"The S-Blade has a Hackblood charge!"
I'm conflicted on how to rate this. On one hand, as a standalone "boomer shooter" throwback this game is short and sweet, but nothing too crazy going on. On the other, its mere existence is wild and should be celebrated.
my tl;dr is;
If you finished Hypnospace Outlaw, this is required media.
If you didn't finish Hypnospace Outlaw, do that, then play this.
If you don't plan on playing Hypnospace Outlaw, treat this as a 3/5 game (meaning you definitely have a backlog of other fps throwbacks you should play before this).
Some more thoughts
Just as it's own self contained experience, my two big highlights are:
1. The Soundtrack.
It perfectly captures a late 90's-early 00's sound that will make you question if you heard it on the radio back in the day. I got some real nostalgic feelings for tracks I had never heard before.
2. The 'broken glass as shotgun ammo' mechanic.
It's a really elegant bit of game design that emphasises the type of destruction of Build Engine games, by making it part of the core game loop of early game ammo acquisition. (This was honestly so clever, it took me out of the games premise for a moment as I reeled back and said "no shot Zane would do something this clever on purpose"). It's a shame there weren't other similar mechanics, and the glass mechanic was less integral later in the game (although this being the case is more thematically appropriate).
My only real criticism is also the core reason the game should be celebrated. This whole game is an extratextual videogame to Hypnospace Outlaw. Slayers X core premise is the little shit Zane from that game, now 20 years older has found and finished a Build Engine shooter they were making when they were a teen. Slayer X at it's core is about peering into the mind of an insufferable character(now protagonist)/creator. Everything that makes this game standout from "what if the target demo of Duke3D made Duke3D?" hinges on this understanding. If you remove the lens of "this is the game made by that edgelord I know from that one forum", all you are left with is an edgy game you found somewhere online. Still the same solid Build Engine style throwback, but you don't know the dude who made it, and that makes a big difference.
What I'm getting at is, depending on your point of view you can either view Slayers X as a solid game elevated by this extratextual premise. Or a mid game that wouldn't be seen a favourably without being extratextual.
I choose the former and now eagerly wait for AAA studios to run with this same extratextual bit. I'm thinking a game similar to the God of War reboot, "created" by and staring Daxter of 'Jak & Daxter'?
I'm conflicted on how to rate this. On one hand, as a standalone "boomer shooter" throwback this game is short and sweet, but nothing too crazy going on. On the other, its mere existence is wild and should be celebrated.
my tl;dr is;
If you finished Hypnospace Outlaw, this is required media.
If you didn't finish Hypnospace Outlaw, do that, then play this.
If you don't plan on playing Hypnospace Outlaw, treat this as a 3/5 game (meaning you definitely have a backlog of other fps throwbacks you should play before this).
Some more thoughts
Just as it's own self contained experience, my two big highlights are:
1. The Soundtrack.
It perfectly captures a late 90's-early 00's sound that will make you question if you heard it on the radio back in the day. I got some real nostalgic feelings for tracks I had never heard before.
2. The 'broken glass as shotgun ammo' mechanic.
It's a really elegant bit of game design that emphasises the type of destruction of Build Engine games, by making it part of the core game loop of early game ammo acquisition. (This was honestly so clever, it took me out of the games premise for a moment as I reeled back and said "no shot Zane would do something this clever on purpose"). It's a shame there weren't other similar mechanics, and the glass mechanic was less integral later in the game (although this being the case is more thematically appropriate).
My only real criticism is also the core reason the game should be celebrated. This whole game is an extratextual videogame to Hypnospace Outlaw. Slayers X core premise is the little shit Zane from that game, now 20 years older has found and finished a Build Engine shooter they were making when they were a teen. Slayer X at it's core is about peering into the mind of an insufferable character(now protagonist)/creator. Everything that makes this game standout from "what if the target demo of Duke3D made Duke3D?" hinges on this understanding. If you remove the lens of "this is the game made by that edgelord I know from that one forum", all you are left with is an edgy game you found somewhere online. Still the same solid Build Engine style throwback, but you don't know the dude who made it, and that makes a big difference.
What I'm getting at is, depending on your point of view you can either view Slayers X as a solid game elevated by this extratextual premise. Or a mid game that wouldn't be seen a favourably without being extratextual.
I choose the former and now eagerly wait for AAA studios to run with this same extratextual bit. I'm thinking a game similar to the God of War reboot, "created" by and staring Daxter of 'Jak & Daxter'?