One of the most important things you’ll learn to do as a critic is objectively assess when things are good, even if they’re not to your tastes. It’s a necessary skill because people are inherently fickle: you can dislike something for as shallow a reason of not liking the shade of the main character’s hair.
Thankfully, that skill goes unused today. Slave Zero X is a spiritual successor to a 90s dark sci-fi game called Slave Zero, but unlike what the name would imply it’s not held back by this reverence. Instead, it takes the core of what the original Slave Zero was and interprets it in its own way, creating one of the most beautiful beat-em-ups I’ve ever seen.
All The Grit Of The Late 90s
You play as Shou and his biomecha, X, as you go on a bloody rampage against the five generals of the Sovereign Khan. Yes, the bosses are basically robot masters. Yes, they are incredibly rad. They say cool things like “You’ll never wake me from my American Dream” or do Doctor Doom Hidden Missiles all before exploding into gore and viscera at the end of your boss fights.
It’s got some of the strongest presentation I’ve ever seen for what would otherwise be a side-scroller. Even though you’re inputting walking straight, the camera shows Shou walking around buildings. Combined with the late-90s aesthetic this absolutely looks like a game you could have sworn you played as a kid, complete with the billboard-effect on the 2D sprite work.
Slave Zero X has a hypnotic grasp on anyone who has that late-90s nostalgia. It’s just an absolute masterwork of knowing what design it wants to go for, then pushing it to 11 with the game’s body-horror designs. It screams rad game you’d get an ad for on the back of a magazine, and it knows it.
Not Just Looks
Of course, there’s more to it than its looks. It’s no secret that fighting games and beat-em-ups go hand-in-hand, but Slave Zero X really wears these influences on its sleeve. The game controls more like a character action title, as Shou does everything from dash-canceling normals to EX versions of his moves to keep enemies juggled.
I love the little boom effect you get when the game recognizes your combos are getting advanced. It’s like a mini audience come to cheer you on as you launch a Lancer Unit into the air, reset them with an Aerial Rave, then finish them off with an air RKO that hits everyone stupid enough to bear witness.
If you enjoy fighting games like Guilty Gear there’s no doubt you’d enjoy Slave Zero X- the game features mechanics straight out of fighters like a Gold and Blue Burst for either filling your meter or escaping a combo, a Fatal Pulse that works exactly like a Roman Cancel, complete with forwards and backwards drift, as well as a Fatal Sync install that lets you endlessly use EX moves. It knows what itch you want scratched and goes for it with full panache.
There’s even a lab to let you experiment with your combos outside of missions- whether you’re a mad scientist or an on-the-fly improviser, it never feels like you’re really lost with Slave Zero’s combat system. The lack of actual attack or damage upgrades is also a nice touch- it makes the game feel more about the combo expression, rather than making “builds” to end fights sooner.
Oh, and trust me, that lab is needed. All this talk of fun combos doesn’t mean that enemies just exist to be comboed- your defense needs to be equally on par, since your only options are dodging or a 3rd Strike-style parry. This game is absolutely crazy if you’ve got the execution for it, and is practically begging to have Combo MADs made of it.
Slave Zero X Is One Of The Best
If you live and breathe combos I cannot recommend Slave Zero X enough. It’s visually striking, mechanically sublime and an overall great time.
It’s got its downsides for sure- the lack of a macro for EX moves makes hitting them quite annoying, and the platforming is a little janky since Shou moves horizontally fast and vertically garbage, and there are totally levels that require you to be able to jump to certain ledges.
But if you want a game to violently shake up your expectations this is absolutely the one for you. For as strong as the visuals of Slave Zero X are, it wouldn’t be anywhere without just how much fun the actual beat-to-beat combat is. It’s an absolute delight wrapped up in a small package for people who like their air combos to-go.
Score: 9/10
Game reviewed on PC. Review copy purchased by reviewer.
