![]() It simply looks the way it’s supposed to, which is an achievement I’ve seen many indie developers struggle with. The explosions of multiple enemies on the screen are electrifying, but not overly flashy to where you don’t know what you’re seeing. The character animations are well done in their 16-bit form. SouthPAW Games did an absolutely fantastic job of keeping the visuals simple, but not basic. But it ended up only being slightly irritating, because every different skull presented different experiences in those rooms I had played through already.Įverything in Skul: The Hero Slayer even looks the way it feels. At first, I thought this would be a really negative mark since I’d just be playing through rooms I had already played before. ![]() The random levels kept every run interesting and fresh, although after a while I figured out that there are numerous “set” rooms that it pulls from randomly, versus randomly generating each level. I didn’t expect to be satisfied in that way when I started playing a roguelike. Making decisions as to whether you should pick up the skull you just found, or keep the ones you have and power them up, brings a strategic crease to Skul: The Hero Slayer. There’s a rushing satisfaction to laying waste to dozens of enemies at a time, but challenging enough to keep it from getting lackadaisical. Each has their own distinct abilities, and you can keep two at a time to switch between.Įverything about the action in this game just felt good. ![]() Still others are completely out of left field, like the Rider and the Rock Star. Some are fierce and strong, like the Dark Paladin and the Minataur, some fast and agile, like the Werewolf. And there are many different skulls you can find. Pop it in, replacing your current skull, and you gain the agility and slashing claws of the werewolf. For example, you could come across the skull of your friend, the Werewolf. It’s the same principle, but much more advanced. If you’re familiar with Kid Chameleon from the early 90’s, this might sound familiar. He has a unique ability to equip different “skulls.”Īs you travel, you will find skulls from his fellow monsters, and each one grants the abilities of that monster. The most intriguing aspect of Skul: The Hero Slayer, though, is the character ability randomization system. Fast-paced battles, sweeping from one side of the screen to the other and back again, keep your thumbs and trigger fingers blurring from the start. The combat is very well done and feels great. Skul: Hero Slayer is a 2D action platformer, heavy on the action. The Japanese voices over English text just felt off-putting. The only downside I experienced was the voiceover. The experience unfolds in such an innocent way that feels almost childish yet still draws you in, making you want to see more and more. The narration was done in a classic slideshow style, which made me feel like a kid again, sitting in my parents’ living room playing on my old early 90’s console. I found myself drawn to sympathy for Skul and his monster friends more and more as the story unfolded. This simple role-reversing take on the classic humans versus monsters story was quite refreshing and endearing. But what’s a lone skeleton to do? You’re going to need to find help… As you are the only monster that hasn’t been taken captive, it lies on your shoulders to rescue the Demon King. The humans had fought with more ferocity than ever before, and with an almost unending vigor. While this isn’t the first time the humans have attacked the Demon King’s castle, there was definitely something different this time around. When you awake from being knocked out during the battle, you see none of your monster kin around. The humans of Caerleon have invaded the Demon King’s castle once again, leaving it ravaged and all but destroyed. The heroes are now the bad guys, and the story of the monsters’ struggle against them pulls at your heartstrings. While most fairy tales portray monsters as the antagonists while we cheer on the heroes, here the script is flipped. You play as Skul, a skeleton on the Demon King’s guard. While roguelikes are generally very light on story, Skul: Hero Slayer is a different breed. My other hobbies are already wishing I hadn’t. It took smashing, slashing, and shooting my way through hours and hours with Skul, but I finally got it. I finally understand the “just one more run” mentality people have with this genre. I’ve never really been a big fan of the roguelike genre, but Skul: Hero Slayer, developed by indie studio SouthPAW Games and published by Neowiz, had me struggling mightily to put this game down. Skul: Hero Slayer takes a throwback to side-scrolling action platformers and slams it home with bone crushing action.
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