Slave Zero X

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 208 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Slave Zero X Game Cover
Slave Zero X is a fantastic game with fast paced action and combat combined with great gameplay rhythm.
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In the prequel to Slave Zero, Slave Zero X lets you control Shou, a Guardian swordsman who merges with a Slave Unit Prototype to become a powerful biomecha. Wield killer combos, stylish swordplay, and explosive ordnance to take down an army of living machines and stop them from being used as weapons of war. Platforming, air juggling, and wall-jumping add to the fast-paced action.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews
gameplay23 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique and visually stunning art style that combines 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds, creating a captivating biopunk aesthetic.
  • The combat system is deep and rewarding, allowing for a high level of skill expression with a variety of combos and mechanics, including a satisfying parry and burst system.
  • The story is engaging and well-written, with interesting characters and a narrative that keeps players invested throughout the game.
  • The game suffers from significant difficulty spikes, particularly in later levels, where enemy spam and juggle mechanics can lead to frustrating experiences.
  • There is a lack of a comprehensive tutorial or move list, making it difficult for players to fully understand the combat mechanics and how to effectively use them.
  • Technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and performance problems detract from the overall experience, making it feel unpolished at times.
  • gameplay103 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, praised for its engaging fighting mechanics and combo system reminiscent of classic titles like Devil May Cry, but criticized for its lack of clear tutorials and frustrating enemy encounters. While the core mechanics can be rewarding and fun once mastered, many players find the level design and enemy variety lacking, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game offers a challenging and stylish beat 'em up experience, but it requires significant effort to fully grasp its mechanics and overcome its shortcomings.

    • “The beat 'em up gameplay with a Devil May Cry twist makes it all the better.”
    • “Smooth and tight gameplay with a fantastic combo system.”
    • “Gameplay is the meat of the game though.”
    • “This game does a terrible job at explaining its mechanics, the platforming sucks, and stunlocking is almost impossible to get out of.”
    • “An amazing concept with excellent presentation let down by some of the most frustrating gameplay I've encountered in a while.”
    • “The gameplay loop boils down to feeling repetitive, made worse by the fact that the arenas are linear and the enemies tend to be simple recolors.”
  • story58 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging characters, stylish presentation, and emotional depth, particularly in the context of a biopunk dystopian setting. While some found the narrative straightforward or lacking in complexity, others were pleasantly surprised by its ability to evoke investment and attachment. Overall, the story is seen as a strong complement to the gameplay, though opinions vary on its execution and pacing.

    • “The story, music, and graphics are all great and made me want to dive deeper into this universe. I was fairly invested by the end of it; the story of a human's fusion with a weird sentient armor thirsty for blood was entertaining and even quite touching at times.”
    • “You can feel how much the team cared about the worldbuilding and storytelling. It's a biopunk dystopian future setting, and the dark story is well introduced by the characters' expressiveness, making you want to see more of the dystopian setting presented.”
    • “Slave Zero X is, at its core, a beat 'em up game, but it also has a very strong visual design, a good soundtrack, and, most surprisingly, a really moving story and compelling set of characters.”
    • “The story is not interesting at all and the main character is kind of cringe.”
    • “For story, honestly I think it just plain stinks by the end of it.”
    • “There's a few things to just point out, the story just simply exists; it's not good but it's not bad either.”
  • graphics55 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and striking aesthetic, blending biopunk elements with a nostalgic PS1 art style that resonates with fans of retro gaming. Many reviewers highlight the beautifully rendered 3D backgrounds, character designs, and vibrant animations, which contribute to an immersive experience, despite some technical issues like crashes and graphical glitches that can hinder gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's presentation and appeal.

    • “The fantastic visual aesthetic is combined with flawless sound work and high-quality voice acting to create a near-perfect presentation.”
    • “The graphics speak for themselves; the style is so standout beautiful, and the game takes clear inspiration from Devilman, Guilty Gear, DMC, and all the maps were made in the Quake engine, which honestly helps the style even more.”
    • “Bridge’s visceral art style blends beautifully with the biopunk aesthetic, resulting in a gory yet gorgeous look.”
    • “5-5 crashes right as the level loads for me, making it unable to be finished, and, under certain circumstances, the game will fail to display the graphics properly, also making it near unplayable.”
    • “There are also large bosses in the background that can only be hit while they use certain attacks where they move their body onto your plane, but the graphics do a poor job conveying when the bosses are on your plane.”
    • “The collision, acceleration, and jump height are all messed up; you need to predict when you're stepping off a platform due to the 2D/3D graphics, and you sometimes just don't make it over obstacles because the game doesn't feel like it.”
  • music38 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its stylish and fitting composition, featuring elements like cyberpunk arpeggios and thumping breakbeats that enhance the overall experience. While some players noted issues with audio balance, particularly with ambient sounds overshadowing the soundtrack, many found the music to be memorable and integral to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's engaging visuals and narrative.

