ZOE Begone! Review
ZOE Begone! channels classic animation in its energetic SHMUP gameplay.
ZOE Begone! Credit: Retchy / PM Studios
Retchy (indie dev and freelance Scottish animator Graeme Hawkins), along with publisher PM Studios, brings us ZOE Begone!, a high-energy shoot-em-up (SHMUP) that feels like playing through a piece of experimental film history. Taking clear inspiration from Norman McLaren's drawn-on-film animations and Chuck Jones's classic Duck Amuck, this arena shooter puts you in the role of Zoe, a stubborn ink splotch battling a meddlesome Animator who keeps painting dangers into her world when all she wants to do is take a nap.
ZOE Begone! Credit: Retchy / PM Studios
The gameplay strikes an engaging balance between straightforward SHMUP mechanics and strategic resource management. Zoe runs, jumps, flies, and shoots across film-strip levels where the chain scoring system rewards aggressive play. The catch is that your most powerful moves, your dash and pound attacks, drain energy, and running dry grounds you until you can refill. This creates compelling risk-reward decisions, especially since all health and energy pickups are visible from the start, letting you plan your energy usage around available resources. It’s fun, but not enough to make the game feel novel as a SHMUP.
ZOE Begone! Credit: Retchy / PM Studios
Players can purchase power-ups between rounds using apples they collect as currency. I found it a little frustrating that they run out when your energy depletes, but the game lets you keep them as long as you don’t let your fuel go dry. I do with the power-ups branched out in more interesting directions than the standard ones you’d always expect to be included.
ZOE Begone! Credit: Retchy / PM Studios
While the gameplay isn’t revolutionary, the hand-drawn aesthetic absolutely sells the game’s concept and makes the game worth your time. If you’ve seen the work of Norman McLaren, the game does a fantastic job of channeling it. Every wobbly line and jittery animation reinforces the animated-on-film illusion, while the Animator's real-world intrusions—brushes, x-acto knives, even fingers—break the fourth wall just like Bugs did to Daffy in Duck Amuck decades ago.
Multiple modes, including arcade runs, time challenges, and boss rush, provide solid replay value. Though not novel, the game's easy-to-learn, hard-to-master design still makes chasing scores on the leaderboards addictive.
ZOE Begone! is available now on Steam, Xbox One / Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.
Overall Score: 6/10
Played on: PS5
