Customer Reviews

Zanzarah

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am usually very critical regarding PC games
and for the most part with reason since innovation
combined with quality is a rare phenomenon nowadays.

I feel that Zanzarah brings innovation to the world
combined with an attractive gameplay that not only
appeals to youngsters but also to the elder generation
of PC gamers. The graphics are very up to date and fluent.
Rarely have I experienced such an atmosphere rich in
detail and colours. Combined with the music one falls
deep into Zanzarah with a sense of being part of that
magical world.

As I've stated before this is a game that can be
enjoyed by folks of all ages. The action part of
the game might seem a bit complicated at first but
is easily managed after a little practise.

This is one of the best games I've ever played
in my life. The graphics are extremely good and
the music and sound fx are brilliant.

Buy this game, it's worth EVERY Cent!

Although this game is an obvious pokemon [copy], it is one of the better fantasy games I have ever played. It took me quite a while to get used to the fighting mode, it is challenging and confusing at first, but once mastered, it is a blast. The sound and graphics are fantastic, the control was excellent, and the story line, although similer to others was great. I absolutly loved it and will play it through again, collecting and training different faries the second time around. There are 77 different faries that can be found and trained.

I'm deeply saddened that Zanzarah: The Lost Portal was discontinued by the developers. As evidenced by the reviews throughout the internet, it truly is a gem that every game/fantasy lover should experience. I have to say it is perhaps one of the most fulfilling games I've ever played.

1. Graphics and Design are impeccable. The beautiful artwork that has brought the multi-faceted world of Zanzarah is like no other. Rivaling some of the most high profile/heavily funded games on the market, the Graphics are simply awe inspring.

2. Gameplay; This provided weeks of endless entertainment. Unlike so many other computer games, this one can't be beaten in an hour of play and shelved. The world is deeply complex, and it requires both patience, skill and a desire for fun.

3. Storyline - Absolutely magnificent, bringing together the most beloved races in fantasy as we know it, the story of Zanzatah is breathtaking and well devised. I was never once disappointed or bored, and as it unraveled before me throughout gameplay, it was often difficult to stop as you never knew what was beyond the next curve. It was wonderfully immersive.

4. Play Style - Easy to navigate, beautiful, unimposing interface, simple, uncomplicated. Traversing the world was easy and unobtrusive. No encyclopedia of hotkeys to memorize, fully customizable. One of the most user friendly styles I have seen.

5. Soundtrack - Positively mezmorizing. The music of Zanzarah was completely befitting for the atmosphere, never severe and highly appropriate for the genre. It really lended itself to the overall experience and contributed to the game seamlessly.

6. Entertainment Factor - I gave it five stars. This is a game for everyone, children, adults, lovers of fantasy, gamers, you name it. I would share this game with ANYONE with good conscience, and proudly.

7. Combat - Anyone familiar with the Final Fantasy combat style will recognize the influence here. You have full control, and as your character advances, enjoy many new opportunities in a combat situation. It is a welcome break from the increasing market of 'slash'em up' sword and shield games. These are magical creatures with an extensive line of elemental abilities including fire, nature, chaos, psi, metal, air, stone and more. The creatures all have strengths and weaknesses and understanding them is key to success- all of this diversity really lends itself to the enjoyment. You have to rely more on wits here than on simple mechanical actions. This keeps your attention, and makes you have to think- something many games lack.

8. Multiplayer options - Once confident in teh 'team' you acquire throught your journeys, and the possibilities are limitless- you can take a chance and enter the lavish arena to test your skills against players from across the globe. This add a whole other dimension to Zanzarah, extending gameplay potential.

9. System Compatibility - More and more we have games that are getting astronomical in size. Zanzarah is suitable for almost ANY computer, and still maintains the integrity of a quality visual event. It is not adversely large, doesn't require an large amount of memory and will not monopolize your computer resources. Many times I alt-tabbed out, had other programs running, and never once suffered even the most remote lag, or glitch and my computer is Average. You can further optimize the level of quality in the video options which will maximize your game performance.

Truthfully, I cannot say enough good things about Zanzarah. I am dumbfounded that it failed to perform on the competitive game market. However, I contribute this to poor commercial marketing. I had never heard of this title until I accidentally stumbled across it on ebay. Zanzarah was quietly released in 2002 and due to the lack of visibility made barely a ripple in the pond and was consequently discontinued.
I personally hope the developers pick up the ball once again and realize what a treasure this game is and continue developing Zanzarah add-ons and expansions. If you get this game, you will NOT regret it!

My husband and I buy computer games to play together, but we don't do it as often as we used to, because the games have really taken on the feel of the same-old, same-old. This game was a blast! We fought over who got to run the computer and we didn't even look for cheats until we had spent hours and hours just playing it. I loved the combination of the adventure/search for clues and the fairy battles. I don't generally enjoy the role playing games, so this one was just enough interaction to keep it interesting and not so much that it was mind-numbing. I'm still looking for a game that is like it.

This is challenging enough for even the most skilled gamer but is not too hard to learn even for beginners. I highly recommend this game. The scenes are beautifully done and the game play is great.

Beautiful graphics but takes FOREVER to load fight scenes when using XP.I still haven't finished the game because I don't have the time to wait to load the game and deal with the fight loads.

I first played Zanzarah many years ago, when it first came out. I fell in love with it.. the music, the landscapes, the storyline, etc. This game is an adrenalin-pusher. When I'm playing this game, I stay in an excitable state throughout it. This is a very challenging game that allows a lot of choices and that is a lot of the fun. Zanzarah is one of the best pc games ever created, in my opinion, and every serious gamer should try it.

OK, so I'm a Zanzarah junkie. I keep it on my computer to relax and get rid of my frustrations. Part of the fun is beating my last best time for collecting all of the fairies, raising 5 to their ultimate levels and, of course, beating up on those who are less skilled than I am. I can dream, can't I ? This game works better than any other I have tried (on XP). The graphics, sound and everything else are supurb (unless I'm running a virus scan so I just pause the scan). By the way, I am an adventure game nut and probably have played 500 differant games. Anyway, I do wish I really could fly as well as this game lets me!

The title of this review may give the reader the idea that this game is somewhat derivative. Well, it is. However, Zanzarah synthesizes old ideas into compelling new game mechanic. Training and raising Pokemon, with a variety of skills both offensive and defensive, gives me a buzz I haven't experienced since I decided I was "too cool" for Pokemon in 6th grade. Further, even though I normally can't stand First Person Shooter type games, the fairy combat seems to implement this gameplay in a different, fun new way that even I can enjoy.
The game's art is gorgeous. Even seven years later, I love the landscapes, characters, and especially the enormous variety of fairies the player can catch and train. Further, it seems to run quite nicely, even on older hardware, allowing those of us with less than modern computers to enjoy it.
The one caveat is that the game's translations are sometimes not all there. While the player can usually try to figure out what the various dwarves, goblins, and elves are saying, there are one or two dialogs that are a little shaky.
Nevertheless, Zanzarah makes for an excellent game to play on a rainy day, and I recommend it highly.

This is one of the best games I ever played. I spent hours of great time on Windows 2000, then XP but when Vista came out, game didn't work very well at first. That disappointed me a lot, I thought I lost it. But don't get discouraged, if you have tuned Vista, Zanzarah works even on Vista although it's not rated.