I’m a fan of first person adventures, so it was a no-brainer to at least check out the playable ‘art demo‘ for Zed. And I do have to admit that what little that I did see was breathtaking. The visuals are incredible and easily reflect the surreal mind of a dreamer. That said, there are things that I liked and didn’t like about it due to the experience of trying to download and play it. But, don’t let the negatives deter you from making your own decision. It’s still worth checking out.
First off, the demo, as one would expect from an art demo, is incredibly short. Almost too short to make a decision one way or the other if Zed is worth backing or not. Still, I’m just glad that one is even offered as too few games these days provide much in the way of gameplay even as a video let alone something that you can pick up and try yourself. The extremely short length also doesn’t provide much in the way of puzzles or story.
Before I go any further I will point out that I had a really hard time getting Zed to download and install. However, as the developers have told me I was the only one really experiencing this problem so I must be special. Anyway, after figuring out what my problem was I did manage to get it working.
Mostly. I was able to play the demo but at parts my computer was having a hard time rendering everything smoothly but it could also be my hardware. If it is, then you’re probably going to need a relatively powerful rig to play this. It’s probably also time for me to upgrade.
With that said, I do have to give some major points to Eagre Games for trying to help me with my problem and even giving me an alternative link to try out. I wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to play it at all let alone write about the demo. But, I’m glad that I persevered as while it might not be enough for me to make the decision to plop down $16 for the full game it’s certainly enough for me to want to keep an eye on development. Myst inspired games seem to be gaining popularity and with a big name behind the popular series working on Zed I’m sure it’ll be in good hands.
The high points for the demo would have to be the graphics and sound, hands down. The landscape is indeed surreal and while the puzzles were light it did invoke some memories of playing the Myst games. The music was a beautiful and just slightly haunting melody that really captured the feeling of being in a dream.
Zed is most certainly a game to check out if you’re a fan of this style of game and type of story. I just wish that the demo was a little bit longer. Which is honestly a good thing as wanting more means it was still a good experience.
Hi Serena – thank you for your time and efforts to get the quick demo up and running. I’m sorry it was such a slog. It’s a long way from being fully optimized and is only a little vertical slice for showing off just a small sliver of the game and nothing more. The puzzles and story will be further revealed as we continue development. I’m pretty sure once you see the actual game that all your questions will be answered and that your experience with the final product will be rewarding and I dare say – you’ll be saying in the future – that game was so ZED Like. If you have any questions – please reach out to me and feel free to ask anything. We take all feed back very seriously as we are making games not only that we like to play – we want you to enjoy the experience as well. Cheers – Chuck Carter – President Eagre games.
Thank you for commenting on my article. I’m aware that it’s just a small portion of the game and I do appreciate having something to play at all. I decided to take the plunge and put down enough to get a copy of the game because I really do see potential here. Good luck on getting the remaining funds you need. I’m sure that I’ll enjoy the final game when it’s done.