♦ Livestream of the MegaZeux world "Call of Caethrath" by Jauhis (2004) [https://www.digitalmzx.com/show.php?id=648] ♦
♦ Stream Contents ♦
• (2:34) "Call of Caethrath" by Jauhis (2004) [https://www.digitalmzx.com/show.php?id=648]
A lovely little Zelda-like with a gun. After a long journey in search of the land of Caethrath and its treasures, you are shoved off a cliff by a mysterious assailant and plunge into a lake below. From there you get to explore an odd world with some weird characters while blasting your way through some beautiful forests and other natural environments. While the protagonist is focused more on treasure than anything else, he does volunteer to fix a number of problems people are having once a financial reward is offered.
A fun action game with a short range shotgun as your means of attack, and limited ammunition to do so. Combat is easy to get engrossed in thanks to flashy damage numbers and enemies having bespoke animations when they're hit (often going wide-eyed). Your shots being hitscan allow for some satisfying moments when enemies line up to all be knocked down with a single shot. Resource management is a key part of the game as every item restores a randomized amount of health/ammo with a very wide range (we're talking 2 health or 15 from a potion). Enemies do drop some money which can be used at exchanging machines to convert them to extra health, ammo, or coins which are used to buy certain items. Exploration is rewarded with more resources and the rare upgrade to your gun's firing rate or attack power.
The game suffers a bit at guiding players where they need to go, and I found myself frequently feeling stuck. Players need to think with their gun and not be afraid to shoot obstacles. It also gets challenging as the game progresses, as saving is restricted to safe locations which are quite rare to find in the dungeons. There's also a risk of running out of money to buy an essential item.
It sounds great and looks great, really nailing the vibe. Lots of weird ancient ruins to roam around in, and a night sky suggesting an overnight adventure rather than cheerful sunny day. This game hit a lot of buttons for what I enjoy in ZZT/MZX games and at least as of part 1 is definitely a new favorite. (But it's gonna get tough in the next video!!)
♦ Originally streamed on May 4th, 2025 ♦
