When it comes to reboots, remakes, and remasters, the Sega Dreamcast catalog isn’t usually at the forefront of people’s minds. But Slave Zero X surprisingly revived a long-dormant series as a prequel to the obscure 1999 release Slave Zero. Like many people, I’ve never played the original version or owned a Dreamcast, but fans of the classic work will love the claustrophobic third-person shooter experience in this new version. I would trade it for a 2.5D hack-and-slash experience.
Set in a biomechanical nightmare steeped in HR Giger-inspired design, Slave Zero X immerses players in a brutal “biopunk” world straight out of an Alien movie. The story revolves around Shou, who fuses with a stolen Slave Unit prototype mecha suit and transforms into a nearly unstoppable killing machine bent on revenge. There is more depth than that, but the story is secondary. The game knows that too, intentionally drawing you into the action with minimal distraction from the breeze-flowing plot.
brutal but rewarding
Basically, Slave Zero X is a traditional hack-and-slash arcade machine that’s hard to boot. Don’t expect to mash buttons in this game. This game quickly demands precision and strategy. You’ll need to master a variety of light and heavy combos, directional inputs, and jumps that raise the stakes with each encounter. The fast-paced combat leaves little room for hand-holding, and the sparse text-only tutorial doesn’t really get used to it. But once you get used to the rhythm, each battle becomes intense and satisfying.
Where the game really shines is when you’re facing off against one or two powerful enemies, giving you time to strategize and use your moves effectively. However, when your screen is filled with enemies, you can quickly become overwhelmed. The relentless barrage of enemies, combined with the need to make split-second decisions, can easily send you into survival mode, leading to some frustrating moments, especially when attacks come from off-screen.
difficulty
Slave Zero X is all about balance, and the difficulty curve is steep. The game demands precise execution, but the lack of a solid tutorial makes it more difficult than it needs to be. From the get-go, you’re hit with a wall of text explaining Shaw’s abilities, but it can be easy to miss if you skim through the redundant explanations too quickly. What’s worse, there’s no way to double-check this information outside of training mode, which resets your level progress. The game offers health and weapon upgrades to alleviate some of the difficulty, but the learning curve is quite steep.
Shou’s controls also feel slow and clunky, especially in the air, and the Nintendo Switch’s controls don’t help matters. Smaller gamepads make the precision needed for certain sequences less than ideal, making it even more difficult. This combination is a drawback for something that could really shine once you get used to how the game plays, but ultimately the controls erase some of the shine.
Level design and performance
The enemy designs in “Slave Zero However, the environment itself is not very impressive. The biopunk aesthetic matches the overall feel of the game, but the level design itself offers little. The biopunk aesthetic is consistently impressive, but the level design is uninspired and feels visually dated. The game does a great job of recreating the retro feel it’s aiming for, but the downside is that this look, even for throwback value, isn’t up to today’s visual standards. The result is a game that feels at home in the late ’90s, but is a little lackluster by today’s standards.
However, the boss fights are a big highlight. They are varied, challenging, and truly test your muscle memory. If you’re the type of person who gets frustrated by easy boss fights, Slave Zero X has you covered. These battles will require the best of your abilities.
Unfortunately, the game performs poorly on Nintendo Switch. The combination of multiple enemies on screen, fast-moving animated backgrounds, and the need for quick reactions results in frequent frame drops that make combat feel slow and imprecise.
This is especially frustrating for a game that uses 2D sprites and 3D environments in this era, and feels unacceptable. Platform sections are already tricky due to Shou’s slow movement, but it gets even more boring when the game lags. These issues seem to stem from the platform itself, and the game may run more smoothly on more powerful consoles.
sound and presentation
Although the visuals are lacking, the sound design is excellent. A soundtrack driven by pulsating drum and bass beats will keep your adrenaline pumping throughout the battle. Adds an energetic edge to the game, elevating even the most repetitive encounters with a hypnotic rhythm. The sound effects are equally strong, with satisfying slashes and explosions adding weight to each action.
One downside to this, however, is that the game repeatedly attempts to provide dialogue during gameplay, which can be distracting and fail to effectively tell the story. Typically, important information is given while you’re fighting for your life in some of the game’s most difficult sections. This means that many stories are lost.
replay value
At around five hours, Slave Zero X provides a short but intense experience. The short campaign may encourage replays for those looking to perfect their skills, but the steep difficulty curve may deter less experienced players from revisiting it.
final thoughts
Slave Zero The game succeeds in creating a tight and rewarding combat system, but it’s hampered by performance issues, weak tutorials, and slow controls on the Switch.
For those willing to invest the time and energy to master the system, Slave Zero X offers a nostalgic and rewarding experience. But it may be a tough sell for modern players expecting a more sophisticated product.
3 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlight: Challenging and rewarding combat system. The variety and design of the enemies stands out.
Cons: Slow and inconsistent platform mechanics. Visually outdated graphics
Developer: Poppyworks
Publisher: Ziggurat
Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, Steam
Available: Currently
Lead artwork provided by: Francine Bridge
Review was conducted on Nintendo Switch using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
