Community downloads

Tools

  • Zax-Launcher – a launcher for the original Zax.exe: start directly into any map with a start point and difficulty of your choice, a “Load Map” button in the game menu, and the developer switches still hidden in the exe (debug log, frame rate, cheats and more). The exe itself is not modified; full support for build 1308/1309 without copy protection.
  • Zax Editor – a level editor for Zax maps: objects, polygons, ground, surfaces, mini map, transitions and dialogue scripts, own graphics, a model viewer and a “Test in game” button. English with a German translation.

Fix packs and language packs

Each ZIP holds one .RED file and a README. Put the .RED file into the game folder next to Zax.exe and DATA.dat – the game loads every .RED file there in alphabetical order. Use one language at a time; the level fixes combine with any of them. All packs need the original game.

  • Level fixes (802 KB) – DataFixes.RED – fixes script errors in ten levels: Valeth's ore cave in mission 7, misspelt trigger targets in missions 5, 14 and 21, the mission log in the Mining maps, the Sun key in the Assimilate Temple and more. Works with every language. Note: the Slave Main key door now raises the alarm, so that level is harder than in the original.
  • English fix (36 KB) – EnglishFix.RED – spelling, grammar and wrong names in menus, objectives, dialogue and item texts; dialogue matches the spoken voice.
  • German fix (43 KB) – GermanFix.RED – wrong translations, duplicate menu shortcuts, 28 missing texts and 5 multiplayer map names, 37 broken item labels. Needs GERMAN.RED.
  • French fix (435 KB) – 0FrenchFix.RED – fixes the mission 10 crash like the official patch, adds 33 missing texts and corrects about 30 translations. Needs 0French.RED. Not yet tested in the game.
  • Spanish fix (562 KB) – 0SpanishFix.RED – a broken weapon text, three voice lines that played in English, missing item and weapon names. Needs 0Spanish.RED.
  • Polish fix (270 KB) – PolishFix.RED – Polish voice lines that never played, a speaker without portrait, missing texts and misspellings. Needs Polish.red.
  • Chinese fix (32 KB) – 0ChineseFix.RED – readable multiplayer texts (they were garbled), a missing item description and weapon name. Chinese Simplified edition only.
  • Russian language pack (87.5 MB) – RUSSIAN.RED – the Russian texts and voices of the Russian edition for the standard game data, with repaired voice files and missing texts added.
  • Czech language pack (51 KB) – Czech.RED – the Czech community translation of 2004 (translation: Dr. Mephisto, technique: Blackbird) for the standard game data; no patched Zax.exe needed, mission 18 no longer ends the game.

Fan-made tools and packs, not affiliated with the rights holders. Checksums: release page. More projects around the game are listed on the Projects page.

Official downloads

Playable demos (2001)

Three demo versions were released in the summer of 2001. All three contain the same five levels. Each download is the original Windows installer.

  • Demo of 1 July 2001 – build 890, EXE dated 30 June 2001 (52.4 MB)
    The earliest demo, from an older stage of the engine. It is the only build with 3D positional sound via DirectSound3D and EAX.
  • Demo of 19 July 2001 – build 950, EXE dated 18 July 2001 (52.5 MB)
    An intermediate build shortly before the full version, without the positional sound of the first demo.
  • Demo of 6 August 2001 – build 1308, EXE dated 1 August 2001 (53.4 MB)
    Technically the EXE of the full version without copy protection – only its smaller data set makes it a demo.

Minimum system requirements: Pentium II 233 MHz, 32 MB RAM. File list and SHA-256 checksums: release page.

French patch

Zax_French_Patch.zip (3 KB, February 2002) – fixes the crash in mission 10 of the French version. Copy 1French.RED into the Zax folder (where Zax.exe is); save games keep working.

Wallpapers

The wallpaper section of the official site was a Flash file that has not been preserved.