In 1999, Slave Zero was released on PC and SEGA Dreamcast to mixed reviews from critics, but it was a hidden gem and a cult favourite. The original game, a third-person shooter and a product of its time, was published and developed by Infogrames North America, but now, after 25 years, publisher Ziggurat Interactive has released a prequel. Developed by Poppy Works, Slave Zero X is a 2.5D hack and slash arcade style action-adventure game, now available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

From the top of Megacity S1-9, the Sovereign Khan rules with fists of iron and flesh. Beneath the city’s rotting foundations, a vengeful warrior embarks on a journey to murder him. Set four years before the events of Slave Zero, Slave Zero X brings new life to a world where horrific, living machines, known as Slaves, are primed to become the latest tools of war in humanity’s long and bloody history.

A secret band of warriors known as The Guardians hope to stop these biomechas from being unleashed upon the world, but one swordsman among their ranks has a different idea: use the enemy’s own weapon against them. By merging with a stolen Slave Unit Prototype, Shou will become a furious devil in pursuit of killing a false God.

This prequel game is a big change from the third-person shooter from 1999, playing as a 2.5D side-scrolling arcade-style action-adventure, though still using a graphics style from the late 90s. It won’t be long before players are put into the shoes of Shou and thrown straight into the action, and they’ll be hacking and slashing, slicing and dicing, and ripping and tearing through hordes of enemies. The controls are very easy to pick up and play, with tutorials displayed before the game begins, and these can be viewed anytime from the pause menu to refresh your memory.

Shou comes equipped with a sword to slay his enemies, and players will have a wide variety of attacks to experiment with, feeling very much like a fighting game as you try to build up combos and juggle enemies in the air.

Players have the usual light and heavy attacks, but can also extend their combos by jumping and running to close the distance, bouncing enemies off the ground, walls, and ceilings. There’s no move list to get combo ideas, but it doesn’t really need one. Experienced gamers will have fun experimenting with different combo potentials, but it’s also beginner-friendly for casual players. The different enemy types will also affect how combos are performed, depending on their size and weight, but it’s easy to adapt mid-combo and change things up.

The bigger the combos, the higher the score, and it’ll increase your chance of achieving an S rank in each stage. Defeating more enemies, collecting items, and more, will also contribute to the score. While getting S ranks in every stage isn’t necessary, of course, it gives hardcore gamers and Trophy/Achievement Hunters a little extra incentive and plenty of replay value, keeping them coming back for more. Players can select any stage once they’ve been completed, so you can try as many times as you like, and there’s even an online scoreboard to compare yourself with players around the world.

There is no shortage of enemies to rip your sword through. From the common enemies who can be killed with a single slash, to shielded guards, hammer-wielding heavier units, droids and more, players will be kept on their toes as they come in from every direction. Boss battles will also test your mettle, coming in different shapes and sizes, equipped with different weapons, and some requiring a different approach to taking them down. Players will no doubt be feeling that adrenaline rush from the beginning of the game to the very end.

Unfortunately, there is no difficulty setting, which may turn away casual players as the game becomes increasingly difficult the further they progress. For more serious players, they will likely relish the challenge and take on anything and everything that comes their way.

Even when the game is at its hardest, the fun factor never seems to fade, and even when it might start to feel repetitive, it always finds a way to keep the momentum going. It feels so good to slay enemy after enemy and see all the blood, guts and bones bursting out of them.

The only time when the game can get frustrating is the platforming segments which could use some polishing. Even the smallest misstep can lead to a game over, but thankfully, that can easily be forgiven with everything else the game gets right.

Both Slave Zero games take place in a dystopian future, and the graphics and presentation do an amazing job of bringing that to life. During gameplay, all the characters are 2D sprites placed in 3D environments, all of which follow a retro 90s-inspired style and presentation. It may look outdated, but that was the intention, making it part of the game’s charm rather than a detriment and adding to the overall grittiness.

There are a lot of modern retro-themed games out there, but Slave Zero X can easily be mistaken for an arcade game from the 90s, so it’s hard to believe it’s a game made in 2024. It’s proof that even outdated graphics can still work in modern games, and it adds a nice touch of nostalgia for older gamers.

Amongst all the action and unfolding violence, there is also a lot going on in the background, from trains and other vehicles going somewhere, to citizens performing mundane jobs, but these little details bring more life to the environments.

While players traverse around the 2D stages, moving left, right, up or down, the 3D environments seamlessly rotate and allow you to see the stages from different angles and viewpoints, but objects in the foreground can occasionally obstruct the player’s view of the action, which can cause some inconvenience. Regardless of this, the game looks and plays just as good in docked and handheld modes.

The character designs are nicely detailed, even with the slightly pixelated look, and as players wreak havoc onscreen, the animations are smooth and action-packed. The way Shou is animated makes him look like he was taken straight from a fighting game, and he would perfectly fit into a classic Marvel vs Capcom or Guilty Gear game. The cutscenes between each stage feature highly detailed illustrations, showing Shou unmasked and out of his armour, and he bears some resemblance to Lestat de Lioncourt, portrayed by Tom Cruise in the 1994 film, Interview with the Vampire.

The cutscenes help tell the story and are quite entertaining, but they can also be skipped if it’s not your cup of tea. Dialogue is all fully voiced as well, featuring a talented voice cast including Griffin Burns as Shou, as well as Jordan Reynolds, SungWon Cho, Ian Russel, and more. The game’s soundtrack features various high-energy and upbeat techno-rocking tunes, perfectly fitting for a cyber ninja tearing through his enemies.

It may be a big change from the third-person shooter released in 1999, but Slave Zero X easily stands out on its own with its simple gameplay mechanics and retro-looking graphics. It proves that what many would consider outdated graphics still holds up well in today’s gaming world, and sometimes, keeping it simple is the key to a great game. It can be completed in about 3 to 4 hours, but Slave Zero X is pure fun, gloriously violent and a real adrenaline rush, so there is more than enough to keep you coming back for more.

Written by: Sammy Hanson