Slain: Back From Hell

I've never posted an overtly negative review of a game before, and I hate that Slain might be the first, but I picked up a copy on GOG, and I have to say, it feels extremely unfinished. As long hoped, the visuals are absolutely top-notch, with all kinds of gorgeous pixel art and environmental effects enriching the world. And, of course, the soundtrack absolutely rips. These are the qualities that made the trailer so compelling, and they do not disappoint. However, the gameplay itself feels like a rough alpha of something that could be much improved with further development. Controls are loose and sloppy. With the music volume turned down, there are minimal sound effects in the game, to the point that taking and giving damage are hard to identify because of the lack of audio feedback. I tried playing with no music, just as an experiment, and I feel like I'm watching a near-silent graphical demo. I want so badly to be satisfied by the gameplay, but, as it is, the sense of "oomph" I'd expect from so much metal (literal and figurative) is weirdly lacking. Navigating the menus is laggy, and there are layout issues that make it difficult to read the menu over the death screen. The game also locks up completely when I try to load the credits from the main menu. I worry that this is maybe an example of the player/fan community's enthusiasm pushing the game to release before it's finished. I've been following Slain for months, and I'm as excited as most to finally play it (hell, I raced over to GOG and created an account just to buy it), but I was pretty shocked at how rough and incomplete the game feels. Just my two cents. Maybe for some the awesome visuals and animation will be enough, but I really need more impact and grit and tightness from the controls to get into this one. My sense is that (major) patching could correct a lot of this stuff; but the development delays and community anxiety up until this point might complicate that.

I had never played the launch version, but from reading online I saw that many of the issues from the launch have been fixed or reworked...TotalBiscuit had a great video outlining the details, or if you check other places on the internet the bullet points have been revisited and now I feel like it's a great game. Many of the reviews from launch are accurate at the time, and the developers deserved the harsh reviews, but IMHO they've gone and totally redeemed themselves.

Do you like hack n slash? Do like retro feel in game? Do you like Metal? Yes? Then get this game (Get it even if it's a "No"). The good: + Great music + Good pixel art (With optional CRT effects which adds more retro feel) + Controller Support + Satisfying combat + Challenging enemies + Awesome sub-bossfights + Awesome bossfights + Checkpoints + Good replay value. The Bad: - Keys can't be changed from in game. (But you wont need to chaange them as there are 2 control layouts) - Blocking and reflecting projectiles need some practice (read SACRIFICE). - Some gamers may find it repetitive. - Waiting for platform can sometimes be boring. Final verdict: This is a spectacular gaming gem and anyone who like 2D games must play it. For me it's a solid 8/10.

This review is based on the Linux version (Mint 17.3 64 bit), and patched. PROS: Amazing visual aesthetic. Tight controls (Logitech F310 set to XInput). Cool, action-fueling music. Challenging, but not frustrating. Lotsa' checkpoints in case you're getting pounded. Clever level design. Modest hardware requirements (played on Nvidia NVS 3100M). CONS: 2D graphics may put off graphics snobs. Challenge can be a bit much for Old School platformer newbies. *Older reviews don't reflect the current patched version. So disregard them.