Powerslave Exhumed PC/Switch review

Powerslave Exhumed

Developed by: Night Dive Studios

Published by: Night Dive Studios

Date of Release: February 10, 2022

Price: $19.99

Well, today we're going to be looking at the classic Egyptian-themed metal album Powerslave by Iron Maiden. Wait no... what we have here is a classic FPS game being remastered for modern systems, my bad! Back in 1996 Lobotomy Software released this amazing game on the SEGA Saturn, powered by it's in-house SlaveDriver engine. Powerslave is a FPS set in Egypt during an alien invasion, and rather than just being a standard FPS affair it actually has a structure more reminiscent of Metroid Prime. Later on it would get a port to the Sony PlayStation, and also an entirely different and linear version for PC built on the same Build Engine that powered Duke Nukem 3D. Somewhat ironically, the SlaveDriver engine would power the Saturn version of Duke Nukem 3D (as well as Quake!).

Powerslave Exhumed is a combination of the best features of both the Saturn and PlayStation versions, all rolled into a delicious new burrito of first-person metroidvania goodness. Night Dive Studios have transplanted it into their tried and tested KEX engine, fitted with all the modern conveniences that one would expect from a remaster of this caliber. From widescreen graphics to a CRT filter that has a bevy of options to mess around with including simulations of the original console graphics, there's something here for everyone. It's quite an experience with both version to play Powerslave at 60 FPS in modern resolutions. The better visibility and control also make the platforming sections much more palatable.

The Switch version of Powerslave Exhumed has some lovely gyro aiming support, and using the joycons on the switch in handheld or using a pro controller both feel quite intuitive and snappy. As for the PC version, you can also play it with keyboard/mouselook, though at the time of writing there's no Y-axis inversion which makes things difficult for those who grew up on classic PC games, however the devs say support will be patched in as it was merely an oversight. All in all it's clear that a lot of love was put into this port, and it's nice that a new generation of gamers will be able to experience this definitive version of such a classic game. If you're a fan of retro shooters, metroidvanias, or just having a good time in general, I seriously recommend picking it up.