PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, SWITCH, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Released in 1996 when 3D first person shooters had only recently arrived on home consoles, three different versions of PowerSlave (AKA Exhumed in Europe) were developed for the Saturn, PS1 and PC. This new remaster takes the best bits of the Saturn and PS1 editions and uses the technical capabilities of modern hardware to throw in a raft of enhancements resulting in something akin to a “director’s cut” definitive version of the game.
Set in ancient Egypt where the city has been taken over by aliens with a supreme hatred for humanity, PowerSlave Exhumed is a super-slick and smooth first person shooter along the lines of Quake and Doom, but also shares a lot of common ground with Nightdive Studios’ previous release, Shadow Man Remastered, with its non-linear gameplay and emphasis on exploring your surroundings to find useful items and upgrades before backtracking through earlier levels to access previously closed-off areas. Fireball-wielding Anubis monsters, mummies that throw glowing snakes and giant flying insects are among the legions of alien foes who will do their best to hinder your perfect platforming plans, and the fast-paced gunplay adds an exhilarating layer of excitement to your exploration-based efforts.
The spirit of King Ramses himself guides you on your journey, appearing at certain intervals to advise you on where to go next – pay close attention to what he says, because these are the only hints you get and without them you’re definitely going to get hopelessly lost! This is really the only area that could prove to be a sticking point for modern gamers, as there’s very little hand-holding and plenty of opportunities for finding yourself with no idea about where to go next. Other than that, PowerSlave Exhumed is a wonderful example of innovative and unique game design from the early era of first person shooters. If you’ve got an interest in that sort of thing, it’s certainly well worth playing.
