S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Sep 21, 2005
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
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  1. HiroakiK
    Oct 8, 2005
    9
    Very nice game. Sad it gave me frustration when you are out in the HAVEN. And I don't know why Sony itself gives this game the rate of 40?? GENKI should have released this title on Xbox, period.
  2. LEEAHD.
    Oct 9, 2005
    0
    Poor control, unnecessary (annoying, actually) dialogue. No improvement to its predecessor, the equally poor, if not poorer, phantom crash. Genki again develops a game that few would enjoy
  3. PKMN37
    Jan 17, 2013
    3
    I played the predecessor, Phantom Crash, and I loved it. Sure, it had a few annoyances, but overall, it was fun. The sequel, however, doesn't do it for me. All the shops are built into an awkwardly designed cyberspace-like map, where everything is spread out. Features that were once easy to access in the first game, like the save feature which was located in the living quarters before, isI played the predecessor, Phantom Crash, and I loved it. Sure, it had a few annoyances, but overall, it was fun. The sequel, however, doesn't do it for me. All the shops are built into an awkwardly designed cyberspace-like map, where everything is spread out. Features that were once easy to access in the first game, like the save feature which was located in the living quarters before, is now several feet away from said location. There are no familiar characters to make it feel like a sequel. There is no story connection with the predecessor, making it feel more like a different game with the same gameplay. Lower bosses (like D Rank), who should be weak and easier to kill than the later ones, are now ridiculously overpowered and can only be beaten by putting in an invincibility code. The Animal Chips (now called ICs; Intelligent Chips) now have Health Bars, for some reason. Now, you have to spend a lot of money just to keep the Chip in working order. There are more arenas to battle in, but now you have to spend a lot of cash to get to them. As a result, you can't afford to lose any matches. That brings up another problem: money is much harder to get in this game when most of your opponents have much better weapons than you do. It doesn't help the fact that your weapons themselves tend to break faster than before, oftentimes resulting in you having to retreat more often than you'd like to. In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this title. Stick with the much better Phantom Crash.… Expand
  4. Eranderil
    Mar 14, 2016
    9
    Recommended to: Armored Core fans(especially of the arena) primarily. Mech combat fans secondarily. Action/RPG fans looking for something a bit different lastly.
    The customization system is in depth, and the combat is simple to learn, very difficult to master. The ranking system is critically important, as well as using and mastering O/C (optical camouflage). You have to pay close    Recommended to: Armored Core fans(especially of the arena) primarily. Mech combat fans secondarily. Action/RPG fans looking for something a bit different lastly.
    The customization system is in depth, and the combat is simple to learn, very difficult to master. The ranking system is critically important, as well as using and mastering O/C (optical camouflage). You have to pay close attention to many things, both in and out of battle.
    Modifying your parts is as important as you do or don't make it. Personally, I have no need to modify, having found through trial and error which SV best fits my needs. Previously I was using a different SV company, which I had to rather heavily modify to make fit my style, making it quite fragile. My wife observed after watching me play for a while that my particular play style strongly reminded her of an ant lion, luring in my opponents only to tear them apart unseen. Once you get good at spotting O/C, the game grows significantly easier. That is not to say it is not a challenge- a single mistake can spell disaster. This is not particularly a game you can just dive in to. Do the tutorials, read up a bit on jargon and how things work in Battle School.
    Understand that the way the game is made, the particular opponents you need to take out will be on the field at any given time, somewhere. You are being hunted as much as you are hunting. Eventually nothing is more satisfying than entering an A rank match, and brutalizing 3 Sv's simultaneously while waiting for the ranker to show face. The IC (intelligent chips) level up in something of an RPG style. As they do you grow stronger, the controls actually refine (IE: The inputs become more sensitive and less jerky, faster lock on, longer range lock on, ease of breaking O/C and oh so much more)- yes your chip matters that much. That said as you fight your chip grows damaged, and ignoring this leads to significant max hp decay and possibly the death of your partner. Certain weapons deal more damage to your chip as well. Different IC's have different traits and personalities, some are better at long range, others at melee. Personally I prefer chips that are flexible, as I end up fighting at all ranges. Bear in mind that your IC is truly a partner. If you end up struggling with a tough ranker, consider that perhaps you simply are not skilled enough yet, or just as likely that your chip isn't leveled up enough. There are times when a ranker comes in that has massive AOE. (More often than not usually- they trend towards powerful flashy weapons, makes a good way to track them as they obliterate the battlefield.) Usually rankers are heavily modified, either towards very tanky or extremely deadly glass cannons. The worst and most difficult ones are the ones who start with an already tanky SV and mod it to be extremely dangerous glass cannon with massive AOE.
    Being taken out is painful, especially when those repair costs come in. Once you and your chip are skilled enough though, ditch the insurance. Money is easy to make if you are paying attention and grow skilled enough(or come to understand the in game stock market...). The story is somewhat lengthy. The only reason this game is not a 10 for me is that the story presentation is somewhat lacking. The story is still interesting despite the faulty reliance on beating rankers, and explores how anonymity on the 'net can lead to some serious issues. Seriously wishing for a sequel.
    One thing SLAI does particularly well on the first playthrough is blur the lines of reality and fiction. Not many games can pull it off quite like SLAI does.
    TLDR: Great combat system, requires a great deal of attention to detail and time to really come to master. Intelligent Chip affects everything about your machine, and is probably one of the most important things. Awesome customization. Good story, if somewhat faulty presentation. Not a game one can fire up for the first time to dive right in and be amazing at. Requires patience.    … Expand
  5. VectorCorrector
    Oct 28, 2014
    9
    I loved this game when i was younger and actually still have it, the story can be a grind if you play it rank by rank and I racked up a ton of hours but i don't regret any of them. The combat is fun if a bit simplistic but still enjoyable and this is one of the few games i would love to see a sequel too.
  6. MilanorS
    Jan 2, 2020
    8
    Fun battle arena game. a lot robot type and mods to make your own favourite and it's a well balance game, there won't be any OverPowered robot you can't beat Just skill and strategy ,BUT, You gonna need some times to really understand the game. give it a try
  7. Ga1ahad
    Jun 28, 2022
    7
    Pretty fun game, with smooth combat and nice, catchy music. Main gripe being the relatively limited customization options for your mech, as well as the sheer difficulty and how punitive losing is, especially early game, and can set you back hours, requiring grinding.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 3 out of 16
  1. PSM Magazine
    75
    At its best in online multiplayer: the fast, smooth action really comes into its own when you're trying to slap that huge repair bill on other humans. [Nov 2005, p.88]
  2. TotalPlayStation
    85
    This is an incredibly well-designed mech shooter, period. Genki has a genuinely enjoyable mixture of combat, upgrades and globe-hopping Snow Crash-like dances across servers, and it's a fantastic mix indeed.
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  3. IGN
    70
    It's a huge game with a good deal of replay value and a very cool online mode (assuming it ever gets used). Coming to terms with the graphical and gameplay limitations means being able to enjoy a well presented, fresh experience, so at least give this one a try.
    Read full review
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