Let’s set the clock back to a time when games were a procession of hack-and-slash violence proceeding from the left to right sides of the screen. Poppy Works’ recently released throwback beat ‘em up Slave Zero X mines the late-90s sixth-generation aesthetic, with a 2.5D action platformer steeped in extravagant bio-mecha anime style, and a wave-slash Strider Hiryū could only dream of. It’s a punchy, chaotic stretch of button-mashing and relatively short – perhaps intended to inspire those replay-ready leaderboard chasers – but it’s outright begging for more in the way of combat diversity, and any portions where the game requires straight-up platforming feel like a drag.
Slave Zero X happens to be a cheeky prequel to a largely forgotten Sega Dreamcast release by the name of Slave Zero, Infogrames’ third-person 3D action title from 1999. Something of a lost cult hit, Slave Zero starred a massive mecha protagonist tussling with similar-sized threats over a sprawling city metropolis, with much of the narrative deployed through ongoing banter over comms while navigating the high-tech urban environment.
It’s hard to believe that Slave Zero X is some headline-grabbing response to a furious fan campaign or anything of the like, just more of a surprise elaboration on a 25-year-old IP whose small contingent of mega-fans celebrated the announcement; these must be the same folks who snatched up the repackaged Slave Zero on PC which dropped almost ten years ago. As for this prequel, it stands as an uneven but interesting creation imbued with a generous amount of love and care, featuring a semi-retraux presentation including gorgeous painted character art and enthusiastic voice acting, along with a number of antiquated beat ‘em up peculiarities; it’s that latter element which risks alienating its already-limited audience.
Slave Zero X presents a dark and seedy cyberpunk narrative preempting the events of the original game, where a rebel force known as the Guardians battle the city’s overlord Sovereign Khan and his army of mechas and bloodthirsty creatures. Eschewing the giant-sized perspective of the original, this new game takes place at street-level, as protagonist Shou battles the corporate hordes in his X unit, a living cybernetic battle armor with its own distinct personality.
The storytelling and style of Slave Zero X recalls the gritty melodramatic sci-fi anime of the 80s and 90s with its passionate vocal performances and gleeful violence. Shou/X and their enemy fodder present as lightly animated pixelated sprites, but the battlegrounds they fight on are fastidiously crafted single-plane 3D wonders chock-full of detail, conjuring fierce Dreamcast/PS1 design vibes. It’s a very specific brand of nostalgia which will prove startlingly effective to some and perplex the rest, but it’s a unique approach that comes together beautifully on the screen.
2024-03-11 05:00:04
Link from screenrant.com