    • “The music is brimming with cyberpunk arpeggios, wailing guitars, and thumping breakbeat.”
    • “The art and music pair with the gameplay perfectly.”
    • “The soundtrack for this game is mostly what sold me on it and it’s amazing in every way.”
    • “Also, I don't know if this is an audio bug or how it's meant to be (and if so... why?), but the ambience and soundtrack are often drowned out by the noise the drone that follows you around makes, which for some reason is 10x louder than everything else around it.”
    • “The music is alright, not quite as intense as I'd like for this type of game and a little too videogame-y for me, but it serves its purpose and is pretty catchy.”
    • “The art direction and music are top-notch, but the difficulty spikes can be brutal.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting significant performance issues, including bugs, enemy spam, and camera glitches that detract from the experience. While some users found the gameplay enjoyable despite these flaws, others recommend waiting for patches to address the numerous optimization problems before purchasing. Overall, the game's performance is seen as a major hurdle, though it is buoyed by strong writing and voice acting.

    • “It has a handful of bugs, performance problems, and overall some gameplay quirks that need to be ironed out, but overall it's an extremely enjoyable experience.”
    • “And while there are a couple of bugs and performance issues that will most likely be fixed down the line, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the hell out of the experience.”
    • “Also played it on Steam Deck in docked mode with an Xbox controller and had no issues performance or gameplay-wise.”
    • “This would be more acceptable if they were just trying to appeal to a niche audience, but it is further hindered by abysmal performance.”
    • “Enemy spam, weak defensive mechanics, random bugs, questionable performance at times, missing key features that it probably should have, etc. it's still fun, but if you're not 100% sure, I'd suggest just waiting for everything to be patched before you buy this.”
    • “- Audio mix and performance needs to be improved, badly.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of clever writing and character interactions, with standout moments from characters like the Morshu shopkeep and humorous wallbounces that add levity to the experience. While some players find the humor resets tension at times, the overall dialogue is praised for being both serious and funny, keeping players engaged.

    • “The Morshu shopkeep is funny, but every time I finished a major plot beat and went to the shop, he basically reset the tension as a result. But that's a nitpick.”
    • “The writing is so good; the dialogue is serious, funny, and gets your attention.”
    • “- Taunting wall bounces and it's very humorous.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often exacerbated by repetitive enemy encounters and certain overly difficult enemy types. While some mechanics, like fatal sync, provide temporary relief from the monotony, the overall experience is marred by a lack of enjoyment and significant performance issues.

    • “It is not about difficulty; it is tedious and annoying.”
    • “But later on, the game gets tedious and frustrating, and I just was not enjoying how each combat encounter would recycle the same enemies. There are some really annoying enemy types, most notably these 'gold' hammer captain guys (legit harder than half of the bosses in the game lol).”
    • “It's outright painful and tedious.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development is highlighted by exceptional character and environment designs that embrace a biomechanical aesthetic, contributing to a unique sci-fi dystopian atmosphere. The emotional depth of the characters, particularly the representation of sad gay leads, adds a poignant layer to the narrative, enhanced by striking visual and auditory elements. Overall, the artistic choices significantly elevate the game's character portrayal.

    • “The character designs and pixel art are all great and a real standout.”
    • “The character designs are also great, committing to that biomechanical look the original had to move away from.”
    • “It's hard to find words to describe how awesome the character designs, environments, sound design, and music truly are.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
    • “The characters seem to be defined by their stereotypes rather than any real development or growth throughout the game.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is criticized for being buggy and under-tutorialized, leading to frustrating experiences, particularly in the final level. While combat mechanics can be challenging, they are generally consistent, though issues with hitboxes can detract from the overall experience.

    • “It can definitely be rough around the edges; enemies can be ever so slightly off camera, and the last level (at least for me) was a bit buggy, requiring me to repeat it once or twice.”
    • “However, the combat mechanics are hard to pull off (especially within this context), which makes the combat feel buggy or inconsistent at times, with hit/hurtboxes that will make you scratch your head for not fulfilling their intended design purpose.”
    • “Misguided, under-tutorialized, buggy, and also weirdly slow.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its compelling story of a human merging with a sentient armor, which evokes a range of feelings from entertainment to deep emotional resonance. The combination of stunning graphics, engaging animations, and a powerful soundtrack enhances the overall experience, leaving players feeling invested and moved by the narrative.

    • “The story, music, and graphics are all great and made me want to dive deeper into this universe. I was fairly invested by the end of it; the story of a human's fusion with a weird sentient armor thirsty for blood was entertaining and even quite touching at times. The wonderfully rendered 3D backgrounds and dopamine-inducing animations make for a lot of memorable moments.”
    • “The music makes me want to cry, run around screaming, and smile.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's art and aesthetics are highly praised for their striking quality, effectively creating a cohesive transhumanist and biopunk atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.

    • “From a presentation perspective, the art and aesthetics of the game are extremely striking and really tie together the transhumanist/biopunk atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The immersive sound design and haunting music create an unsettling yet captivating atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
    • “The detailed environments and atmospheric lighting work together to evoke a sense of wonder and dread, making every moment feel alive.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional replayability, likening it to experiencing a masterpiece like the Sistine Chapel ceiling in an interactive format, suggesting that each playthrough offers new insights and enjoyment.

    • “The game offers endless possibilities, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
    • “With multiple endings and diverse character choices, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
    • “The dynamic world changes with each decision, ensuring that no two runs are ever the same.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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