Mind Zero Review – Taking Inspiration from Persona (PS3)
I wasn’t aware of Mind Zero’s existence until recently, and I also knew very little about it other than that it’s a dungeon-crawler. However, I’m glad I was given the chance to review it as it’s a hidden gem on the Vita, but sadly not many people seem to know of it.
Revolving around a ‘drug’ called MIND which causes its users to hallucinate and commit violent acts, students Kei, Sana and Leo find themselves in the center of a case revolving around MIND and the truth behind it. Truth is, MIND isn’t a drug at all and MIND’s are actually supernatural creatures who have managed to enter the real world, and are then taking possession of mentally weakened humans.
Kei and friends are introduced to the spirit world inhabited by aggressive MIND’s, and manage to awaken to their own MIND’s; mirror versions of themselves. This is done by selecting a weapon, but selecting the wrong one will lead to your death, but luckily MIND users are lead to the correct choice by their MIND.
Of course, their MIND’s are ‘friendly’ and will help them in battle, aiding their dungeon-crawling and their quest to save those who’ve been pulled into the spirit world. It sounds extremely similar to the Persona series, but it manages to stand on its own feet with a unique story.
Vita seems to be perfect for dungeon-crawlers, and Mind Zero is no exception. You’ll play in first-person as you navigate maps to fill in all possible routes on your mini-map (this isn’t compulsory) and Mind Zero does something special by having battles play in a first-person view, too. You’ll see your characters attack, but as you’re playing through the eyes of Kei, when others take their turn you’ll see them attack via your left or right side.
You can use your MIND’s in battle of course, and these allow you to use different moves and can be summoned and dismissed at will. You have MIND Points that means you can’t constantly use them though, along with the normal Health Points and Mana Points. You’ll soon find a part you’re comfortable with in no time, although the aesthetics of certain MIND’s may certainly play a role in who you choose. Yoichi Ogata has my favourite personal MIND, which is portrayed as a young robotic girl.
You can only have a party of 3 but you’ll have several characters to choose from, but I chose to stay with the original 3 – Kei, Sana and Leo. Sana and Leo are voiced by Erin Fitzgerald and Yuri Lowenthal respectively, so it was fun and very reminiscent of their roles as Chie and Yosuke in Persona 4.
There are optional conversations you can find on the overall area map, and these offer a fun distraction and a chance to get to know your friends better. Watching Leo and Sana bicker never gets old, with Kei acting as the mediator between the two and often failing.
Mind Zero makes great use of the Vita’s power, allowing for gorgeous in-game 3D animations and smooth gameplay. 3D is spectacular and environments are non-static, adding another layer of depth to the already complex, but easily accessible, game. All 2D art is crisp and clear on-screen, and it’s a delight to see.
Dungeons are quite bland, but vary greatly from eachother. You can go through these quite quickly so it shouldn’t be an issue, and enemies are varied and well-designed. 2D character portraits are amazing, with all characters looking unique yet realistic, and despite being a game with high fantasy elements, Aksys has taken great lengths to making it feel plausible, along with the people in it. You’ll find it easy to relate to many characters, in both voice and design.
As touched on earlier, voice-acting is terrific with big talent being drafted in for main characters. If you’re a fan of English dubs, then you’ll find plenty to like here, and characters are brought to life in a way that not every voice-actor or actress can achieve. Of course, if you’d prefer the original Japanese voice-acting, then that option is available to you each time you load the game.
Despite having a relatively cheerful cast of characters, the tone of the story is quite dark and the music is equally as unsettling at times. The soundtrack fits in perfectly with the game, giving you a sense of desperation, sadness but also the determination to see this case through to the end.
If you’ve played a Persona game before, you’ll find it extremely hard to not notice and connect the similarities, especially in the similar cast and gameplay. Whilst it doesn’t hit the heights of the Persona series, Mind Zero is a great game in its own right and will easily tide you over for its duration. You’ll most likely enjoy your time spent with it, and if you like dungeon-crawlers then I can easily recommend this to you.
- Super Mario Odyssey Celebrates its One Year Anniversary - October 28, 2018
- Dragon Ball Z KAI Final Chapters Review (Anime) - October 28, 2018
- Resident Evil 2 Remake Gets a Steelbook Edition in Europe - October 24, 2018
