This isn’t the beat-em up you’re looking for
There has been a run lately on sequels that seemingly no one asked for. Slave Zero X is one of those games, kind of. You see, Slave Zero X is actually a prequel to the 1999 original Slave Zero game which saw players trying to overthrow a machine overlord who had enslaved the planet. The game was a 3rd person action game that what really just kinda mid, so it’s surprising to see publisher Ziggeraut bring a new entry in this dated series.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $12.99
In a change from the series original 3rd person perspective, Slave Zero X is a hack and slash 2.5D side-scroller set in a post-apocalyptic biopunk world where the United States has become the American Empire, led by the SovKhan who was the antagonist from the original Slave Zero. In Slave Zero X players take control of Shou who is a Guardian that has undertaken the mission to take down the ShovKahn by using the sentient Slave suit, X. Much like my beloved world of Warhammer, Slave Zero X takes place in a similarly grimdark and somber universe. Graphics are presented with a retro 3D look which immediately gives feels of the traditional beat-em up, but Slave Zero X isn’t like those games of yore.
Shou has various moves and abilities to hack up his foes, armed with a sword he is able to swing it to great effect and pull off some combos. With that comes a limited supply of grenades which can be topped off at scattered venders around each level and his sentient suit has the ability to push enemies away when players are overwhelmed. Mixing all these things up is supposed to lead to some fast and fluid action, but I got to say I never saw this side of Slave Zero X. Its combat system feels more akin to an old fighting game, where no moves are explained and it’s up to the player to figure out abilities and attacks. This was fine in my youth, but I don’t want to fight with a game while also trying to learn its secrets, it’s just not my idea of fun anymore.
Another one of the big issues with Slave Zero X is the difficulty spikes up and down and never really finds it footing, a lot like watching a Tyler Perry movie. The game thankfully color codes the enemies so players know whose weak and strong, these vary from easy one hit kills to what feels like a miniboss fight and these are the rank-and-file enemies. Even the platforming mechanics are frustrating here due to what feels like subpar running and jumping animations.
I said this on the podcast, Slave Zero X is a weird game. On the surface it appears to have little to do with the original, but the story does reveal some threads The bad thing is the combat and levels just feel so frustrating and difficult that most players will never even get to see any of it. This game didn’t make me feel like a “killing machine” with its clunky combat and constant difficulty spikes. I don’t know who this one is for, I just know it isn’t me.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
