Unlike many games in the genre which grant players bottomless pockets for upgrades and items, Skul: The Hero Slayer limits how many you can carry. Speaking of which, the item system is another ingredient in this roguelike cocktail which hits the spot. The team at SOUTHPaw Games has clearly put a lot of thought into making each one distinct, suitable for a different playstyle or able to interact differently to the different stat-boosting or ability-granting items collected throughout each run through the game. And while some are more complex than others in terms of their unique skills, it’s genuinely exciting getting to grips with even the more basic skulls. That’s a hefty moveset for being one of what feels like a 20 or so (possibly more) potential characters. In addition, this fearless fighter can summon their bandmates by playing music uninterrupted for long enough (their character quirk) this causes the power of rock & roll to fill the stage, damaging every enemy and buying you valuable breathing time. The electric guitar skull, for example, emits magical damage by playing their instrument (basic attack) they can also throw down an amp to deal constant damage from afar and physically hit enemies by wielding the instrument like a literal axe (two of their potential skills). Beyond those basic categories, every character comes with a distinct basic attack, a unique set of abilities and sometimes a character quirk too. One of them is fast but weak, one slow but strong and the other is a half-way point between the two I’ll let you figure out which is which. Oh, and keep an eye out for one indie gaming reference among the available skull types: you’ll know it when you see it.Įach skull falls into one of three categories which determines their movement and attack style: Speed, Balance or Power. Some fit snugly into the game’s existing world, like a spear-wielding Caerleon soldier others draw from our shared cultural heritage, such as a classic Egyptian mummy or court jester and a few of them are distinctly more modern like an electric guitar-wielding rock & roll warrior. Despite Skul: The Hero Slayer’s fantasy setting, there are skull types that pull from every corner of our culture. In fact, it’s exactly what brings variety to the game’s fast-yet-precise 2D jumping, slashing and dashing gameplay. Don’t worry: as it turns out, a skull-based power swapping mechanic is not as morbid as it sounds. You see, Skul (single “L”) can wear the skulls (double “L”) of their fallen skeleton comrades and make use of their unique powers, skills and weaponry. So, how on Earth can one cutesy skeleton take on an entire army? Well, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. With that said, the game isn’t afraid to dip a toe in some darker waters here and there, particularly near the end.

It's delivered with a light-hearted tone which merges a fantasy realm with real-world pop culture and keeps the whole ‘interspecies war’ theme from getting too bleak. For a game like this, a roguelike where death means starting from scratch (except for a handful of permanent upgrades) and you'll play the same levels over and over, this lightweight narrative is ideal. Cutscenes unlocked throughout the course of the game delve into the backstory of the conflict between humans and demons, but the central story doesn't get any more complex than 'fight humans, save demons'. There’s a little more to the story than the basic premise outlined. Can Skul Single-handedly save the Demon King, defeat the fearsome “Hero of Caerleon'' and rescue their demonic kinsfolk? Let’s hope so because if they fail, nobody else is coming to the rescue. When those dastardly humans mount a full-scale invasion on the demon world, imprisoning the population and kidnapping the demon king, it’s down to Skul-as the only non-captured demon-to wage war on humanity’s army.

I’m willing to make just one exception, though, and that’s for Skul, the lovable skeletal anti-hero of pixel art action platformer Skul: The Hero Slayer. Not great dinner party material to say the least. They’re typically quite rude, aggressive and unpleasant. Reviews // 13th Feb 2021 - 2 years ago // By Jamie Davies Skul: The Hero Slayer ReviewĪs a general rule, I don’t tend to regard demonic skeletons with much in the way of affection.

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