Review: Slave Zero X (Switch) - Slick, Stylish, But A Hot Mess On Switch

Slice 'n' dice the frame rate.

Many games can get away with slightly sketchy performance if the gameplay experience is a bit more laidback and relaxed (or ‘cinematic’, if you like). Others, however, like Slave Zero X, which focus on blistering combat and stylish visuals, can be almost impossible to recommend if their performance isn’t up to scratch. Sadly, this is exactly the case with publisher Ziggurat Interactive’s retro action game, which honestly has the potential to be one of the most respectable hack 'n' slash/beat ‘em ups in recent memory, but for now, squanders this on Switch with a dreadful frame rate.

This is genuinely frustrating because the core gameplay is exceptional - truly. And for a short period as we worked our way through the game’s opening level, we thought to ourselves, “Good lord, this is great!” Unfortunately, while the introductory level boasts reasonably stable performance to complement the non-stop action, the frame rate tanks after you beat the first boss and move onto the second stage. It got so bad that we had to swallow our pride and eventually call it quits before the end, defeated by the poor optimisation on Nintendo’s console. The publisher says there's a patch on the way which should alleviate this, but the game came out nearly two weeks ago at the time of writing, and the damage is done.

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