ZOE Begone! review

ZOE Begone! wastes no time setting up its premise. Here, a green and triangular heroine leaps straight off a sketchpad to confront a horde of hostile doodles. Channeling the spirit of early twentieth-century matinee cartoons, ZOE’s hand-drawn characters continuously bounce, squeeze, and stretch, injecting energy into this hectic shooter.

From the moment Begone begins, you’re dropped into a world that feels like an animator’s notebook that’s been brought to life. Everything from rough pencil textures, splashes of color, and the artist’s own tools help bring the vibrant spectacle to life. But the effect isn’t just a gimmick. It’s an aesthetic that amplifies the frantic gameplay, and provides an interesting premise as you try to subdue an artist and their creations before being literally erased from existence.

Rough Lines, Razor-Sharp Tension

At its core, the game is a hybrid of run-and-gun shooting and platforming, with a peppering of arena-style showdowns. Zoe can blast away at ink-spawned enemies from five different angles while on the ground. But when she takes to the air, her offensive firepower is limited to firing either left or right. But it’s a fair trade off for the increased maneuverability that flight brings.

Unfortunately, taking their skies is harder than it should be. The act requires a hold of the same button or key that’s used to jump. This design decision produces unnecessary moments of susceptibility for Zoe. Occasionally, when trying to jump, I would be accidentally pushed upward into the path of incoming projectiles. When flight was needed for safety, the split-second input can similarly dump you right into danger. I don’t know if merely being able to push upward on a stick would completely solve this control issue, but it would be appreciated if developer Retchy Games gave us the option.

Likewise, dashing failed to feel instinctual. Another bidirectional, wraparound scroller, Graceful Explosion Machine provides little ambiguity when the time comes to careen through a row of adversaries. Begone! occasionally puts on-screen reminders. But you’ll probably favor the safety of shooting from afar since these surges can propel you into the middle of peril. Another attribute that’s far too hard to read is the blended health and energy bar positioned at the bottom of the screen. On the upside, ZOE isn’t a one-hit wonder. Beyond having multiple hit points, she can ground-pound to restore her vitality.

When Chaos Just Clicks

Despite the problems, ZOE Begone! manages to click thanks to the way its systems feed into one another. The constant rhythm of shooting, dodging, and carefully timing ground-pounds creates a loop that feels both chaotic and purposeful. While enemy patterns might seem erratic at first, they can be read, providing an advantage in positioning and method.

Even the risk of mistimed dashes or awkward aerial maneuvers plays into the title’s tension, rewarding players who adapt rather than simply react. And when everything comes together, the game achieves a sense of synergy that helps ZOE’s flaws fade into the background. Approach this one with patience.

ZOE Begone! was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.