Hypnospace Outlaw was a masterful expression of turn of the millennium Internet culture and thematic exploration of the increasing corporatization of the Internet. Slayers X, its boomer shooter spinoff, continues this deft grasp of Internet culture though this time through a complete parody of what was considered cool by teenage boys on the era. Slayers X is the in-universe game that Zane made himself and it’s the kind of self-aggrandizing work only a teen boy could pull off. Zane is the chosen X-Slayer out to stop the Psyko Sindicate and to avenge his loved ones. (RIP Zane’s mom) The whole game is just such a great parody and it’s funny throughout. The aesthetic is also just so good, one of my favorite aspects being how it feels like it hearkens to Blood what with its Build Engine look and how the cut scenes reminded me of Blood’s style, though much more exaggerated.

The gunplay is pretty much all fun, my only complaint is the starter dual pistols feel limp. One of the standout weapons to me is the shotgun which shoots out glass shards so to get ammo for it you have to break glass cases, mirrors, and windows, this added a nice facet of being more aware of the environment when scrounging around. The level design is also really great too, with a great deal of location variety and different avenues of approach. Zane will be blasting his way through Psykos across his hometown among such as locations as a suburban cul-de-sac, trailer-park, and state fair. The levels are rather expansive but rarely confusing, which is what really pushes a boomer shooter to greatness I feel.

The game is unfortunately rather short and I would have liked a few more hours out of it, but on the other hand the game never outlasts its welcome and is always throwing new things at you. Slayers X is just overall a fantastic shooter and genuinely funny game. Now I just eagerly wait for the next Hypnospace game, Dream Settler, because this series is quickly becoming one of my favorite in games.