6/15/2023 0 Comments Skeletal avenger switch![]() I felt this lack of technical evolution as I progressed caused an almost sleep-walking state of playing as I crept along. The environmental traps, while varying in appearance, are always exactly the same: square tiles that will harm you if you land on or walk onto them. While the differences in appearance from zone to zone are nice, the actual functionality of each area is very similar. The game lists them and checks them off as you find them, so you know how many you have yet to uncover. ![]() There are so many, that in my first playthrough, I had yet to even come across three of them. There are many, and they range from miniscule to godly. True to roguelike form, however, your success in Skeletal Avenger will be heavily influenced by randomly generated perks. You are also able to upgrade the strength of your skills and your health, with gold that you earn from slaying the living. Different hats will change that mechanic, some allowing you to throw your skull as a grenade, and others as a whirling blade, and more. Throughout your travels you will find armor, weapons, and different hats that will also heavily influence your life after death, or, erm… death… (that sounded right, right?) The hats lend an accentuation to one of the bigger mechanics in the game: throwing your skull. Skeletal Avenger is more than a simple roguelike I would be more apt to call it a roguelike with the skeletal frame of an RPG. The opening stills were actually quite promising, but the space in between them and the endgame was far too long to keep me hooked. While roguelikes are synonymous with a lack of story, the absence of any kind of progression here left me wanting more. You will travel across four different zones, each with their own aesthetic, hacking and slashing your way as you go through dungeon after dungeon. ![]() He can’t do so without help, however, as he needs blood crystals to unlock secrets that should lead to your killer’s identity. You have been brought back as an undead skeleton by a wizard with intentions of helping you find your killer. You awaken in your coffin, having been executed by an unknown assailant. ![]() Would Skeletal Avenger keep the streak going? Since then, I’ve enjoyed a handful of others, and look forward to getting my hands on new experiences in the genre as they become available. Roguelikes were a genre that I simply could not get into, until that game shattered the wall for me. The release trailer for this game showed an affinity to Skul: The Hero Slayer, which I had the absolute pleasure of reviewing for The Gaming Outsider here. Skeletal Avenger is the newest entry from 10tons, who brought us Tesla vs Lovecraft and Sparkle Unleashed, in a genre that has taken the indie and small studio world by storm. Granted, the competition in this space is pretty tough to match, but in the end this just comes to the table as a serviceable roguelike dungeon crawler, not necessarily a great one.Deathly similar, yet realms apart. The real issue here tends to be longevity and that’s tied to a comparative lack of real variety as you grind away. While there aren’t a tremendous number and variety of weapons and items to work with you can usually get equipped with gear that suits you on an average run, but depending on the whims of the RNG gods you’ll definitely get some runs where it just never comes together. While not visually terribly diverse or exciting, what it does offer up is an approachability you don’t normally find in roguelikes, skewing a little more towards letting you feel powerful before cranking up the difficulty and smacking you down. As a die hard roguelike fan I’m always eager to check out something new in the space, and Skeletal Avenger has some merits that help it at As a die hard roguelike fan I’m always eager to check out something new in the space, and Skeletal Avenger has some merits that help it at least get off to a reasonably good start.
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