Zenonia 2 Review: Who Needs a DS When They Have the iPhone?

Erik Kubik, Associate Writer

April 1, 2010

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of iPhone games, and I do actually prefer a DS. I don't have much experience with iPhone games and to tell the truth I've only played a few. For me, I use the phone to surf the net and make calls, not to play games. However, Zenonia 2 from Korean mobile publisher Gamevil might change all of that as their new game has set the bar pretty high for other iPhone games. If this is the sort of games I can play on my iPhone, then I am sold on the iPhone as a serious gaming platform.

Graphically, the game looks like a DS game or something from the SNES era. The characters are colorful and the environments are good looking, etc. I found the controls easy to use, four direction buttons, an attack button, and a menu/inventory button. Would have been helpful to have a separate menu and inventory button, but let's keep it simple for me. For most people excluding myself, fellow gamers and iPhone users should be able to pick up and play Zenonia 2 as if they were putting a GameCube game into a Wii.

Players get to pick between a paladin, sharpshooter, a magician, and a fighter. Seems like a well-rounded bunch; I went with the sharpshooter. In about three minutes after I skipped through the lengthy introduction I was tearing up enemies while trying to figure out how to play.

There are plenty of reviews out there already that announce how great the graphics are, how similar it is to other RPGs, and what the story revolves around; how about a shift in focus and discuss if the game is worth the price?

With great games like these, the iPhone can give any system a run for its money, and with a huge market base as everyone knows, this helps to keep the cost down. But is the game really worth $4.99? Well, there is a lot of depth to the game. It auto saves and players can exit at any time and it will save your progress, which is an excellent feature when squeezing in a few minutes at work. There is also a network mode, which seems to be based around player vs. player, another welcome addition to extend the longevity.

It is only $4.99, what else can you get that is this fun for $4.99? Not a movie ticket and certainly not the latest DS or PSP release. As a gamer and an iPhone owner, you owe it to yourself to give Zenonia 2 a try.

Big thanks to Gamesevil for providing the game for review and developing a fun RPG.