PowerSlave Exhumed

PowerSlave Exhumed is a remastered version of the FPS titled PowerSlave, released in Europe under the name Exhumed. It was developed by Nightdive Studios, a team specializing in refreshing classics.

Plot

The action of PowerSlave Exhumed takes place in the late 20th century. After the Egyptian city of Karnak was attacked by hordes of insectoid monsters called Kilmaat, a squad of elite soldiers is sent to the place, whose task is to prevent the oncoming disaster. The invaders have desecrated the mummy of Pharaoh Ramses and intend to resurrect him and use his powers to take over the world. Although the helicopter transporting the warriors was shot down, not all the crew members died in the crash. Ultimately, the accomplishment of the mission rests on the shoulders of a single soldier who will have to contend with hordes of Kilmaat and their henchmen. Fortunately, the hero is not doomed to a lonely crossing, because he is accompanied by the spirit of Ramses himself, who acts as his guide.

Game mechanics

In PowerSlave Exhumed we observe the action from a first person perspective (FPP). The game consists of a number of different levels, among which we can find gloomy mines and vast labyrinths, huge palaces or, finally, Ramses' tomb. Among them there are spacious, open-ended locations which can be explored quite freely. Moreover, in many stages we'll find places to which access can be gained only after obtaining a particular weapon or item, just like in metroidvania games.

During the missions we fight with hordes of enemies. On our way there are not only Kilmaat, but also mummies, ghosts, scorpions or even Anubis soldiers fighting on his side. Although we start the journey having only a machete at our disposal, with time we get more elements of our arsenal including a machine gun, flamethrower, grenades or a magic staff.

An interesting fact is that the game contains elements that could originally be found either in the version released for the first PlayStation, or in the edition designed for the Sega Saturn console. The differences were mainly in the level designs and some elements of the mechanics and the presence of selected power-ups.

Technical aspects

PowerSlave Exhumed uses the KEX Engine technology. Compared to the original, the production stands out due to slightly refreshed graphics. Moreover, the title supports widescreen displays and makes use of modern technologies, such as anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering.