Just a month after first announcing ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies Director’s Cut, ZA/UM has confirmed that the narrative RPG is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 on the same day as its PS5 release – on November 3rd. No announcement has been made regarding a potential Xbox Series X/S version, while PC players will get the Director’s Cut as a free update.
According to ZA/UM, the Director’s Cut of ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is going to add “substantial new material” to the RPG, including an entirely new Dramatic Encounter. Other additions coming with the update include a Backstage Mode, more outfits, and improvements to the UI. When it comes to writing, the studio has said that around 40,000 more words have been added throughout ZERO PARADES, from new dialogue to item descriptions.
The Dramatic Encounter involves protagonist Hershel Wilk and her friend Ramses getting inebriated and finding themselves driving a hijacked tuk-tuk and being unable to escape for some reason. Trapped in the Quisach Roundabout, players will be given a simple objective – pick out the correct exit from the roundabout and get back home. “Fail to do so, and well, things might get existential. And possibly fatal,” said the studio last month.
The Backstage mode is going to give players a new way to experience some behind-the-scenes details about the development of ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. It will give players the ability to experience various forms of the in-game zones across the different iterations they went through throughout the development process. This will give players a unique look at the “technical steps and creative processes” that went into making the game. Developer commentary will also be available, which players can access by finding and interacting with in-game orbs. This will feature insights from various members of the team, including art director Kaspar Tamsalu.
PC players will also get some additional goodies in the form of platform-exclusive features, like support for ultrawide displays at 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios. Other additions include a Photosensitivity mode, better ways to sort the in-game inventory, and the option to remap controller buttons.
ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies was released on PC earlier this year. In our review, we gave it a score of 9 out of 10 thanks to its setting, premise, writing, and the ability to interact with Hershel’s individual skills and stats as if they were real people. Our only complaint with the title was its unguided nature, which has the potential to cause some frustration among players.
Despite the positive critical reception of ZERO PARADES, however, ZA/UM doesn’t seem to be doing well financially. Back in July, the company issued redundancy and at-risk notices for up to 32 of its employees across all divisions.
“Their work has made a lasting difference and left its mark on ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, and the studio as a whole. Throughout this difficult process, we have continued to consult and work with the representatives of the ZA/UM Workers’ Alliance.”
For more details about ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, check out our interview with the developers.
