As a huge fan of the original SPRAWL game, I was eagerly anticipating the release of its prequel, SRAWL Zero, and having put in roughly 8 hours into the game, I can say that fans of the original and those who yearn for that Y2K aesthetic will have plenty to enjoy with its release.
SPRAWL Zero places players in the shoes of the cybernetically enhanced super soldier known as FIVE, tasked with infiltrating and destroying a futuristic techno cult to stop it from spreading its radical ambitions in a world already on the brink of disaster. In other words, even if you’ve not played the original SPRAWL but have a love for the early 2000s or tactical espionage action, you’ll feel right at home with SPRAWL Zero.
The first game was all about verticality and movement tech, making SPRAWL feel like a game designed for parkour and 90s arena shooter/boomer shooter fanatics. SPRAWL Zero changes things up, ditching the fluid movement in favour of physics-based shenanigans and a roguelite, looter-shooter approach to its gunplay. Weapons come in four distinct rarities, relying on the classic Blizzard-inspired colour scheme, making it easy to identify better loot scattered amongst the cybernetically enhanced human detritus.
SPRAWL Zero features 11 levels, featuring familiar but expanded-on locations from the first game, such as Hong Kong–inspired metropolitan areas, dingy underground labyrinths, rain-slicked rooftops, and, towards the latter half of the game, some more exotic locations that feel ripped straight from the Y2K-inspired aesthetic, reminiscent of the graphic design of the 2000s and even the MP3 player skins that dominated Windows XP installations everywhere.
“Anime, of course, is another huge influence in SPRAWL Zero, featuring obvious and more subtle nods to the series greats, such as Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell…”
Anime, of course, is another huge influence in SPRAWL Zero, featuring obvious and more subtle nods to the series’ greats, such as Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell, which in particular feels like perfect timing for those enjoying the latter’s latest anime adaptation. In essence, if you’re of a certain age, you’ll be hard-pressed not to fall in love with SPRAWL Zero’s bleak but stylish take on the future.
As far as gameplay is concerned, SPRAWL Zero fittingly evolves from its 90s-inspired predecessor, instead featuring gameplay reminiscent of Half-Life 2, particularly in how FIVE’s grav-powered arm works, allowing players to magnetize to nearby objects and weapons. The physics-based loop of quickly disarming mobs, stealing their weapons, and hurling spent guns toward further threats is addictive and a blast to play.
As SPRAWL Zero emphasizes weapon rarity and looting, gear procured on the battlefield generally only lasts for a handful of kills before being spent, encouraging players to keep up the routine of quickly dispatching mobs while keeping up the momentum of stacking kills, healing, and grabbing new drops. The game supplements this by giving FIVE enhanced secondary abilities that gradually unlock as players progress deeper into the game. Abilities include a bullet-time-inspired slow‑mo mode, a force field that can boomerang incoming projectiles, and a rush ability that overcharges your character to deal extra damage in a pinch.
“The physics-based loop of quickly disarming mobs, stealing their weapons and hurling spent guns towards further threats is addictive and a blast to play.”
If there is one area that I don’t love in SPRAWL Zero, it would be the scope of the levels, which, although impressively large, sometimes feel like they overstay their welcome, particularly some of the earlier stages. Having to run back and forth and deal with multiple objectives can get old fairly quickly, especially when mob enemies continue to spawn as players progress further into the level.
Levels feature new hazards, such as poisonous bogs, areas in which your secondary skills are disabled, and even encounters with boss-like enemies that later get added into the pool of standard big bads. Weapon variety is also solid in SPRAWL Zero, offering your usual selection of semi-automatic and automatic guns, shotguns, snipers, and rockets, on top of more exotic and sci-fi-inspired gear such as an electric cattle prod and a few melee-based weapons too, including a Halo-inspired hammer.
I do miss the freedom of movement of the original SPRAWL — however, SPRAWL Zero’s advanced (for the era it apes) physics tech makes for a solid change that fans of fast and frenetic shooters will enjoy. And as much as I love the world-building of both SPRAWL titles, ultimately, SPRAWL Zero, like its predecessor, is gameplay-first, making it perfectly suitable for newcomers to jump in and enjoy. On a side note, I do hope modders can figure out UEVR support for Maeth’s latest offering, as the 2023 game is one of the best VR conversions out there.
