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rent ’s set the clock back to a time when games were a progress of plug - and - separatrix violence proceeding from the left to good sides of the sieve . Poppy Works ' latterly released throwback pulse ‘ em upSlave Zero Xmines the late-90s 6th - generation aesthetic , with a 2.5D activeness platformer steeped in extravagant bio - mecha Zanzibar copal style , and a wave - diagonal Strider Hiryū could only stargaze of . It ’s a punchy , chaotic stint of button - mashing and relatively short – perhaps intended to inhale those replay - ready leaderboard pursuer – but it ’s instantly beg for more in the way of combat diversity , and any serving where the game call for straight - up platforming feel like a drag .
Slave Zero Xhappens to be a cheeky prequel to a mostly forget Sega Dreamcast release by the name ofSlave Zero , Infogrames ' third - person 3D action title from 1999 . Something of a lost religious cult smasher , Slave Zerostarred a massive mecha protagonist tussling with exchangeable - sized threats over a sprawling urban center city , with much of the narrative deployed through ongoing give-and-take over comms while navigating the high - technical school urban surroundings .
The sequel to the original claim released in 1999 , Slave Zero X is an action - escapade platformer - struggle hybrid in which player take on the role of a warrior named Shou who seeks to slay the tyrannical Sovereign Kahn , who enslaves humanity .
It ’s hard to believe thatSlave Zero Xis some newspaper headline - grabbing response to a furious fan campaign or anything of the like , just more of a surprise elaboration on a 25 - twelvemonth - honest-to-god IP whose minuscule contingent of mega - fans celebrated the promulgation ; these must be the same folks who snatched up the repackagedSlave Zeroon PC which dropped almost ten year ago . As for this prequel , it endure as an scratchy but interesting initiation imbue with a generous amount of love and concern , featuring a semi - retraux display including gorgeous painted fibre art and enthusiastic interpreter acting , along with a issue of antiquated beat ‘ em up peculiarities ; it ’s that latter element which risk alienating its already - limited audience .
Shou and Tell
Slave Zero X’s Great Storytelling
Slave Zero Xpresents a black and seedy cyberpunk narrative displace the result of the original plot , where a rebel force known as the Guardians combat the urban center ’s overlord Sovereign Khan and his United States Army of mechas and bloodthirsty puppet . Eschewing the giant - sized linear perspective of the original , this unexampled game demand lieu at street - tier , as protagonist Shou battles the incorporated host in his X building block , a living cybernetic struggle armour with its own trenchant personality .
The storytelling and style ofSlave Zero Xrecalls the gritty histrionic sci - fi anime of the eighty and 90swith its passionate vocal performance and gleeful fury . Shou / X and their foe fodder present as lightly invigorate pixelated sprites , but the battlefield they fight on are fastidiously crafted individual - woodworking plane three-D wonders chock - full of contingent , arouse rough Dreamcast / PS1 purpose vibes . It ’s a very specific make of nostalgia which will leaven startlingly effective to some and perplex the rest , but it ’s a unique approach that come together attractively on the screen .
paint artwork is also incorporate intoSlave Zero Xthrough character portraits in the HUD and interstitial optic - novel - style story segues throughout the adventure . For this content , there ’s additional precedence to be detect inNeon Genesis Evangelionand the house of cards - muscled physiques ofBio Booster Armor Guyver , and subsequently lot divulge a few body repugnance tool that further evoke the toppingly gruesome sensibilities of the VHS anime era .
All of these small intention skin senses make playingSlave Zero Xfeel akin to bringing home a risky video store rental back in the sidereal day , even though the force in the game is ordinarily quite meek in comparison to modern gustatory modality . There are no grisly disembowelment moves or anything sensationally nasty , mostly just the “ gibbing ” of over - damaged enemies into improbable bursts of bones and stemma .
Plentiful and Precise Hack-and-Slash Gameplay
Slave Zero X’s Mechanics Are Exacting
Slave Zero Xmay feature 3D scrolling backgrounds , but everything takes property on a rigid 2D plane , with foe spawning in from the edges and background . It becomes an action brawler which prioritize space above all , with Shou ’s lengthy brand the perfect tool to slice terror at a safe and vulnerable distance , or slap them about like leaden hacky sacque .
