Graphics and sound are important when it comes to reviews like this, because the art style is really the only distinctive property about DLC releases like
Zen Pinball: Paranormal. Zen Studios knows pinball, as well as how to illustrate a table. It's always nice to sit and watch as the camera pans (almost lovingly) over each painstakingly detailed section of the table. Of course, a table called
Paranormal has to delve into a bit of bizarre subject matter in order to achieve its primary goal. Unsurprisingly, it does a good job of that. If you think something belongs on a table named
Paranormal, it's probably there. Ol' Nessie sits on the left side of the table, and a five-ball Newton's Cradle occupies the right side. The dot matrix usually relays the gist of the pinball adventure, and this one follows a wisecracking special agent. The Jersey Devil watches over the haunted mansion at the top of the table, which actually stands vertically. The slingshots near the flippers are decorated with swirling vortexes, and one of them has a crashing plane on top of them; it's easy to gather that it's supposed to be the Bermuda Triangle, and its position is clever.
The sound quality is what we've come to expect from Zen Studios. It doesn't take the focus away from what you're seeing and it mainly stays out of the way. It's a minute-long techno loop featuring distorted whispers and spooky synthesizing. The stuff that accompanies the action on the dot matrix is good, also.
