Exhumed/Powerslave (SAT, 1996)
Graphics-8 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-8 Story-6
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Action adventure elements (travel back and forth between levels/areas via a hub map, partially non-linear structure (you'll sometimes return to a previous area to unlock new parts of it with a new tool or ability, some sequence breaking possible - can jump higher using the grenades and later on the cobra staff (lets you skip part of the mine and go to the canyons of chaos to get one of the best weapons before going to the marsh for example (can skip most of the slave camp as well), some alternate paths), permanent upgrades that let you reach new areas, in-game NPC dialogue scenes - non-interactive though) - these aren't there in the PC ver.
Jumping (and hover jumping with an upgrade) and swimming
Slopes
Pretty smooth framerate overall
Doom-style gameplay (fast movement with strafing and looking up/down - the game tends to auto-aim vertically though (unlike in the PS1 ver.), secrets, elevators, exploding barrels, mini-map, etc.)
Technically impressive for the Saturn
Levitation/flight upgrade
Larger and more complex areas than on PS1 overall
Includes the mini-game Death Tank (similar to Scorched Earth)
Mythological Egyptian setting
Some interesting hazards (the bouncing rock spawners)
Good bosses overall
Satisfying sfx
Temporary rate of fire upgrade and invisibility power ups
Upgradeable health bar (up to 5 times - find the ankh symbols)
One alternate ending (collect the transmitter pieces for the good ending)
+/-
The first gun is ammo-based
Very Doom-like menu design
Gore (enemies explode into small bits)
Sprite-based enemies and various interactive objects (blends pretty well with the 3D environments though)
Doom-style gameplay (locked doors, maze-like levels/areas)
Starts off pretty tough (resource management, not that much ammo and health, small and fast enemies)
Can't carry artifacts (keys) between areas
Compass feature (replaces being able to check cardinal directions on the map though)
Can't save manually unlike in Doom for example (the game saves when you use a camel to travel to a different area) - makes some platforming heavy segments and the last couple of levels frustrating
The mini-map zoom feature's button combo interferes with the "open door" button (you can remap most of the buttons though)
Random element to what item you'll get from item containers
Grenade throwing physics are the same in water as on land
Sound queue used for finding the transmitters hidden in some levels (the sfx is a bit annoying and in some cases you have to come back with a later upgrade)
Escape sequence without a time limit before the end (would've been more effective with a limit and with a cutscene or voices showing you communicating with the rescue team)
You're forced to remove your upgrades before the final boss (good as a build-up towards the finale but bad in that you don't get to test your skills in using them against the final boss - perhaps it could've stripped you of them one by one during the fight)
Can't increase your max ammo capacity
-
Tedious water level (sunken palace - kinda slow, can't swim backwards, not enough ammo)
Some unnecessary backtracking (you spawn at the same entrance to an area regardless from where you entered it, the game doesn't save your key-finding progress for an area so you have to refind them when re-entering one)
No crosshair
Locked/golden doors aren't properly marked on the map
Some trial & error (very short invisible time limit when underwater early on, some cheap traps and enemy placements, sometimes hard to tell what pressing a switch did exactly since there's no cutscene showing you)
Framedrops affect button input so sometimes when trying to switch weapons quickly or make a tight jump it doesn't register
Anal hit detection when trying to hit smaller enemies (which is also all you meet early on as well as in various late game segments) with the knife and with a couple of later weapons
Have to equip an ammo-based weapon to be able to pick up ammo/weapon power (surplus collected ammo also doesn't drip over to other weapons that need it)
The framerate drops quite a bit at times (most noticeably near/in water and in large outdoor areas)
Enemies will keep dropping items of a type that you already have a full stock of instead of the game switching to what you currently need (health and ammo)
Too much overly tight platforming considering the sensitive movement controls and FP perspective
Can't save power ups (such as invisibility, max health and weapon boost) for later
Pretty awkward controls when exiting water onto flat land
Some delay between an enemy's death and its loot spawning (breaks flow a bit)
No transparency effects and the max framerate is lower than on PS1 (also can't make the mini-map semi-transparent)
Switching weapons is a bit slow
Some loading after each death
Slightly worse lighting effects and color than on PS1
Semi-safe spot against the first form of the final boss (fixed on PS1, sometimes the boss will still shoot into this safe spot on SAT hence the "semi")
No difficulty options
Notes:
-Sequence breaking walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRWhJSiRhBQ
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Action adventure elements (travel back and forth between levels/areas via a hub map, partially non-linear structure (you'll sometimes return to a previous area to unlock new parts of it with a new tool or ability, some sequence breaking possible - can jump higher using the grenades and later on the cobra staff (lets you skip part of the mine and go to the canyons of chaos to get one of the best weapons before going to the marsh for example (can skip most of the slave camp as well), some alternate paths), permanent upgrades that let you reach new areas, in-game NPC dialogue scenes - non-interactive though) - these aren't there in the PC ver.