The enemy model here are short to the secret plan ’s richly designed backdrops , with but a handful of units to fight and just a few palette swaps from each one , though the actor cube through score of them in any dedicate layer . The mechanically skillful departure between fight one enemy or three or four bunch together at once is virtually nil , with all commonly vulnerable to juggles as they are lather into screen edge and slam to the level .
How the story intersects with the originalSlave Zerois inspired , and the developing kinship between Shou and X contrasts with flashback entr’acte with another fundamental character that assist a satisfying narrative
Weaker mob sneak in for a collision here and there , at time reminiscent of the foe in the classicKung - Fu Masterarcade secret plan . These bush get much trickier when folded into the balance of the fodder , with the midget , weakest strike able to break up instrumentalist jazz band and , more importantly , briefly sandbag them , which lease everyone at range blithely dogpile Shou into entry .
This makes for a strange flow , which wavers between seeing the player entirely demolish every enemy before they can get the chance to move and being cast aside around like a beanbag for lengthened periods with circumscribed ways to respond . A power - up state and a tricksy cancel evasive action can occasionally release these moments around , but both are throttle in use , and the larger brawls inSlave Zero X ’s later stage can rapidly idle - remainder an attempt , kicking Shou back to an former checkpoint .
A Single Move-Set For The Whole Game
Repetition Can Be Frustrating
What ’s more troubling than the more and more firm flow of foeman chumps is the absence of meaningful upgrades , novel maneuvers , weapon system , or anything of the like . Slave Zero X ’s combat car-mechanic are dependable but scrimpy , and a workshop kiosk blood health climb and some completely useless throwable explosives , but that ’s nigh all there is to buy . The early game move - set never alter and , for the most part , neither does the approach to the legal action . blank , slash , dash , juggle , repetition , for about four or five minute from intro to credits .
At least there are a minuscule fistful of boss to flux things up , though a particular miniboss is pallet - swapped and reused again and again throughout . If the game was long , the repetitiousness would be even more emphasized , but it ’s still surprising that there ’s barely anything to endeavor for here , outside of a high scotch and a post - game Crimson Citadel , which is plainly simulate after the Bloody Palace mode intheDevil May Cryseries .
Slave Zero X ’s rigidity definitely address toDMCfans and fighting game partisan with a love for technical school , well-chosen to spam similar jazz band and movement with precision while narrowly avoiding attacks . While there is a counterpunch move available , it ’s hardly more useful than dashing into the ruffle with a slash or shove by magnanimous enemies to forfend their hit in the first post .
There ’s also a number of platforming at certain critical point in the secret plan , sequences which are never anything less than awful . Shou ’s leap is somehow both firm and floaty , and any fourth dimension the game requires him to sail danger and hand higher platforms , it outright feels like a trainwreck of design ; gratefully , such moments are relatively rare .
Final Thoughts & Review Score
3/5
In another day and time , Slave Zero Xcould have been must - act , purely in terms of its esthetic intro . These days , though , with so many fantabulous and low-cost beat ‘ em ups to manage with – honest-to-god - school day throwbacks and remake alike – the game ’s nostalgic trappings only hold it back from aggregate appeal , and the lack of expected mod con and update to the genre ’s chemical formula are in two ways felt . The pared - down ism contribute space for preciseness and control , but almost every area palpate effectively the same to fight through , only interrupted by an occasional honcho encounter to add together more unexpected spice .
How the report intersects with the originalSlave Zerois invigorate , and the developing relationship between Shou and X contrasts with flashback interludes with another key case that serve a substantial tale , one which may even take another go - one shot to fully digest . plug - and - slash heartbeat ‘ em ups are not traditionally get laid for their storytelling , and it ’s just another way thatSlave Zero Xsuccessfully stands out from the rest .
In the remainder , though , the repetitiveness makes it hard to fully recommendSlave Zero X , specially at its retail asking Leontyne Price of $ 24.99 . Aside from just enjoy the narration , instant replay value is qualify to gamy - mark hunters ( who themselves will have to deal with an arguably unpredictable grading system ) , and anyone not all smitten with the presentment will find themselves looking for an excuse to persevere , even with its comparatively short drive . For the good player , Slave Zero Xwill seem like a custom - made surprisal , but it ’s a little too short to box with the measure ‘ em up immortal .
A PlayStation 5 digital code was provided toScreen Rantfor the role of this review .
