ZZZ VI: The Beginning Demo

The universe is big enough to hold billions of civilizations, but if we were ever to meet other species after we manage to perfect interstellar travel, it shouldn’t be surprising if they are hostile. Movies and video games love to depict space battles, on the other hand, which is why there are so many examples out there.

ZZZ VI: The Beginning is a fast-paced shoot ‘em up in which you control a powerful spaceship fighting a war against a whole enemy army. Although you have to move fairly quickly to avoid the incoming hits, the game is not as dizzying as most shoot ‘em ups out there. Hence, everyone should be able to keep up with the action on the screen, at least for the first few minutes.

There’s no actual story to worry about, although this is still an early demo that aims to provide you with a feel of the gameplay mechanics. Thus, there are no characters and no plots to follow, but there are plenty of enemies to kill. Moreover, judging by the appearance of the ships and their intentions, you can probably go ahead and assume that you are fighting evil aliens.

There are three different abilities at your disposal: a normal pulse gun, a magic shield and an extra ability that deals damage to every enemy around you. The shield is very important, on the other hand, because besides slowing down the bullets around you, it also transforms them into energy, which means that you can avoid damage. Naturally, it drains your magic bar, so you cannot have the shield up at all times.

Even so, it must be mentioned that there’s no game over screens. Instead of forcing you to restart the level or the whole game, you just lose half of your points every time you die, after which you respawn in the same spot. It’s a tad too easy for a shoot ‘em up, but it’s yet another reason for new players to give it a try. However, the ship moves a bit too slow as well, which can be annoying when you need to perform quick evasive maneuvers.

In the end, ZZZ VI: The Beginning lacks the challenge to be enjoyable for hardcore fans of the genre, but it’s simple enough to provide newcomers with a bit of fun. It also lacks the content to keep you busy for too long, but more is planned for the complete version.