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PowerSlave

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games

This page is for the 1996 DOS game. For the 2022 remaster based on PlayStation/Saturn versions, see PowerSlave Exhumed.

PowerSlave
PowerSlave cover
Developers
Lobotomy Software
Publishers
Retail (North America) Playmates Interactive Entertainment
Retail (Europe) BMG Interactive
Retail re-release Sold Out Software
Digital Throwback Entertainment
Engines
Build
Release dates
DOS 1996
Windows (DOSBox) November 19, 2020[1]
macOS (OS X) (DOSBox) November 19, 2020[1]
Linux (DOSBox) November 19, 2020[1]
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives First-person
Controls Direct control
Genres Action, Shooter
Themes Egypt, Sci-fi
Series PowerSlave
PowerSlave on HowLongToBeat
PowerSlave on IGDB
PowerSlave guide on StrategyWiki
PowerSlave on MobyGames
PowerSlave on Wikipedia
PowerSlave
PowerSlave 1996
PowerSlave EX (unofficial port) 2015
PowerSlave Exhumed 2022

PowerSlave is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person action and shooter game in the PowerSlave series.

General information

Released as Exhumed in Europe and A.D. 1999: Pharaoh's Revival in Japan.
PowerSlave install can be converted to Exhumed install, and vice versa, using this.
GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
Disc check can be disabled through a command line parameter
DOS
GOG.com
DRM-free
Prepackaged with DOSBox.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux

Essential improvements

Source ports

Name Description
BuildGDX Reverse-engineered port based on Java's libGDX framework. Adds support for widescreen resolutions, OpenGL renderer, improved controls, many customization options, and free save mode in addition to the original game's checkpoints. Discontinued.
Windows
Linux
macOS (OS X)
NuBuildGDX Fork of BuildGDX aiming for stability, bug fixing and performance improvements.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
PCExhumed Reverse-engineered port using EDuke32 technology.
Windows
Raze Fork of PCExhumed to GZDoom architecture. Also supports Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Redneck Rampage.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux

DOS/32A

DOS/32A is a more advanced extender and open source replacement to DOS4GW. It can improve both performance and stability of PowerSlave/Exhumed.

EX / PS DeHacker

A patcher utility that provides bug fixes and enhancement such as proper strafing, autorun, toggleable mouse look and higher resolutions.

Patch works with both Powerslave and Exhumed.
Earlier versions of this patcher have issues with DOS32A above (gives a runtime 200 error). Use the CauseWay Extender instead.

WASD + Mouse

Edit SETUP.CFG
  1. Open SETUP.CFG.
  2. Replace the content in the [KeyDefinitions] section with:
Modern keyboard binds
Move_Forward = "Up" "W"
Move_Backward = "Down" "S"
Turn_Left = "Left" ""
Turn_Right = "Right" ""
Strafe = "LAlt" "RAlt"
Strafe_Left = "," "A"
Strafe_Right = "." "D"
Run = "LShift" "RShift"
Jump = "Space" "/"
Crouch = "C" "LCtrl"
Fire = "Kpad0" "RCtrl"
Open = "F" ""
Look_Up = "PgUp" ""
Look_Down = "PgDn" ""
Look_Straight = "Home" "I"
Aim_Up = "Insert" ""
Aim_Down = "Delete" ""
SendMessage = "T" ""
Weapon_1 = "1" ""
Weapon_2 = "2" ""
Weapon_3 = "3" ""
Weapon_4 = "4" ""
Weapon_5 = "5" "G"
Weapon_6 = "6" "V"
Weapon_7 = "7" "B"
Mouseview = "U" ""
Pause = "Pause" ""
Map = "Tab" ""
Zoom_In = "F1" "X"
Zoom_Out = "F2" "Z"
Gamma_Correction = "F11" ""
Escape = "Escape" ""
Shrink_Screen = "Kpad-" "-"
Enlarge_Screen = "Kpad+" "="
Inventory = "Enter" "R"
Inventory_Left = "[" "Q"
Inventory_Right = "]" "E"
Mouse_Sensitivity_Down = "F7" ""
Mouse_Sensitivity_Up = "F8" ""

