Product Review

In Slave Zero, players control a gigantic mechanized man who trounces through hyperurban landscapes, destroying everything in sight. Notches on Mr. Zero's belt include motorists, helicopters, tanks, pedestrians, and an assortment of robots his own size.

Slave Zero does a great job of communicating the difference in scale between the main character and the comparatively tiny people, vehicles, and buildings that populate the city. However, the controls are very complicated, utilizing every button on the Dreamcast controller (including the stick and D-pad separately), as well as combinations of buttons for additional control, such as picking up and hurling cars. Screams and exclamations from innocent bystanders seem unusually loud, and the complete absence of in-game music exacerbates the already slow pace of the game. Still, some scenes are stellar, and worth wading through the mediocre spots in between. --Jeff Young

Pros:

• Sci-fi noir-style graphics
• Highly interactive environments
• Exciting main character

• Slow pace
• Choppy animation
• Difficult control scheme