It is rare to see a sequel to a game that came out in 1999, twenty-five years ago, and more so when that game was best known for releasing on the SEGA Dreamcast. In Slave Zero X, a prequel to the underground hit Slave Zero, you are once again thrown into this H.R. Geiger-inspired “bio punk” world. Instead of revisiting the 3D design from the past, Poppy Works incorporated a unique 2.5D perspective with bloody hack-and-slash gameplay that is both equally rewarding and deeply frustrating.
Grim Dark State of Oppression
You play as Shou, a Guardian who is encrusted within a stolen bio-mechanical living machine prototype known as Slave X. With the goal to kill the ruler of Megacity S1-9, Sovereign Khan, Shou will hack and slash their way throughout a slew of enemies to get to the very top. On their way, they will meet some new allies while learning more about this dark and dreary world. The plot is fairly basic, but it unfolds rather well within the six to eight hour length in a variety of ways.
Slave Zero X embraces satire, featuring some characters who resemble the dark essence of the American military industrial complex and cult of violence. It goes even further by saying some of the quiet parts out loud without any sense of remorse. It is both funny and awfully depressing at times, knowing that it is an absolute reflection of reality beyond the respective pale. Certain line deliveries made me stop and go, “Well, they have a point.”
When it comes to how this game delivers some of the finer details within the story, it resorts to various voice-overs and conversations while you are traversing the 2.5D environments. Even while fighting large slews of enemies, you are trying to focus on surviving while key elements are being delivered. I am quite used to experiencing these types of storytelling elements and callouts, but Slave Zero X throws these moments in during some of the most difficult moments of the game where focus is paramount. Imagine a child trying to get your attention while you’re fighting any Elden Ring boss.
Fly Like a Rock, Sting like a Ninja
Going over to the combat side of things, Slave Zero X merges the traditional side-scrolling action and throws in a bit of the fighting game aesthetic. Shou’s combat moves are slick and fun to use. Things only get tedious when multiple enemies start popping in, overtaking your screen and, in turn, overwhelming you with mass numbers. Luckily, there are several tools at your disposal. From the slew of standard and EX attacks to ammunition and a really incomprehensible dodge system, there are plenty of options available if you can remember them all. I also must note how annoying the platforming sections of the game are. For a bio-mechanical ninja mech, Shou is quite sluggish.
At the start of the game, you are presented with several menus telling you how to control Shou, but, once you scroll past them, you will never see them again. There is no option to revisit these, so if you are trying to nail down certain skills or learn some terminology, you can’t; you must rely on Google. It also doesn’t help when one button to execute a special ability stops working the way it was before. It makes some of the most dire situations more frustrating, making me put down my Steam Deck.
Balance is the name of the game here, and Slave Zero X has a learning curve so steep, it feels like I am climbing a mountain. Enemy density becomes incredibly overwhelming at certain points, especially when you have multiple foes that can juggle you as well as you can juggle them. Pair that up with the inability to view a tutorial, and it just creates instant animosity between me and the game. There is a training mode available within the main menu, but going there resets your level’s progress.
Enemy variety is great, though, and the designs really pop. You know exactly what you are dealing with at all times, and, if you don’t have a goldfish brain like me, you can easily counter the various moves. Granted, there are some sub-bosses that are repeated throughout the game that are so annoying to fight that it adds to that tedium. There is also a parry system, but I found it incredibly difficult to use.
At certain points in each level, you can spend earned in-game money to upgrade your health and enhance your various meters to perform EX moves more often. You can also refill your deployable weapons, such as explosives which help to clear out large groups of enemies. You get this option between levels, within levels, and even when you die, which will happen a lot. The game wants you to win, and it will try everything to ensure that happens.
Disgustingly Pretty
Where Slave Zero X most interests me is within the game’s aesthetics. It has a unique world that is dark and brooding accompanied by a level of ridiculousness familiar to the Warhammer 40K universe, embracing the grimdark atmosphere. Character artwork is smooth and finely detailed, being both dirty yet slightly angelic. Other designs features are exaggerated with massive, hulking bodies with tiny heads resetting upon their shoulders. Some characters are even clothed with American flags and retain a brutalist perspective, a la Homelander (The Boys).
Along with the design and satire, I really appreciated the drum and bass industrial music that really sets the tone for this world. The voice acting is also rather fun and interesting, with both an English and Japanese setting. There is also an endgame challenge mode, called the “Crimson Citadel,” where your combat prowess will be tested.
Overall, if you are a fan of old-school titles, you’ll find a lot to like with Slave Zero X. It is a challenging experience, and, while some encounters seem impossible, they aren’t. It will get frustrating, but as we have learned over the years: sometimes a tough experience can yield the greatest rewards.
Sincere thanks to Poppy Works and Ziggurat Interactive for the review code for Slave Zero X. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here.
