Slave Zero X review

Man and machine meld to form a robot-massacring, oppression-fighting hero.

Released three months after the Dreamcast’s debut, 1999’s Slave Zero extended the ability to climb into a simulated 60-foot-tall robotic exoskeleton. While the combat proved repetitive, the game wasn’t without merit. Margaret Stohl’s (narrative director for Destiny 2) solid storytelling imagined players using a stolen suit to take down a tyrannical villain.

Although they might seem dated today, Slave Zero’s visuals offered a worthwhile interpretation of dystopia- where stark skyscrapers reached toward sunless skies and vulnerable pedestrians habitually became caught in the crossfire. For anime fans, the game thrust players into a menacing world similar to the 1988 OVA, Appleseed.

The Matrix, Strider, and other ‘90s-era Works

A quarter-century later, Slave Zero X revisits the gloomy recesses of Megacity S1-9. Set four years before the events of the original game, the prequel’s plot recycles the core conflict, with Sovereign Khan commandeering an army of biomechanical mecha known as “slaves”. You play as Shou, one of the Guardians opposed to the totalitarian plans. After stealing one of the Slave Unit Prototypes, Shou merges with the sentient suit, becoming a man-machine embodiment of wrathful rebellion.

But Slave Zero X isn’t a cookie-cutter reproduction of the old Infogrames title. Instead, its action takes place in 2.5D environments. Here, the camera follows you around Megacity, relentlessly framing the action in a panoramic perspective, not unlike ‘90s titles like Klonoa or Pandemonium. While Slave’s spritework recalls NeoGeo-era glory, the shadowy backdrops are right out of the 32-bit anime adaptation.

Fighting a False God

Unsurprisingly, the action recalls late-century 2D brawlers, as the fusion of Shou and X fight enemies who attempt to box you in. Fortunately, you’re armed with an arsenal built upon normal and strong attacks. Beyond using the directional pad, analog stick, or keyboard (not recommended) to summon different strikes, Slave Zero X extends a variety of potent combos.

Unsurprisingly, juggling enemies either into the air or putting them in a stun state on the ground is the key to success. Early on, Slave Zero X is good at making you feel like a biomechanical badass as you cleave the occasional opponent into bouncing bits of viscera. Later, survival hinges on pushing toward enemies to parry or dashing to avoid imminent attacks. When the action intensifies further and you’ve filled your EX meter, you might want to activate Fatal Sync. This allows you to dish out unlimited EX moves and gain health, making it essential when confronting Slave’s bosses.

Inspired, but Not Without Issue

At its best, Slave Zero X channels some of the frantic energy of Dragon’s Crown or Muramasa: The Demon Blade as you confront legions of infuriated enemies. But where Vanillaware’s works attempt adversarial variety, developer Poppy Works sporadically sends waves of identical opponents toward players. Given that Slave Zero X is aiming for the look and feel of a character-action title from the PlayStation-era, that’s not a complete deal breaker. But injecting different enemy types into some of the game’s stages would have been very welcome.

That said, a handful of annoyances do begin to creep into the game’s campaign. Bosses tend to resist damage until you break their armor. But wearing down their protection can feel like a chore, as you attempt to find an opening. As present, Slave has some checkpointing issues with boss defeats occasionally forcing you to face waves of assailants all over again. And while there’s a bit of platforming, the game’s camera isn’t well-suited for double-jumping navigation.

Conclusion

Slave Zero X recalls a time before ability cool-downs and enemy variety became the norm. With play driven by flashy combos and precise timing, there’s enjoyment in mowing down the game’s mechanized adversaries. But inconveniences like vexing boss battles and inhospitable checkpointing tarnish the carnage.

Slave Zero X was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.