Skully

I was unexpectedly charmed by Skully. With some excellent controls and a story told earnestly, I was gripped throughout its entire run. Sure, its shorter time might turn off some and its collectables aren’t that worthwhile, but it more than makes up for that. It doesn’t waste time and it makes for a pleasant romp. Suffice to say, I’m curious to see what Finish Line Games makes next.

A platforming game at its heart, Skully is brought to life with beautiful visuals and a unique character system. Its puzzles will, at times, have you scratching your head, and some platforming sections will really test your mettle. In fact, it perhaps verges on being overly frustrating on occasion, but overcoming an obstacle and making it to the next checkpoint is genuinely rewarding. Ultimately, there’s little else like Skully out there, so if you’re a fan of 3D platforming with a smattering of puzzle solving, it likely won’t disappoint.

Video games and skeletons go way back. Of course, we’ve all fought countless skeletal enemies over the years, but they’ve also taken on protagonist roles in games like Grim Fandango, MediEvil, and even the recently-released Skelattack. Well, publisher Modus Games is bringing us a yet another entry in the bony sub-genre with Skully, which sadly doesn’t have anything to with alien abductions. Skully is instead a platformer that tasks players with guiding a very round, rollable skull through all manners of hazards. And just to make this as clear as possible, no, the skull isn’t a redhead.

A very respectable attempt at creating a 3D puzzle platformer but its pacing issues and somewhat frustrating camera design prevent Skully from being a great game. Still, there's some good value there for those willing to dish out the hefty $30 price tag.

I’m seeing a pattern with a lot of skeleton themed games hitting the market recently. Just this year we’ve reviewed Skellboy, West of Dead, and Skelattack, all games featuring a skeleton protagonist. Surprisingly, there has been a fair amount of diversity between these games. Now we have Skully, the newest title from Modus Games. A game which still manages to set itself apart from its other bony brethren.

There are moments where Skully is an exciting and charming adventure though an island paradise. It's just buried under too much annoyances and level design issues.

Skully's basic puzzle-solving and platforming are mostly benign, with occasional shows of both clever design and poor craftsmanship.

If I mention the name Skully and you were hoping for something involving aliens and an FBI agent called Mulder, you’re going to be disappointed. This game has absolutely nothing to do with the X-Files, or even anything remotely science-fiction. Finish Line Games’ latest title is instead a 3D platformer suitable for those with young children. It is the latter audience that will most appreciate the protagonist, a skull that’s been imaginatively named Skully.

I hate being that guy who basically says "this isn’t the game I wanted to play", but in Skully’s case it seems the most appropriate conclusion. So much of the game concentrates on mechanics that were rightfully abandoned and too little fulfils the marble rolling promise of its early footage. Looks like I’m still waiting, like a strangely bearded Cinderalla, to go to the ball.

Disappointing, but with a glimmer of hope down the line for a better iteration.

With so few 3D platformers released, some fans of the genre may still be tempted to give Skully a chance, and it's hard to blame them. However, the game is just a frustrating experience from start to finish, with very few redeeming qualities. Those looking for a new 3D platformer to play may be better off just keeping their fingers crossed that the next game in the genre lives up to expectations.

Verdict: Skully offers some great gameplay that’s satisfying when done right, and gives plenty of uniqueness throughout its five-hour run. This, combined with some wonderful sound design, give Skully some solid ground to work off of. Despite that, I can’t help but feel there could’ve been much more done here to improve things, from better writing to more effort in the art and controls. Some more time put into those would’ve made the game much better, and more worth that runtime. Still, if you’re a fan of adventure platformers, Skully is a game you’ll likely walk away from with enjoyment, even ...