Review of Slave Zero X

An oppression-fighting, robot-massacring hero is created when man and machine combine.

Slave Zero X
Platform: PC, also on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X
Developer: Poppy Works
Publisher: Ziggurat
Release date: February 21st, 2024
Price: $24.99 via digital download
Availability: Steam

1999’s Slave Zero, which came out three months after the Dreamcast’s first release, expanded on the possibility of ascending into a virtual 60-foot-tall robotic exoskeleton. The game had some value even though the fighting was monotonous. Through her superb writing, Destiny 2’s narrative director Margaret Stohl envisioned players using a stolen suit to overthrow an oppressive enemy.

Slave Zero’s images, despite their seeming antiquated now, provided a valuable vision of a dystopian future in which harsh skyscrapers rose toward dark skies and defenseless civilians were constantly caught in the crossfire. Fans of anime will find the game immerses them in a frightening environment reminiscent of Appleseed, the 1988 OVA.

Strider, The Matrix, and Other ’90s Works

Twenty-five years later, Slave Zero X returns to the dark corners of Megacity S1–9. The prequel’s story, which takes place four years before the events of the main game, retells the main conflict: Sovereign Khan seizes control of an army of biomechanical robots known as “slaves.” As one of the Guardians opposing the dictatorial designs, you take on the role of Shou. Shou becomes a man-machine embodiment of wrathful rebellion as he combines with the sentient suit after stealing one of the Slave Unit Prototypes.

Slave Zero X, however, is not a carbon copy of the last Infogrames title. Its action instead happens in 2.5D surroundings. Similar to games from the ’90s like Klonoa or Pandemonium, the camera follows you around Megacity, persistently framing the action in a panoramic perspective. Slave’s spritework is reminiscent of the splendor of the NeoGeo era, yet the dark backgrounds are straight out of the 32-bit anime adaption.

Taking on a False God

Naturally, the action is reminiscent of late-century 2D brawlers, with foes trying to box you in being defeated by the combination of Shou and X. Thankfully, you have an arsenal of powerful and common attacks at your disposal. Slave Zero X offers a range of powerful combinations in addition to the ability to summon different strikes via the directional pad, analog stick, or keyboard (not advised).

Naturally, the secret to success is to either shock foes on the ground or juggle them into the air. As you chop up the occasional opponent into bouncing chunks of viscera early on in the game, Slave Zero X does a great job of making you feel like a biomechanical badass. Afterwards, advancing on adversaries to parry or running away from impending strikes are essential for survival. It could be a good idea to trigger Fatal Sync once the action picks up even more intensity and your EX meter is fully charged. This is crucial when facing Slave’s bosses because it gives you the ability to unleash an endless stream of EX moves and heal yourself.

Motivated, but Not Without Problems

When facing hordes of enraged foes, Slave Zero X excels at channeling some of the frenetic energy of Dragon’s Crown or Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Conversely, developer Poppy Works periodically sends waves of similar opponents toward players, in contrast to Vanillaware’s attempts at hostile variety. That’s not a huge deal breaker, though, since Slave Zero X aims to have the appearance and feel of a character-action game from the PlayStation era. However, it would have been great to have different enemy kinds added to several of the game’s stages.

Having said that, the game’s campaign can start to get a little annoying at times. Bosses typically don’t take damage until their armor is broken. But while you search for a gap, wearing down their defenses can feel like a nuisance. As of right now, Slave has a few checkpointing problems, with boss defeats sometimes making you confront waves of attackers again. The game’s camera isn’t ideal for double-jumping navigation, despite some platforming.

In summary

Slave Zero X remembers a period before enemies and ability cool-downs were commonplace. There is fun in taking out the game’s robotic opponents thanks to spectacular combos and exact timing. However, annoyances such as tedious boss fights and unwelcoming checkpoints lessen the bloodshed.

The review code for Slave Zero X was obtained from the publisher and played on a PC.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 75%

Controls – 75%

Aesthetics – 75%

Content – 60%

Accessibility – 65%

Value – 70%

70%

OK

Summary : When battle in action games was exciting and visually striking, do you recall? Although there were a few acceptable and easily fixed bugs at launch, Slave Zero X is nevertheless a valuable attempt to go back to that captivating time.