Zet Zillions Review (Steam)

Rating: 8
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · May 23, 2024

Zet Zillions Review is a story-driven roguelike deck-builder where you will navigate through vast space maps with Foam Gun and her planet-ship Baby Violence, in search of a new home for humanity. Create chaos with the unique fusion system, with more than 100 possible combinations to discover. Overpopulate planets (by throwing your own crew at them) and blow them into smithereens!

Zet Zillions Review Pros:

Beautiful cel-shaded cartoon-style graphics.
1.37GB Download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
Graphics settings – resolution, screen mode, and v-sync.
Card battler gameplay.
Opening and ongoing tutorials.
Awesome cutscenes and voice work.
Power is needed to play cards and each card type has its own power rating.
Junk cards can be played to create shields from enemy attacks.
The controller works as the right stick is the mouse and RT is the action button.
Pick up a card from your hand and over a different card to see what it will create if you combine them.
Enemies have a population gauge, fill it up by firing volunteers at them and this causes them to stagger and miss the next turn.
Special cards can show up that do a whole host of different things like attacks are stronger based on the enemies population.
Roguelike game loop.
Every run and set of starting missions is randomized.
World map level selected with branching pathways and routes.
Throwing your people at planets will fill them up and once full it colonies them and you win the match.
Great soundtrack.
Very satisfying to play once it all clicks together and you get into the flow.
Great cast of characters with good humorous dialogue.
You can see what the enemies’ attack will be next round.
After a battle, you get some rewards and you pick one of three cards to add to your deck.
On the map will be events, combat etc and fun little sections like escape pods where you smash open the pods and pick a special card.
The Federation can hassle you at any point and you usually have 3 options to get rid of them pay, lose health, or take a card out of your deck.
One you select a card you can zoom in and read it’s stats better or any cars that it combine with will pop up out of your hand.
Use materials to promote cards which increases their stats.
Healing stations can be found and offer healing or extending your health bar.
Completing your mission gets you an extra reward.
End-of-run breakdown whether it be you dying or beating the current planet/location.
You can throw space rubbish into enemies causing them to get staggered.
When in the map you are constantly chased by Thanatos and even if you beat him he keeps coming.
You play the game with one health bar and only healing stations and abilities can give you health back.
Clever twists on the genre.
It is surprising how much the population mechanic changes strategy as it can make attacks later stronger or it can add a new way to win or stagger them.
Clearing a section after the big boss fight and you get a choice of a stronger buff or ability.
Unlock and equip a minion who can give you a buff.
The parts of the game that use the controller work really well.
You can cause chain reactions where planets and enemies can blow each other up in tandem.
Doks shop can appear and here you can buy new cards.
Pineapples is the currency in the game.
When you quit it saves your run but you can abandon it.

Zet Zillions Review Cons:

Doesn’t show the controller icons, still shows the keyboard.
The mouse cursor stays on the screen even when using the controller.
Cannot remap controls.
No game settings.
Bare minimum graphics settings.
The controller can mess up from time to time rendering you unable to do anything or maybe just one thing.
A few times I’ve had it where the location I go to doesn’t load anything and I’m forced to restart the game.
The controller implementation is not great.
No way to set the sensitivity of the cursor and it makes it hard when you have to be so precise in your clicking a lot of the time.
Not every interaction is voiced.
A lot of the mechanics at play and conditions like pulverizing are not detailed.
You never feel like you know what all the icons mean.
The game feels like it already assumes you know everything and talks in a very limited way.
The RT button is what you use to play cards and it works as in when you let you go of the button it actions it, this causes a lot of accidents.