Then replace the content below the ControllerType = with the following:

Modern mouse binds
MouseButton0 = "Fire"
MouseButtonClicked0 = ""
MouseButton1 = "Jump"
MouseButtonClicked1 = ""
MouseButton2 = "Weapon_1"
MouseButtonClicked2 = "Weapon_3"

Notes

Easier and more modern control scheme.
Requires DeHacker's forced mouselook, C key fix and strafing fix.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
DOS <path-to-game>\SETUP.CFG
Windows <path-to-game> (mounted in DOSBox)[Note 1]
macOS (OS X) <path-to-game> (mounted in DOSBox)[Note 1]
Linux <path-to-game> (mounted in DOSBox)[Note 1]
It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.

Save game data location

System Location
DOS <path-to-game>\SAVGAME*.SAV
Windows <path-to-game> (mounted in DOSBox)[Note 1]
macOS (OS X) <path-to-game> (mounted in DOSBox)[Note 1]
Linux <path-to-game> (mounted in DOSBox)[Note 1]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Can be set with MENU.EXE
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
F7 lowers it, F8 increases it
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Can be changed via DeHacker
Controller
Controller support
For DOSBox use the DOSBox Mapper (see the glossary page for other workarounds).
Controller types

Audio

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Music and Sound FX
Surround sound
See Source ports.
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
For DOSBox change the priority background value in the DOSBox configuration file.
EAX support
Raze supports OpenAL Soft for binaural HRTF mixing and EFX.
Royalty free audio
Red Book CD audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
LAN play
4
Online play
For DOSBox use DOSBox IPX/modem emulation.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
DOS video modes SVGA, SVGA (VESA), VGA
Executable 32-bit 64-bitARM Notes
Linux
Requires a source port.[2][3]

Map Browser

Allows easy browsing and management of user maps. Also allows jumping through default levels.

User Maps/Addons

  • El-Gizah - Single map with some custom art. It is advised to use the rescripted version as it includes a batch script to automate file renaming.
  • Return to Ruins - A 3-maps mini episode. User can avoid overwriting files (if using the map browser utility for instance) by renaming the included LEV*.MAP files to RUIN*.MAP and using the following batch script to launch it:
Return to Ruins batch script
@echo off
echo Starting Return to Ruins...
pause
COPY LEV1.map LEV1.bme
COPY LEV2.map LEV2.bme
COPY LEV3.map LEV3.bme
COPY ruin1.map LEV1.map
COPY ruin2.map LEV2.map
COPY ruin3.map LEV3.map
CLS
PS /1 /h
COPY LEV1.bme LEV1.map
COPY LEV2.bme LEV2.map
COPY LEV3.bme LEV3.map
DEL LEV*.bme
echo Files restored...

System requirements

DOS
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 3.3
Processor (CPU) Intel 486
System memory (RAM) 4 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) SuperVGA, VESA, VGA
Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 7
Processor (CPU) 1.0 GHz
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD) 50 MB
Video card (GPU) DirectX 9.0c compatible
Sound (audio device) DirectX 9 compatible
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.11
Processor (CPU)
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD) 50 MB
Linux
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) Ubuntu 16.04
Processor (CPU) 1.0 GHz
System memory (RAM) 128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 50 MB
Video card (GPU) OpenGL compatible
Sound (audio device) ALSA compatible


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 File/folder structure within the installation folder reflects the path(s) listed for DOS game data. For the GOG.com release, file changes in DOSBox are redirected to <path-to-game>/cloud_saves/ even if GOG Galaxy is not used (this folder contains all redirected files, so some files in the cloud_saves folder might be temporary files or other files that do not contain saves or settings).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Throwback Thursday with new games from Throwback Entertainment - GOG.com - last accessed on 2020-11-19
  2. AUR : pcexhumed.git - last accessed on 2021-05-09
  3. PCExhumed - Exhumed/PowerSlave PC port - last accessed on 2021-05-09