My eyes, they feel good.
Man... This game is BEAUTIFUL! I may be a graphics whore; but it’s FUN as well! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Zen Pinball from Zen Studios is the pinball game you'll want to pick up on the Playstation 3. It's the best looking pinball game out on the PS3, and sets the standards for pinball games today.
The combos and certain tricks on different tables are difficult, but this makes the tables feel real, pinball games were never easy. If you went into your local bowling alley or arcade and tried to get a high-score on their machine, it wasn't going to happen unless you really put some time into knowing the table, how to rack up points, and so on. The same goes for Zen Pinball, each table is uniquely designed so that not one of them plays the same.
There are 4 tables; V12, El Dorado, Tesla, and Shaman. V12 is based around cars, and the table closely resembles an engine. El Dorado has an Indiana Jones vibe, with treasures and temples. Tesla is much like a lightning test lab with a heavy-stereotypical-accented scientist. Shaman is based on a tribal theme with elemental powers and spells at your disposal.
This game really immerses you in the pinball experience. it just feels like you're right in your local arcade playing. The flippers are the top L and R buttons, and you can even tilt the table using the left stick to save your ball from going out. You'll be so focused on timing your hits, filling up letters to activate your ball-save and trying to hit the right bumpers at the right time to start combos that if you make one mistake, you'll be furious, because this game is relentless. There is a way to get an extra ball (different for each table) but boy are they difficult.
After you start to master these tables, you might start to get bored. So far, Zen Studios has released 5 more tables from the time it was released in spring 2009. Which isn't bad, but the tables are 2.49$ each on the PSN. These range from a Mars themed table, to a Street Fighter table. I could see picking some of them up if you're passionate about the game they're creating as a table, or if you just see one that interests you. But on the other hand, I wish these could have been free.
The lack of free tables and the relentless difficulty are disappointing, but it has to be the best pinball game on the market.
