ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies Review

Following in the footsteps of runaway hit Disco Elysium, ZA/UM Studio is back with a new tale with the recent release of ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies.

See whether CASCADE captures that same magic with our review…

ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies Review

The aforementioned CASCADE takes the spotlight in ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. This former spy has been brought back into service, only to find her double spy partner Pseudopod zeroed out and in a vegetative state.

As a result, all the details of CASCADE’s job, why she is here, and any intel on locals is basically gone.

Before she can even fully process what happened, The Opera calls to ask about the job.

The Opera serves as the spy group you work for – well, worked for.

After a job gone bad, CASCADE was put on ice and has been out of the game for the last five years. However, Pseudopod has specifically requested her for this job. With him out of commission, there is no job.

From there, The Opera calls it a bust and orders you home.

Let’s be real – that wouldn’t make for a good game.

CASCADE agrees, rejecting that order and setting out to find out what this job entails – and how to help Pseudopod.

While gameplay in ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is important, creating one’s character comes first.

Those that played Disco Elysium will have a big advantage in how this game works.

Starting out. ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies lets players assign points into the following three prime categories:

Action – A strength and reaction speed style

Relations – An empathy and persuasion style

Intellect – A “good with tech and ideas” style

From there, players can assign an extra point to each sub-skill of the main skills. For instance, picking Personalism in the Relations tree allows for a better understanding of people.

These are all for skill checks in ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, which are presented as dice rolls. The higher the skill, the lower the roll needed to pass.

There are premade characters to ease this, but doing so is selling this title short.

Scratching your head at this info?

Playing Disco Elysium definitely helps, as ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies has an insanely rough opening for those not used to this type of game.

Not only does it task players with picking core points, there are also another three to assign – among 15 skills.

Then, to top it off – before even moving one’s character – CASCADE is bombarded with anxiety.

While it makes sense to put players in her shoes and make players feel her tension, this almost feels like a forced failure from the offset.

Said anxiety is one of three things to be mindful of with CASCADE in ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. If her anxiety, fatigue, and delirium reach a peak, the only way to reset is to lose a point in a skill.

That anxiety I mentioned from the start of the game? That’s nothing compared to the fact there’s a brain-dead spy in the room – and you need to report it to your boss.

I didn’t even leave the first room before my anxiety peaked, and so I lost a skill.

Rough is right.

However, while ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies features a harsh start, the rest is pretty reasonable.

While exploring the city, players will meet people, find quests, go to shops, and (of course) enter hidden paths with loot and goodies.

Players will first be digging through trash cans, looting empty bars, or picking things up from hidden paths.

It’s essential to do so, as those items heal CASCADE’s anxiety, fortitude, and delirium – preventing from lost skills.

By day two, CASCADE was well stocked up, with a good rotation between items and sleep to keep status bars from peaking. The best suggestion is to just run the first day, learn what you can, and restart the title.

While getting free beer and ciggies is always a bonus, the real reason to explore in ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is for new clothes.

Not only do they change CASCADE’s appearance, but every piece of clothing also has bonus stats on it. Players normally lose a skill, but these really open up builds.

For instance, my current boots give me +1 to Cold Read and -1 to Coordination, because they are fancy shoes rather than running shoes. Find enough points and even a person with the low Intellect skill can skill pass checks without too much trouble.

It almost feels like cheating – but that’s why it’s so enjoyable.

ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies also features a number of people ripe for interaction. While not all are winners, players will no doubt find some enjoyable characters in the bunch.

When outside quests, they provide new thoughts – think new passive skills that players can spend points to learn and really make CASCADE your very own.

Right now I am rolling with five thoughts on my character:

One lets me steal from vending machines once per day

Another heals me more when I drink coffee

A third is the “I’m too young to spy” one

I put on the last one to test for the review!

When turned on, all skill checks are lowered by one, basically serving as a confirmation you want an Easy Mode.

That being said, the option is there to be unlocked.

ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies does have some bugs at launch, namely one with a lock pick skill check that didn’t actually unlock the door. That being said, it wasn’t a big deal since there was another option. Another instance had me throwing a guy get stuck in a certain spot that made the phone unusable.

While not for everyone, those that carefully plan things out will enjoy their time as CASCADE in ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies – just be mindful of that anxiety.

The post ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies Review appeared first on GamersHeroes.