ExZeus: The Complete Collection is a straightforward celebration of arcade shooting, combining giant combat robots, alien armies, explosive weapons, and relentless forward momentum into a package that rarely wastes time getting players into battle. It contains both ExZeus and ExZeus 2, two games constructed around high-flying 3D rail-shooter action rather than exploration or complicated character development. HyperDevbox and Sickhead Games are credited as the developers of the collection, with Ziggurat as publisher. The design is proudly old-fashioned, emphasizing quick reactions, enemy patterns, aiming, dodging, and spectacle instead of the elaborate systems commonly associated with modern mech games.
The first ExZeus establishes a classic science-fiction crisis in which humanity faces near extinction after a mysterious asteroid appears near Earth and unleashes devastating attacks. Humanity's survivors retreat underground while the counterattack centers on Operation ExZeus and three experimental fighting robots named Calista, Sophia, and Dynamis. Players choose between these machines and launch into battles against the invading forces of Diadora. The story is essentially an excuse to send enormous robots into increasingly chaotic confrontations, but that simplicity works for a game structured like an arcade shooter. It keeps exposition from interfering with the immediate appeal of soaring through environments and destroying everything hostile in sight.
ExZeus 2 continues the premise after humanity has enjoyed a lengthy period of peace. Five mysterious pods arrive from space and threaten heavily populated regions, forcing Operation ExZeus back into action. Calista, Sophia, and Dynamis are combined into a new ultimate machine called Minos. This sequel broadens the action by placing greater emphasis on fighting across both land and air. It still follows the fast, linear philosophy of the original, but the changing movement and combat situations provide enough variety to make the second game feel like a progression rather than merely another collection of similar stages.
Combat throughout the package is deliberately uncomplicated but energetic. Players are propelled through environments while targeting waves of enemies, avoiding incoming fire, and deploying an arsenal that includes conventional weapons and powerful super attacks. The rail-based movement means navigation is not the central challenge. Instead, success depends on spotting dangerous enemies quickly, maintaining accurate fire, reacting to projectiles, and knowing when heavier offensive options are worth using. This structure creates a satisfying arcade rhythm, although players expecting complete freedom of movement may find the predetermined progression restrictive.
Boss battles are among the stronger elements because they give the shooting mechanics a more focused purpose. Massive enemies unleash dense attacks that require careful dodging while players search for opportunities to strike vulnerable areas. These encounters reinforce the game's exaggerated giant-robot atmosphere and provide natural climaxes to its stages. Difficulty can occasionally feel demanding when the screen becomes crowded with projectiles and enemies, but improving through repeated attempts is part of the arcade appeal.
Environmental variety also helps sustain the action. Battles take place across cities, forests, snowy mountains, deserts, underwater environments, and other locations threatened by the invasion. Although the underlying formula remains consistent, these changes in scenery prevent the campaign from becoming visually static. The presentation naturally carries the appearance and design philosophy of older arcade games, so it should not be approached as a modern graphical showcase. Its strength instead comes from colorful explosions, mechanical enemies, large bosses, rapid movement, and an energetic science-fiction aesthetic.
There is a light resource-management component as well. Gold collected during missions can be spent on useful items and improvements such as energy, shields, and mega bombs. It is deliberately modest rather than becoming a complicated upgrade tree. This suits the experience because extensive menus and inventory management would interrupt the fast arcade pacing. Collecting resources nevertheless gives players another reason to perform well and provides some strategic consideration when deciding how to prepare for increasingly dangerous encounters.
The collection's greatest limitation is repetition. Shooting waves of enemies while automatically progressing through stages forms the core of both games, so anyone who does not enjoy rail shooters is unlikely to be converted by the package. There is also relatively little emphasis on narrative depth, exploration, extensive customization, or long-term progression. These omissions are not necessarily flaws within the intended genre, but they make ExZeus considerably more specialized than contemporary action games. The PC version also lists only partial controller support, which is unfortunate for an arcade-focused experience that naturally feels suited to gamepad play.
Steam Deck compatibility requires some qualification. The Steam store does not currently present ExZeus: The Complete Collection with a prominent official Steam Deck Verified or Playable classification in the available listing information. The store does, however, expose a review filter for users who played primarily on Steam Deck, indicating that the game has been played on the handheld. Because the title is officially listed for Windows and has partial controller support, Steam Deck owners should treat it as an unofficial compatibility case rather than assuming a fully validated experience. Its lightweight arcade structure makes portable play conceptually attractive, but control behavior and Proton compatibility should be considered before expecting a completely seamless handheld experience.
As a complete package, ExZeus works best when treated as an arcade collection rather than a modern mech action epic. Having two connected games makes it possible to see how the concept develops from the selectable robots and aerial battles of the first installment into the expanded conflict and Minos-focused action of the sequel. The short-form intensity also makes the collection suitable for players who prefer immediate gameplay without extensive tutorials, dialogue sequences, crafting systems, or enormous maps.
ExZeus: The Complete Collection ultimately succeeds through enthusiasm rather than complexity. Flying giant robots, enormous alien machines, rapid gunfire, super attacks, destructive bosses, collectible gold, and constantly changing battlefields create an entertaining throwback to an era when arcade shooters were primarily concerned with delivering immediate excitement. Its repetitive structure, aging presentation, partial controller support, and lack of officially confirmed Steam Deck verification limit its broader appeal, but fans of rail shooters and retro arcade action can still find considerable charm in its focused approach. It knows exactly what kind of experience it wants to provide and rarely distracts itself from that objective.
Rating: 7/10
