“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
Slain: Back From Hell with its gothic setting and hard as nails combat can't help but be compared to the classic Castlevania franchise. But when you try to emulate something so beloved you'd better make sure that your game is up to the task.
The story begins with you being woken from your mortal slumber as the hero Bathoryn and being tasked with taking down Lord Voll. To achieve this you must slay each of his lieutenants who rule across many different lands. And that's as much of a storyline that you're going to get here.
Your going to spend an awful amount of time jumping, blocking and attacking enemies and thankfully the simple controls make it a breeze to perform every action in quick succession. You also have the ability to fire projectiles which are powered by Mana as a long range attack. You also have the ability to charge your sword to perform a critical attack by keeping the button pressed and releasing it at a certain point which is easily done when your facing a few enemies but near impossible when things get a lot more hectic later on. Attacking everything you see on screen will be second nature to anyone but blocking is just as important. Blocking an attack at the right time allows you to pull off a counter attack which can be devastating for your enemy. Your timing needs to be spot on and there is very little room for error but pull this off a dozen times or more and you'll soon master it.
Slain: Back From Hell ramps it's difficulty up very quickly. You will find yourself facing wave after wave of enemies who soon become much harder to kill. Your going to die a lot but there are a lot of checkpoints, health and mana replenishing points. You can also recharge your mana by performing blocks and counters. There are power-ups to collect but there are few and far between. Everything gels together well. Moving and attacking feels very natural and smooth. Attacking enemies always feels satisfactory and powerful. Quick attacks, heavy attacks along with the critical attack always land with a heavy and sickening thud. New weapons can be picked up along the way and they add a strategic element to what could have been just another brawler. Certain weapons work better against specific enemies and working out which weapon to use during a fight adds a subtle puzzle element to the game. There are hidden traps throughout the game and in instant death, so look out for crows picking the rotten meat off bones.
Visually, Slain is lovingly presented in a retro pixel art style. Each stage gap it's own theme and they are different from each other to really stand out. During one stage you will be fighting through a forest and the next stage transports you into a dungeon level. While there is nothing original about the levels they look gorgeous and have been lovingly crafted. As you play through the levels there are secret areas that you can find if you look hard enough where pieces of a talisman have been hidden. The heavy metal inspired soundtrack is also a high point that reminds me of old school soundtracks.
If you're on the lookout for some old school hack and slash 2D platforming action, Slain: Back From Hell fits the bill nicely. The difficulty does increase very quickly and you will find yourself repeating some sections over and over. But if you're up for a challenge then you'd do a lot worse. Wolfbrew Games have done themselves proud with an old school inspired and tough as nails game that deserves your attention.
Developer: Andrew Gilmour
Publisher: Digerati
Website: Slain: Back from Hell
Twitter: @MrAwolf / @DigeratiDM
Slain: Back To Hell is available now for £11.99
Code supplied by XCN.