Slave Zero on the Dreamcast- A Review From A Nobody

I've always appreciated Slave Zero for the exact reasons most people at the time of it's release disliked the game. At it's core, Slave Zero is an unapologetic straightforward action game who's main focus is action over everything else. The level designs are mostly straightforward corridors filled with baddies to destroy with only the slightest hints of exploration added. The corridors usually open up into larger areas that act as rooms just to destroy more enemies.

With a few exceptions, being missions that have specific objectives, the game mainly consists of starting at point A, destroying everything there, then continuing through corridors while destroying enemies, to get to point B where you destroy all the enemies there. The sense of scale in the game is impressive, as Slave Zero is a 60 foot tall mech that towers above buildings, and most enemies, and the concept and art direction hit on two things I am a sucker for: blowing stuff up in a giant mech, and a cyper-punk/Blade Runner style atmosphere. The combat in the game is excellent. Unlike the average mech title, Slave Zero is incredibly agile. He moves fast, jumps high, and the gunplay which consists of switching between two weapon types, ballistic and energy, while strafing, and also hitting enemies with rockets.

I love the feel of the combat in this game. There's something to be said about taking on waves of enemies while juking and jiving around their rockets, and forcing them to eat yours instead. The movement and aiming feels really good in this game, despite the Dreamcasts' single analog stick and some major framerate issues in the Dreamcast port of the game that really do put a damper on the combat in the later levels of the game.

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