected. What I love is how the game can be played in two ways; you have a lot of vertical space to fly around, giving you the freedom to be OK on the ground handling business with melee attacks, or transforming into a ship to fly around blasting bullets and missiles. It delivers an excellent arcade-style feel from the pop-up text to the general atmosphere, backed up by a fantastic opening rolling demo on the main menu. There is also a brilliant, fully animated game manual that uses video and text to show you what is going on, alongside full stats, leaderboard support, and deep customisation for your pilot and mech. Bullet hell veterans will get a lot from this, but new players are in for a real treat because it is a stone-cold arcade shooter classic.
BAD STUFF
The music on the main menu is absolutely not for me, as it features a horribly loud, high-pitched noise buzzing away in the background. When you are out there fighting, the shooting is directional but only in the direction you are facing, meaning it is not 8-way, making the shooting movement feel a bit more mechanical than fluid. You also do not get any playable tutorials or on-screen help, meaning you are forced to study the manual or face a brutal, long ride. While the constant checkpoints are great for keeping you in the action, the moment you get hit, the game just freezes long enough to make you think your system has completely locked up before it finally fades to black and lets you carry on. I also really wish it had a few more game mode variations and just a bit more choice to flesh things out.
FINAL VERDICT
FZ: Formation Z is a brilliant, action-packed blast from the past that delivers high-flying mech-transforming thrills right to your console. Despite a few mechanical stiffness issues and a jarring hit-freeze quirk, the gorgeous visuals and deep customisation keep you thoroughly hooked. It scratches that classic arcade itch perfectly while offering plenty of difficulty flexibility for players of all skill levels. If you are looking for a pure, explosive old-school challenge, this is one shooter you definitely need to add to your rotation.
