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.