Skully is the latest PS4 title from developer Finish Line Games, who previously brought Cel Damage HD and Maize to Sony’s fourth generation console. The game is published by Modus Games, who have been a prolific Indie publisher over the last few years. The game is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam, however we will be focusing on the PlayStation 4 version for our review.
STORY
Skully is the definition of a story that is thin on the ground. That’s not to say that one doesn’t exist though. You start on a remote island, where a washed-up skull is reawakened by a deity named Terry and christened Skully. The reason for this strange sequence of events? Terry is involved in an argument with his three siblings that jeopardises the island. Cutscenes play out like a picture book, which despite being a unique choice fits with the strangeness of the game.
GRAPHICS & PERFORMANCE
Simple, yet effective is what I would boil it down to. The graphics are sharp throughout and I didn’t have many performance issues during my time with the game. The world itself was well detailed, often reminiscent of the claymation world of a Wallace and Gromit and I didn’t experience any pop-in or glitches that hindered my enjoyment. Frame rate is consistent, which is really important as at times this is every bit the precision platformer.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is king, and that is never more evident that in Skully. As I said earlier you start off as a reanimated skull, rolling about the world cosplaying as a marble. Early on the game lures you into thinking it’s full steam ahead and only a few well timed jumps are required to navigate the terrain. Soon however you’ll find yourself forced into some caution, taking your time to line up the jumps required to advance.
That’s where the frustration can come in. Skully demands accuracy and at times it’s all too easy to end up screaming into a pillow. Thankfully checkpoints are plentiful, but these mud puddles serve a dual purpose. You can use them to transform into three different clay forms to help you navigate the world and unlock the secrets within.
The first clay being is a brute that can punch through certain walls to access previously unreachable areas and send shock waves along the ground to defeat liquid enemies. Later in the game you will unlock a further two forms, one of which has a boost and can move blocks horizontally while the other lets you double jump in order to reach higher areas and also move blocks vertically.
None of this is ever overwhelming and it makes for some good puzzle-solving moments if you manage to stick with it long enough to reach the home stretch of the 18 available chapters. There are Crash Bandicoot style sequences where you are rolling towards the screen that just brought my enjoyment to a screeching halt. I’m fine with hard games, but at times Skully feels like it spikes in difficulty out of nowhere and it’s frustrating, to say the least.
TROPHIES & COLLECTIBLES
Unlike their previous two games, Skully comes packing a platinum trophy. This is always a good thing. Having the ability to get it is something different entirely. Trophies like completing 10 chapters without dying will be reserved for the real hardcore players. I would expect an incredibly small percentage of people to have this on PSN Profiles.
Collectibles are everywhere! Each chapter can have anywhere from about 100 – 500 flowers they want you to collect. A fair chunk of these will come naturally on your path, but some will require a keen eye and your clay forms to reach. As well as earning trophies from them, the flowers unlock concept art back on the main manu should you wish to take a look.
VALUE & VERDICT
At launch, Skully is £24.99 on the EU PSN store which is a difficult price in which to recommend. The game is fun and challenging, but feels at times like it is struggling with it’s own identity. The story elements and general feel of the game suggests that it is aimed at children, but the platforming difficulty is most definitely looking to appeal to an adult audience.
I can’t help but feel the wiser choice would have been to add some more sarcasm and adult orientated humour. As it stands Skully is an interesting title, taking cues from Super Monkey Ball, Crash Bandicoot and Knack – although lacking the charm of the two former. If you like what you see in the trailer my suggestion would be to pick this one up in a sale, which likely won’t be too far down the road.
-Jock
A review code for this product was kindly provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS4 Slim.
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