LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer

Skul: The Hero Slayer Early Impressions (PC)

Preview code provided with many thanks to Neowiz

The Legend of Skul

Skeletons often get a bad deal in gaming. Usually they’re the bad guys and are often portrayed as fragile baddies that break apart with a simple snap of a whip or swipe of a sword. Skul is a title currently in early access that lets you control a cute little skeleton. But unlike most skeletons this one is willing and able to come back again and again until his mission is done. Enjoy my early impressions of this delightful little game.

LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer
Its little cute Skul against the world

The Cutest Bad Skeleton

Humans are attacking the Demons Castle and all its inhabitants have been taken prisoner. Well all except a small lonely skeleton Skul. As the only member of the Demon army left it’s up to you to get a back bone and take on the Imperial Army to save the Demon Stronghold. While it may seem like you’re fighting for the bad side, Skul is just the cutest little skeleton and the Imperial Army is so mean I couldn’t help but support his cause.

LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer
Graphics are gorgeous pixel designs with lots of detail in the character animations

Rogue Like Action

The game plays as a 2D action rogue like game. You go from level to level fighting a variety of enemies and bosses while trying to upgrade Skul with perks that you find along the way. You die over and over, return to base and upgrade your stats with any gems you accumulated along the way. As you move from area to area, you usually get to choose between two doorways, with the outside of the door giving you an idea of what the reward will be at the end – enabling you to take a decent gamble. Treasure means money will be rewarded, while skulls means a new skull will be unlocked. The design is very familiar to Rogue like fans. I tend to find that there is a certain biting point with these game that once you hit it you just become hooked. I’m pleased the say that hook was around 3 runs in with Skul.

LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer
I am Groot

The combat is fun and engaging. Enemies are quite varied in design, some shoot from afar, others use magic and many attack you head on. You need to keep your skull on and change up your strategy on the fly to find the best way to beat them. Skul quite literally uses a bone to attack enemies which I found just brilliant. You can also make use of extra abilities, like a skull throw which recharged quickly and encourages regular use to overcome enemies.

LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer
These are the deadliest maids I have even encountered in a game

Lots of Skulls to Enjoy

The stand out feature that sets Skul apart from other games in this genre is the various skulls you can pick up. These transform you into an entirely different creature like a werewolf, a mummy with a gun, a dark mage and so many more. The whole system reminded me of the Mega Drive classic Kid Chameleon. A platformer I adored back in my youth where masks would transform you into different characters.  I was shocked how even after 6 hours of play I was still discovering new skulls. When you use a new skull your move set completely changes meaning you have to constantly change your gameplay style on the fly. So despite playing the same levels over and over, they often felt new and different. With every new skull I had to completely rethink my strategy to take on the bad/good guys. Not only that, even when you pick up the same skull in future play-throughs your skills and features may be different, meaning this game has a staggering amount of variation. You can carry up to two skulls and when you switch between the two you deal a devastating attack to enemies encouraging you to make use of this feature often.

LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer
Boss fights are epic and tough

Detailed Animations

I was immediately attracted to the games gorgeous pixel art style. There’s a lot of detail in the animations of Skul and the enemies which is well worth appreciating. Skul is just the cutest skeleton I couldn’t help but route for him as he took on all the nasty enemies. The music is also a pleasant treat and cheerful, handy considering you’ll be listening to it again and again as you try to progress just a little further with each run.

LadiesGamers Skul the Hero Slayer
Time for a short breather to upgrade

I thoroughly enjoyed what I’ve played of Skul so far. This is a very difficult game. Some runs will go better than others but I still kept coming back for more. Skul is easily one of the cutest underdogs in gaming. If your looking for an addictive action rogue like, this is well worth keeping and eye on. I’m personally thoroughly looking forward to the games final release as this is a fantastic early impression.

For small indie developers jumping into early access can be hard, to get recognized especially since games are being released on a regular basis. Skul got a small boost recently by doing a cross over event next to the popular rogue like game Dead Cells. This will hopefully give Skul a much needed attention as this is a title well worth keeping a eye on.

Sub bosses change with each play through

Skul is currently on PC in early access but is looking to make a final release sometime this year with hopes to port over to other systems including Switch early next year. So keep coming back to discover our final thoughts on the game when it releases in October.

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