ZEN Pinball 2: Iron & Steel Pack (PS4) Review

One good, one amazing.

In the past few years that I have been a writer for ZTGD, I have somehow come into the role of “that guy that reviews all the pinball video games.” Truth be told, I wasn’t much of a pinball player before I had to review many of the ZEN Pinball tables that came out periodically. Over time, I began to understand them more, and eventually started to enjoy my time with each new table ZEN had to offer. After a bit of time, ZEN Studios has decided to release two original tables onto their already expansive library. The Iron and Steel pack offers up two new experiences that both veteran players and newcomers can get into.

Howdy, partner.

Howdy, partner.

MSRP: $4.99
Price I’d pay: $4.99
Platforms: PS4, XB1, Vita

The first is the CastleStorm table. Based on the ZEN Studios game of the same name, CastleStorm puts players in control of Sir Gareth as he defends his castle and kingdom from the advancing forces. The lanes are a bit tighter than I would have liked, but the variety and high score capabilities are relativity high for this table. Having enemies appear on the table and slowly move towards the bottom while I had to hit them with the pinball was just one of the few missions available. Unfortunately, getting to the missions was a bit difficult due to the lanes requiring some finesse to hit.

The second table and my personal favorite to have come out on ZEN Pinball in a long time is Wild West Rampage. This table has players seeing the adventures of bounty hunter Cindy as she takes on bounties and has shootouts with bandits. This has one of the best lane layouts I have seen in ZEN Pinball. Almost every shot I made could hit a lane, and getting new missions was a snap. On top of all that, the presentation mixed with the great Western movie music really made it feel great. If anything, this is the table to get by far, without taking credit away from CastleStorm, which has some fun times as well.

Then I killed the dragon...

Then I killed the dragon…

It’s difficult to review pinball tables. It really is all about what kind of pinball you want to play. In my personal tastes, Wild West Rampage is one of the best tables ZEN Studios has produced. It’s simple to pick up and fun to play, while still offering different missions. For $4.99, you get two tables. Both are well worth the price, with one being one of my favorite tables to hit ZEN Pinball. It’s right up there with the Venom table, but without the complexity of it. If you’re into pinball, particularly ZEN Pinball, the Iron and Steel pack is yet another great addition to an already solid library.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Fun tables
  • Great music
  • Good price
Bad
  • CastleStorm requires some pretty precise shots
9
Excellent
Written by
Drew is the Community Manager here at ZTGD and his accent simply woos the ladies. His rage is only surpassed by the great one himself and no one should stand between him and his Twizzlers.