Jumping (and hover jumping with an upgrade) and swimming
Slopes
Pretty smooth framerate overall
Doom-style gameplay (fast movement with strafing and looking up/down - the game tends to auto-aim vertically though (unlike in the PS1 ver.), secrets, elevators, exploding barrels, mini-map, etc.)
Technically impressive for the Saturn
Levitation/flight upgrade
Larger and more complex areas than on PS1 overall
Includes the mini-game Death Tank (similar to Scorched Earth)
Mythological Egyptian setting
Some interesting hazards (the bouncing rock spawners)
Good bosses overall
Satisfying sfx
Temporary rate of fire upgrade and invisibility power ups
Upgradeable health bar (up to 5 times - find the ankh symbols)
One alternate ending (collect the transmitter pieces for the good ending)
+/-
The first gun is ammo-based
Very Doom-like menu design
Gore (enemies explode into small bits)
Sprite-based enemies and various interactive objects (blends pretty well with the 3D environments though)
Doom-style gameplay (locked doors, maze-like levels/areas)
Starts off pretty tough (resource management, not that much ammo and health, small and fast enemies)
Can't carry artifacts (keys) between areas
Compass feature (replaces being able to check cardinal directions on the map though)
Can't save manually unlike in Doom for example (the game saves when you use a camel to travel to a different area) - makes some platforming heavy segments and the last couple of levels frustrating
The mini-map zoom feature's button combo interferes with the "open door" button (you can remap most of the buttons though)
Random element to what item you'll get from item containers
Grenade throwing physics are the same in water as on land
Sound queue used for finding the transmitters hidden in some levels (the sfx is a bit annoying and in some cases you have to come back with a later upgrade)
Escape sequence without a time limit before the end (would've been more effective with a limit and with a cutscene or voices showing you communicating with the rescue team)
You're forced to remove your upgrades before the final boss (good as a build-up towards the finale but bad in that you don't get to test your skills in using them against the final boss - perhaps it could've stripped you of them one by one during the fight)
Can't increase your max ammo capacity
-
Tedious water level (sunken palace - kinda slow, can't swim backwards, not enough ammo)
Some unnecessary backtracking (you spawn at the same entrance to an area regardless from where you entered it, the game doesn't save your key-finding progress for an area so you have to refind them when re-entering one)
No crosshair
Locked/golden doors aren't properly marked on the map
Some trial & error (very short invisible time limit when underwater early on, some cheap traps and enemy placements, sometimes hard to tell what pressing a switch did exactly since there's no cutscene showing you)
Framedrops affect button input so sometimes when trying to switch weapons quickly or make a tight jump it doesn't register
Anal hit detection when trying to hit smaller enemies (which is also all you meet early on as well as in various late game segments) with the knife and with a couple of later weapons
Have to equip an ammo-based weapon to be able to pick up ammo/weapon power (surplus collected ammo also doesn't drip over to other weapons that need it)
The framerate drops quite a bit at times (most noticeably near/in water and in large outdoor areas)
Enemies will keep dropping items of a type that you already have a full stock of instead of the game switching to what you currently need (health and ammo)
Too much overly tight platforming considering the sensitive movement controls and FP perspective
Can't save power ups (such as invisibility, max health and weapon boost) for later
Pretty awkward controls when exiting water onto flat land
Some delay between an enemy's death and its loot spawning (breaks flow a bit)
No transparency effects and the max framerate is lower than on PS1 (also can't make the mini-map semi-transparent)
Switching weapons is a bit slow
Some loading after each death
Slightly worse lighting effects and color than on PS1
Semi-safe spot against the first form of the final boss (fixed on PS1, sometimes the boss will still shoot into this safe spot on SAT hence the "semi")
No difficulty options
Notes:
-Sequence breaking walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRWhJSiRhBQ