FAQ

  • What is Powerslave?
    • Powerslave is a first person shooter developed by Lobotomy Software for PC in 1996 and for consoles in 1996-1997. The console versions was a completely different game compared to the PC version and featured a gameplay style similar to that of Metroid where the player could acquire new abilities and revisit areas that were not accessible before.
  • What is Powerslave EX?
    • Powerslave EX is a project that aims to re-create the console versions of Powerslave using a custom engine built from the ground up. The whole purpose is so users can enjoy the console versions of this game on the PC at high-definition resolution along with optional rendering features such as FXAA and bloom. In addition, user mods and custom levels can also be achieved, keeping the spirit of this game alive.
  • Will Powerslave EX support the PC version?
    • While not originally planned, but its something to consider in the future.
  • Is online multiplayer supported?
    • No, Powerslave was designed to be a single player game, but that option is always open for future releases.
  • What console version is Powerslave EX based on?
    • Powerslave EX is based on the PSX version. There are future plans to support the Saturn version of the levels.
  • What portions of Powerslave have been reverse engineered for EX?
    • Surprisingly, not a lot. The only things that was reversed engineered was things relating to enemy health, damage, speed, game assets, water behavior, etc and anything that involved randomization. The majority of the disassembly was studied and used as a foundation on implementing the gameplay mechanics. The renderer is made completely from scratch.
  • What platforms is Powerslave EX available on?
    • Windows and later development is planned for Mac OSX and Linux
  • Is Powerslave EX free?
    • Powerslave EX will, and always will be, free. The engine will eventually become open source as well once I feel comfortable with the codebase.
  • Does Powerslave EX require the original copy of the game?
    • No, the entire game is included and no requirement of the original game is necessary.
  • Is this legal? Who owns the rights to Powerslave?
    • While I know who owns the rights, I am not going to disclose the name of that individual. That said, I have no intention of making any profit from Powerslave EX. The whole purpose of this project is to keep the spirit of the game alive and to introduce it to a whole new generation of gamers and act as a teaching tool to those who want to be a game programmer. This project will, and always will be, free. I will continue developing this project unless I am given a cease and desist letter.