Review: Slayers X (Switch) - A Fun But Basic Boomer Shooter That Lacks An X Factor

The video game equivalent of Limp Bizkit.

Fans of unconventional narrative-driven games may be familiar with Hypnospace Outlaw, a cool project from a few years ago that aimed to simulate an alternate take on the social environment of the late '90s internet. Though Hypnospace Outlaw will be receiving a proper sequel with the upcoming Dreamsettler, Tendershoot decided to give waiting players a more unconventional spin-off release that takes things in a much different direction. Dubbed Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the Slayer, this classic-style boomer shooter launched on PC and Xbox in 2023 and sort of bears some narrative connections to Hypnospace Outlaw. It’s a decent game in its own right, and even though it didn’t manage to ‘wow’ us, we’d still suggest you give it a look.

The story of Slayers X is rather fascinating, as there are essentially two levels to it. On the first, you have the premise: this is the in-universe game that Zane Lofton from Hypnospace Outlaw referenced. He essentially designed this with the help of a friend, so the experience you’re ultimately getting with Slayers X is something an immature, horny teenager would make if he was given free rein to express himself. This leads to the second narrative level, the ‘in-game’ plot. You play the role of “Big Z”, an X-Slayer in-training who is forced into action when the monstrous Psyko Sindikate attacks his town, kills both his mom and mentor, and kidnaps one of his fellow X-Slayers. He thus sets out on a quest for revenge, blowing up a whole lot of baddies along the way as he fights to free his friend.

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