Skul: The Hero Slayer Reviews

Skul: The Hero Slayer is ranked in the 89th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.3 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2019

More than just a competent roguelike fresh out of early access, Skul: The Hero Slayer delivers power-swapping action and a mostly satisfying loop that should sufficiently satisfy your Dead Cells or Hades cravings.

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The Partisan Spy
3 Step Game Review
Buy
Feb 27, 2020

As most roguelike games, Skul: The Hero Slayer (Skul) was designed to be HARD. The objective is simple, beat all game levels without dying. Yes, you can beat the game in your first try, but you won't. YOU WILL DIE and start again from the beginning, not just once, but several times. RNG has a HUGE influence on the game. There is a big difference between items and skulls performance, so to beat the game you will need luck and skills. To have fun playing Skul, you need to accept the gameplay challenge and don't consider a reason for frustrations. Last but not least, controllers plays much better than keyboards.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 19, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer is a delight. Despite some bullet sponge-y enemies, the varied combat and surprisingly engaging story make each run a joy.

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Jan 19, 2021

Help a little skeleton save the demon king.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 19, 2021

There's a good base of a game in Skul: The Hero Slayer, and fans of the genre will definitely find a few hours of rewarding gameplay offered. The game does work, and well, with only the occasional small graphical glitch that ultimately affected nothing. Running through the game endlessly will grow tiresome quickly for many that play, but for the persistent that find the rare powerful skull, you'll be treated with a very fun time. At $19.99 on Steam, it won't break the bank to pick up Skul: The Hero Slayer, but for all but the hardcore rogue-lite crowd, waiting for a sale or inclusion in some online bundle may be a worthwhile exercise in patience.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 20, 2021
REVIEW | SKUL: THE HERO SLAYER - A Cranium Swapping Good Time video thumbnail
7 / 10.0
Jan 20, 2021
Skul: The Hero Slayer (ACTUAL Game Review) video thumbnail
8 / 10.0
Jan 20, 2021

The game certainly isn’t the most complicated or mechanically deep roguelite action-platformer on the market. It doesn’t have the giant build variety and in-depth combat mechanics of something like Dead Cells. That being said, Skul: The Hero Slayer still a great addition to the genre in its own ways.

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8 / 10
Jan 20, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer is lovely, action-packed, and full of excellent choices. Repetition can set in rather quickly due to tedious bosses, and a single crash can ruin an entire run, but it's one of the better action rogue-lites I've had the pleasure to dump some time into.

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80 / 100
Jan 20, 2021

This game has a highly concentrated amount of all trendy genres such as Rogue-like, Platformer, Action and most importantly, Pixel-art style. Definitely an action packed platformer with smooth controls and for a typical Pixel-art style look, it has decent overall quality of visual effects. Most of the fun comes from how you level up your main character, Skul. Due to its mixed nature of genres, it lacks to say what's so unique about the game but you won't be dissapointed for what you'd expect as a fan of this said genre.

Review in Korean | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jan 22, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer is a great roguelike adventure that ties fast action with a charming narrative. The game understands what makes this genre addicting but doesn’t rely too heavily on influences, which allows it to stand out prominently. If you are hungry for a roguelike, this is a great way to satisfy your cravings.

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8.7 / 10.0
Jan 23, 2021

The humans are coming, the humans are coming! Join Skul, a diminutive skeleton in the Demon King’s army, and help drive off the armies of humans laying waste to your land. Don’t lose your head - or at least keep a spare handy just in case.

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85 / 100
Jan 24, 2021

If I had to compare it to any other title, I would say Dead Cells. Not just because of the similar 2D action platformer gameplay, but also because Dead Cell’s protagonist, the Prisoner, is available as one of the most fun and powerful skulls in the game. So if you’ve been sleeping on Skul: The Hero Slayer while waiting for the development to finish, then it’s high time to walk up and smell the Ents, because this game is one you’ll want to check out.

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8.2 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

A great new take in the roguelite world. Skul: The Hero Slayer is a must-have for all roguelite lovers, with so many balanced builds and combinations. Suffers from an high difficulty spike in the first hours and a not so great level design, but it's surely worth a try.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10
Jan 26, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer is an excellent rogue-lite platformer with beautiful pixel graphics. While its story is a tad generic, its ruthless rogue-lite mechanics are where Skul: The Hero Slayer truly shines. Combined with its unique mechanics on the battlefield, Skul: The Hero Slayer easily raises the stakes without making the gameplay feel overly complicated. The result is a fast-paced hack-and-slash experience that will have you on the edge of your seat for hours. If you’re a fan of indie titles like Spelunky, ScourgeBringer, and Celeste, Skul: The Hero Slayer will surely have something to offer you.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2021

Coll rogue-lite 2D platformer. Use heads of fallen heroes to gain new skills and be ready to die and start from beginning again and again.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

4 / 5.0
Jan 27, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer is a fun little title whose cute graphics belie the tough challenges and grinds that lie within. Dying is all part of the appeal, and never once is it frustrating or unfair. You’ll want to keep returning again and again in order to get just a little bit further, or to perhaps secure a new type of outfit or skill. It deserves a place on your playlist if you have any sort of affection for old 16-bit RPG-brawlers.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 27, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer isn’t perfect, but it’s getting dangerously close. The cynics among us could nitpick at the repetitive level design or the supposed imbalance found in the power-ups, but these criticisms would both be severe reaches. In truth, the game is a rare gem that sets a high bar for other Indie titles to aspire to. It’s the perfect blend of innocent and quirky. The combat system is fluid and responsive. Oddly enough, you just feel comfortable playing Skul: The Hero Slayer. It’s the type of game you could sink days into and not even notice. It’s truly effective.

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Travis Northup
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jan 27, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer puts skull-swapping and fast combat front and center in this bone-afide retro rogue-lite.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 1, 2021

Skul: The Hero Slayer is yet another example of a game using its Early Access period to craft a great game with the help of player feedback and some seriously development magic. Though I’d still love more narrative to carry me through the tough times, the variety in combat and stellar design left me way too thrilled. I’m looking forward to slaying many more heroes to come.

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