ZOOPUNK was just announced during the Xbox Partner Preview Showcase, and I am a little blown away by what I saw. Whatever you think of the AI usage, it's clear that they're putting player agency at the front of ZOOPUNK.
Set decades before the events of the 2021 Metroidvania F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, Rabbit returns in an Action RPG that looks just as good as it promises to be. In what appears to be an attempt to break away from the standard Metroidvania style of the previous game, ZOOPUNK will chronicle the turbulent origins of Torch City.
TiGames released the following:
The World of ZOOPUNK
All atoms on the planet are governed by a vast central network. The Fire Seed acts as the medium through which this planetary network transmits its signal. Any substance touched by the Fire Seed is transformed, reshaped according to the will of the Creator. With such an unstable force at its core, the world of ZOOPUNK has fractured into isolated regions, each moulded by its own geography, resources, and ideology.
Players will traverse a series of immersive, war-torn landscapes, including a nomadic network of mechanics and wanderers, a volcanic industrial fortress, a rare sanctuary of purity amid the chaos, and a crumbling citadel where military order decays into ruin.
Dynamic Combat and Character Diversity
Combat remains at the heart of ZOOPUNK, with gameplay designed around distinct fighting styles inspired by animal traits. Each playable character offers a unique approach to battle, enabling players to craft their own signature combat experience.
- Braton the Rhino: A powerhouse brawler wielding a massive flame sword
- Rayton the Rabbit: Agile and fast-paced, specialising in melee combat
- Trixie the Chipmunk: Nimble and precise, relying on acrobatics and hit-and-run tactics
In the extended trailer, the protagonist, Rayton the Rabbit, is joined by Braton and Trixie to infiltrate the enemy's heavily fortified domain to seize the Spark, racing to protect the threatened Torch City.
From the world of F.I.S.T., a new chapter unfolds. A ZOOPUNK journey of metal, wilds, and will.
ZOOPUNK looks fantastic, there's just one hitch
First off, let's talk about the aspects of ZOOPUNK that are absolutely terrific.
The world looks gorgeous, filled to the brim with color drawn from the most vibrant palettes. Even the snow scenes shown were saddled with the standard frozen hues against resonant orange and yellow tones.
The flow of combat is riddled with eye-catching moments, enemy feedback, and slam-driven combos. This is already on my wishlist, given how good this looks at a glance.
The music, too, is melodramatic punk sounds that fill the ear with a resounding surge to keep the heart pulsing during fights. With all that said, there's still just one thing that felt just ever so slightly off, and that's the voice acting.
If you've played the previous entry in the series, F.I.S.T., you might be more familiar with the Chinese voice acting. When it comes to the English narration, I can't tell if these actors were just not feeling it, or if this is somehow AI-driven.
I previously wrote my thoughts on the use of AI in ARC Raiders, where it seemed to be a decent use of adding content to a live-service game. Be it that it was used ethically.
I still hold that stance for something like ZOOPUNK, but in a game where acting and narration are much more present, the soreness of poor delivery becomes more pronounced. Then again, I could be entirely wrong about this whole thing!
The only reason I'm leaning on AI is that they showcased its use back in January during an NVIDIA Partner spotlight. Here, you can catch the rather horrible AI voiceover, which is clearly much worse than what was showcased in the new trailer.
The potential use of AI here is what I want all gamers to be discussing. With something like ARC Raiders, where actors' voices are used in perpetuity with hand-crafted human oversight, versus something where entire NPC dialogue is generated on the spot, I can't help but feel a significant difference.
Is this the new standard for the future? Are we going to get games where video game people are generated rather than created? I'm not sure if I'm ready for a world where gaming cultures have what was once a fun Skyrim mod into the primary function of a game.
How about yourself? What did you think of TiGames' upcoming ZOOPUNK? Let us know below or somewhere on social media! I'm curious if I'm just dead wrong or if others have similar feelings.
ZOOPUNK will launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC, with additional details set to be announced in the near future.
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