Slave Zero X

The visual and audible treats presented by Slave Zero X can only carry it so far, and even the unlockable customization options (overlay filters that range from pleasing CRT-styles to some that are quite painful to look at, and different character colour pallets) do little to increase engagement in those areas. While the combat is fun enough, it's not without its frustrations, and your move set from the first level is the same as your arsenal against the final boss. There's no growth there outside of player skill, and the ceiling isn't so high that the climb lasts even as long as the game's runtime, which came in at a punchy three and a half hours. It's undoubtedly cool that a sequel to Slave Zero exists, if only for the curiosity of it, but it failed to learn lessons from its predecessors in terms of repetitive gameplay and lack of total variety. Fortunately, if you want to see the story through, not a lot is asked of you to do so, but even conquering the game's frustrating points leads to little feeling of satisfaction.

Slave Zero X is an interesting-looking action beat ‘em up title with a few bugs and feels a bit repetitive, but if you just want to kill tonnes of enemies, you will enjoy this.

Remember when action games boasted sizeable sprites and fun, flashy combat? Slave Zero X is a worthwhile attempt to revisit that entrancing era, despite a few forgivable and fixable blemishes at launch.

If you really like your punishing hack and slash platformers, then Slave Zero X might be for you, but it doesn’t feel as rewarding as it should when progress is made. You hardly feel like the killing machine you are as you run into difficulty spikes, and the near constant swarms of enemies just gets a bit dull when you are not learning any new techniques to fight them.

Slave Zero X is great at throwing you into combat that tests your ability to extend combos. You fight a variety of enemies that provide unique challenges and the combat is fun to learn. However, the story is confusing at the beginning and the tutorial isn't implemented well, making it easy to miss out on your full arsenal. Spending time learning how to fight is a key part of the game and failure is expected. It's a long grind but if you love the precise nature of combat and chaining combos, you will enjoy Slave Zero X.

Slave Zero X rejuvenates a classic franchise with intense action and a challenging combat system in a dystopian future. The steep learning curve and intricate gameplay mechanics demand mastery, offering a rewarding experience. With its compelling narrative and immersive soundtrack, the game stands as a testament to the potential of modernizing dormant IPs, providing a memorable and engaging action-packed journey.

While Shou can be a bit difficult to handle, Slave Zero X promises plenty of action for those willing to fight for their bloodlust. Its endless hordes can be a bit of a grind, but those willing to sharpen their swords and cut their teeth will enjoy executing this cannon fodder in style.

Slave Zero X has a lot to offer fans of 2.5D platformers, and with levels full of gore and violent enemies, there’s rarely a dull moment. However, this intensity can often become overwhelmingly difficult, especially when later fights drag on.

Slave Zero X is a hack'n'slash featuring complex fighting mechanics that would have benefited from more time in the oven, especially for people not willing to learn dozens of special moves right off the gate. Despite its exquisite 2.5D graphics and good music and voice acting, gameplay mechanics are let down by its varying difficulty and an overall fatigue that sets in even before the 8/10 hours of the main campaign are over.