Skul: The Hero Slayer | PC Review

Be bold. Be brave. Be something you’re not. Skul: Hero Slayer takes a throwback to side-scrolling action platformers and slams it home with bone crushing action. 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. I finally understand the “just one more run” mentality people have with this genre. It took smashing, slashing, and shooting my way through hours and hours with Skul, but I finally got it. My other hobbies are already wishing I hadn’t.

Monsters Have Feelings, Too

While roguelikes are generally very light on story, Skul: Hero Slayer is a different breed. You play as Skul, a skeleton on the Demon King’s guard. While most fairy tales portray monsters as the antagonists while we cheer on the heroes, here the script is flipped. The heroes are now the bad guys, and the story of the monsters’ struggle against them pulls at your heartstrings.

The humans of Caerleon have invaded the Demon King’s castle once again, leaving it ravaged and all but destroyed. When you awake from being knocked out during the battle, you see none of your monster kin around. While this isn’t the first time the humans have attacked the Demon King’s castle, there was definitely something different this time around. The humans had fought with more ferocity than ever before, and with an almost unending vigor. As you are the only monster that hasn’t been taken captive, it lies on your shoulders to rescue the Demon King. But what’s a lone skeleton to do? You’re going to need to find help…

This simple role-reversing take on the classic humans versus monsters story was quite refreshing and endearing. I found myself drawn to sympathy for Skul and his monster friends more and more as the story unfolded. 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. 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 only downside I experienced was the voiceover. The Japanese voices over English text just felt off-putting.

Check Your Head

Skul: Hero Slayer is a 2D action platformer, heavy on the action. The combat is very well done and feels great. 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 most intriguing aspect of Skul: The Hero Slayer, though, is the character ability randomization system. Skul is no regular skeleton. He has a unique ability to equip different “skulls.”

As you travel, you will find skulls from his fellow monsters, and each one grants the abilities of that monster. If you’re familiar with Kid Chameleon from the early 90’s, this might sound familiar. It’s the same principle, but much more advanced. For example, you could come across the skull of your friend, the Werewolf. Pop it in, replacing your current skull, and you gain the agility and slashing claws of the werewolf. And there are many different skulls you can find. Some are fierce and strong, like the Dark Paladin and the Minataur, some fast and agile, like the Werewolf. Still others are completely out of left field, like the Rider and the Rock Star. Each has their own distinct abilities, and you can keep two at a time to switch between.

Everything about the action in this game just felt good. There’s a rushing satisfaction to laying waste to dozens of enemies at a time, but challenging enough to keep it from getting lackadaisical. 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.

I didn’t expect to be satisfied in that way when I started playing a roguelike. 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. At first, I thought this would be a really negative mark since I’d just be playing through rooms I had already played before. But it ended up only being slightly irritating, because every different skull presented different experiences in those rooms I had played through already.

 

Simply Beautiful

Everything in Skul: The Hero Slayer even looks the way it feels. SouthPAW Games did an absolutely fantastic job of keeping the visuals simple, but not basic. The character animations are well done in their 16-bit form. The explosions of multiple enemies on the screen are electrifying, but not overly flashy to where you don’t know what you’re seeing. It simply looks the way it’s supposed to, which is an achievement I’ve seen many indie developers struggle with.

The music is also spot-on for what it feels it should be. The level soundtracks are strangely relaxing, which works with the hectic battles in a way that you wouldn’t think possible. Enter a boss arena, and the sound amps up the adrenaline with an upbeat, in your face tempo that screams urgency.

Final Verdict

Skul: The Hero Slayer is an absolute blast of a game. I was very skeptical walking in, but after playing for over 17 hours, I’m actually struggling to find anything negative to say about this experience. The whole thing is just plain fun, in a simple, unconvoluted way. If you’re a fan of classic platformers and thumb-blistering action, this game is something you need to get your hands on. Grab a friend’s skull, and be something you’re not.

This review is based on a PC copy of Skul: The Hero Slayer provided by Team Critical Hit for coverage purposes. It is exclusive to that platform.