Air Hendrix of GamePro found ZPC severely outdated, for both its 2D graphics and its gameplay, which he found made little advance beyond 1993's Doom. However, he remarked that the "stark, sombre visual style" and moody music would highly appeal to many, and that this would make the gameplay more enjoyable to those players.[6] A Next Generation critic said much the same: "Gameplay sticks to the tried-and-true tactics of the legion of Doom clones ... While the level and puzzle design are entirely satisfying, ZPC would be just another pretender to the throne if it weren't for the tremendous atmosphere provided by artists Aiden Hughes and musicians Roland and Paul Barker". He elaborated that "Hughes's predominantly black and red palette and structuralist approach make ZPC one of the most unique-looking games around."[3]