Slain: Back from Hell
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Slain: Back from Hell Media
Critic Reviews for Slain: Back from Hell
Like the inside of Ozzy Osborne's head, Slain is simultaneously gorgeous, intense, chaotic and deeply, deeply frustrating. The presentation is excellent, with every part of the game exhibiting stunning 2D animation that really brings its hellish underworld to life. Where it all falls apart is the gameplay; Slain is simply no fun to play thanks to its painful difficulty level which chokes the tantalizing potential of its combat system. While it has been compared to the Castlevania series – and its combo mechanics call to mind the underrated Mirror of Fate – Slain isn't really worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Konami's legendary gothic franchise.
Slain: Back from Hell is a more metal and modern Castlevania that looks and plays great, but is held back by a few sections which feel unfairly difficulty.
Slain: Back from Hell is that mural on that beaten down van painted by someone sporting a mullet; the first time you walk by you quickly glance over and think, ‘hey, that’s cool.’ But after going by a bunch of times you notice the faded colors and the incomprehensible scene of violence going on. It’s like the artist wants you to take the time to appreciate the art but, honestly, it’s not worth the effort. There are a few spots that stick out like a segment where a warrior turns into a wolf or the bright blues and reds that border the fresco. But really, there are no secrets to be found here (and not many in the game). The mural is here to distract you for a short period (6 hours) and once you’re done taking it in, you’ll find it difficult to recall the experience.
Slain: Back From Hell features action and 2D plattforms with a Castlevania like style and lots of potential. Even though it has a great artistic design, it has some issues with the gameplay mechanics and some bugs.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Having beaten Back From Hell, I don't really know what else to say. I hope to never return to this game and I wouldn't want anyone to waste their time and money on the endeavor. Whether that is harsh or not, Slain on the Switch is not the version you should buy. If you want to have any hope of enjoying the game, get any of the other versions available (all of which run at 60 FPS and offer customizable controls).
Overall, Slain: Back From Hell is a fun game. Despite the critical tone of much of this review, I very much enjoyed my time with Bathoryn and will be going back to try and unlock the rest of those no-hit boss achievements. It is best to go in with a clear idea of what to expect, however, which is a no-nonsense old-school hack and slash platformer fuelled by heavy metal.
Slain ticks off the boxes as a serviceable homage to old school action-platformers. It has relatively tight controls and gameplay and has that 80's/90's difficulty that will make elder millennials jaunt down memory lane. The lack of depth and unreliable technical aspects limit Slain's fun factor, while the writing aims to be both cheesy and Gothic, but cannot serve both masters and ultimately fails. Finally, the achievements... ugh... just don't go there. If you're aching for a throwback to Belmont's heyday and don't care about your achievement ratio, give Slain a shot, but otherwise, give it a pass and catch some z's.
Between every frustrating death, there’s a ton to like about Slain: Back From Hell, so let’s get rocking.
