Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 68 | 46 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 74 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 240 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 75% | 71 | 310 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Apr 11, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 310 total reviews in window · weighted 147.3 up / 47.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (33)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“Slave Zero X is an incredibly frustrating release, because it could have so easily been a slam dunk. It's a great game - it really is - with stylish combat mechanics, beautiful 2D sprites combined with 3D environments, and an awesome, cyberpunk-esque storyline. Unfortunately, though patches may eventually turn this lump of coal into a diamond, the game as it stands is a hot mess on Switch, with a wildly inconsistent frame rate that makes the complex, methodical gameplay feel like a chore to play.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Slave Zero X will get frustrating, but as we have learned over the years: sometimes a tough experience can yield the greatest rewards.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“If craving a punishing retro-style brawler, Slave Zero X has what it takes to test your patience - in more ways than one. While it nails the tone and equal parts stylish and grotesque aesthetic of ‘90s anime action, behind its cool look, strong atmosphere and neat ideas lies a failed attempt at channelling the spirit of a Devil May Cry or Bayonetta; one so weighed down by frustration, imbalance and sloppy execution that its brilliance struggles to shine through.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It's a shame the combat is quite so tough, because it can be discouragingly unforgiving, and there are no difficulty settings to toy with either. However, we definitely get the sense this is a game that masochistic players will love to master. From where we're sitting, Slave Zero X is slightly too hard-edged for its own good, but there's undoubtedly depth to be plumbed if you're so willing.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Slave Zero X is a decent fast-paced action game experience with a surprisingly good story. However, its overall repetitiveness and lack of interesting boss fights drags it down quite a bit.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“I said this on the podcast, Slave Zero X is a weird game. On the surface it appears to have little to do with the original, but the story does reveal some threads The bad thing is the combat and levels just feel so frustrating and difficult that most players will never even get to see any of it. This game didn’t make me feel like a “killing machine” with its clunky combat and constant difficulty spikes. I don’t know who this one is for, I just know it isn’t me.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Slave Zero X has a few too many rough spots to make it an easy recommendation, but it isn't a terrible game. When you get into the groove of combos, cancels and bursts, it can be incredibly satisfying to leave the forces of fascism in bloody chunks on the ground, but the effort it takes to reach that point feels like too much to be worth it. If you're in the mood for a bloody, execution-intensive beat-'em-up, then Slave Zero X might be for you, but it might be tough if you're used to playing modern beat-'em-ups.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Slave Zero X is a game where there is a great dissonance between how it looks and how it plays. It's one of the most stylish games of the year, and it looks great. It sounds very good too. It does a good job of reviving a now-forgotten brand and establishing its own distinct and unique biopunk identity. However, in many ways it feels unfinished and unbalanced. The difficulty is very unbalanced, the controls could be more responsive and the gameplay could be better handled, especially mechanically.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Incredibly stylish, beautifully violent, wonderfully voice-acted, surprisingly emotional and incredibly enjoyable: Slave Zero X is an absolute indie powerhouse.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Slave Zero X is an interesting-looking action beat 'em up title with a few bugs and feels a bit repetitive, but if you just want to kill tonnes of enemies, you will enjoy this.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“If you really like your punishing hack and slash platformers, then Slave Zero X might be for you, but it doesn't feel as rewarding as it should when progress is made. You hardly feel like the killing machine you are as you run into difficulty spikes, and the near constant swarms of enemies just gets a bit dull when you are not learning any new techniques to fight them.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“With a bit of fine-tuning and rebalancing, Slave Zero X could be magnificent. It is already an audio/visual tour de force and the gameplay mostly works. If anything, Slave Zero X presents a compelling world with vivid imagery that sticks with you. It is no wonder why people still remember the original game and have fond memories of it.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Seasoned Gaming
Cubed3
Push Square
Capsule Computers
ZTGD
Worth Playing
SECTOR.sk
GameLuster
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis
Niche Gamer…and 21 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New Patch S1.06 - Performance FixOct 18, 2024
- Version S1.04 adds SovKhan 300% post-game boss fight and new localizations!Apr 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Version S1.03Mar 12, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Version S1.02Feb 21, 2024