Introduction
Today is the day that we will be slaying some nasty heroes! We are becoming Skul the Hero Slayer, after a bit of practice, I intend to finish a run to slay the First Hero! Will I succeed in stopping the First Hero and rescuing the demon king? First up, what is Skul the Hero Slayer about? You play as a small, silly skul boy that survived the invasion of the humans! You are all that is left to save the demon race! Equip skulls of other warriors and gain their strength, as this is a rogue lite game, death means beginning from the start again! However, you will gain benefits after each run!
What did I think before playing Skul the Hero Slayer?
I was very interested in trying out this game, I was amazed when it was released on the Xbox gamepass service! I immediately tested out a run and epicly failed! Furthermore, I did not understand yet what I was getting myself into, however, that means it was time for some research! In Skul the Hero Slayer, you will need to find dark quartz to strengthen your skills, this will allow you to defeat those pesky heroes! For more Information, I went to the Steam page, since that one usually has more information!
The Steam page
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1147560/Skul_The_Hero_Slayer/
It seems that you will go head-to-head with giant bosses, collect new skulls for awesome power ups, as well as the ability to hold another skull and switch on a whim in battle! Each skull is unique and has different skills, your main skill tree is fueled by the dark quartz though, There are also collectable items that augment your powers, be it physical or magical, maybe even both?
Rating
I rate Skul the Hero Slayer with an 8.2 before playing.
If you are looking for a good rogue lite game with some unique concepts, Skul seems to be delivering on that in first glance!
Story
The story of Skul the Hero slayer starts with the invasion of the demon castle, where the Demon King gets kidnapped by the first hero, Skul manages to avoid capture with the help of a witch.
After you have regrouped, it is your task to save the Demon King and defeat the first hero to become a demon hero! As you play the game, lore will be given, but can you defeat the huge bosses that will need to be taken down!?
Rating
I rate the story of Skul the Hero Slayer with a 7,4.
While the story is not amazing or even perfect, it did keep me enticed to keep trying to defeat the bosses, just to find out what is really going on!
Gameplay
The most important in Skul the Hero Slayer is the dark quarts that you collect, these are needed to upgrade your skill tree, which has three paths that you can choose from. One is for balance, another is for power, and the last is for speed. All of them special skills at the end, for example resurrecting when dying, or being able to sell items for gold! For what do you need gold you ask?
Along the way you will find gold, depending on your items and skulls, you will find either less or more. Every so often, you will come across a room that will sell items. If you are in need of health, you can buy some food from the cook! However, you can also buy equipment that will fit your build! There are sometimes also quintessences to buy, these are special skills!
These special skills can either devastate enemies or even give you a shield! You can only hold one quintessence, though, others need to be left behind. As for skulls, if you do not want or need them, you can destroy them for bones! These can be used to upgrade skulls, but it will be reverted if you die. There are also characters to save, these will either give a temporary boost or move to your castle! This can make the next run a lot smoother!
Rating
I rate the gameplay of Skul the Hero Slayer with an 8.7
This game is very fun, it does need to be your taste though!
Sound and Graphics
Graphics
The graphics of Skul the Hero Slayer are quite pixelated, it is quite odd that you can throw your skull around, though. There are a lot of different monsters with many environments that you will find yourself in. The bosses are quite unique to their environment!
Sound
The music of Skul the Hero Slayer is good, but nothing special. The sound effects are also good.
Rating
I rate the sound and graphics of Skul the Hero Slayer with a 7.4
The sound and graphics are just right for this game!
What did I think after playing Skul the Hero Slayer?
It took a while to learn the unique mechanics of Skul the Hero Slayer, but I did enjoy it a lot, especially once I learned about some Easter Eggs, you can even become the character of Dead Cells, in fact that is the skull that I used to beat the game! I finished the game with barely any health points left, as I did not expect a third phase for the final boss fight!
I did like the swap ability, but I did not use it a lot, however can be quite useful, especially when your skills are on cooldown! The most useful skills are attacks that inflict damage over time, effects like poison or bleed.
Rating
I rate Skul the Hero Slayer with an 8.9 after playing.
I had a great time with playing Skul the Hero Slayer, when you use the Dead Cells skull, you will also find scrolls and cells!
What are my personal thoughts about Skul the Hero Slayer?
I enjoyed the dead cells skull so much, I decided to finally revisit Dead Cells for a new review again! As there have been numerous updates and DLC!
Rating
My personal Rating of Skul the Hero Slayer is an 8.4.
Last Words
Pros
- Collect new skulls to gain unique skills
- The sound and graphics are perfect for Skul the Hero Slayer
- Roam through many areas whom all have different monsters!
- Use equipment to gain new passive abilities
- Use quintessences for special abilities
- Save new characters for smoother runs in the future
- Collect dark quarts to upgrade your skill trees!
Cons
- As this game can be quite difficult, it might be not for everyone.
- The traps in the game can be painful.
The weaker the skull, the fewer skills that you will have. Unique skills usually have two skills, but the Dead Cells skull can switch them out if you find the Dead Cells chests!
Final Rating
8,1
Let me know what you think of Skul the Hero Slayer in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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Good alternative to Dead Cells
So how would you factor easter eggs into your rating, Sven?
Not very high, but it is important that they are available, it adds a certain kind of immersion into a game!
Nice
This game seems like a lot of fun, the pixellated graphics are really attracting to me! I also like that you get to play as a character that’s usually on the receiving end of your blade in most other video games. It may be challenging, but it sounds like the upgrades help out a lot! Thanks for reviewing this game! 🙂
You will need to upgrade the skill tree a lot!
Already knew about this game, looks pretty good and love the art style. Liked to see that info about it
I hope that you will enjoy the game!
Good review ?
Thank you!
The pixel art in this game is one of the best out there!
I liked the game and review.
Good to hear that!
I got it as a gift from my friend and had a good time playing. But I haven’t seen the ending yet. T_T
Keep training and you will get there!
oh boy, oh boy, what a GAME it is! I love the artstyle!!!
Glad to hear that!
Good review!
Thank you!
Great review sven! this game is on Gamepass so you convinced me alright, I’m downloading this right away!
Good to hear that, I hope that you enjoy the game!
Looks like a lot of fun!
this game is dope!!
Definitely will play this.