Savage Halloween (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Switch)

Savage Halloween

Developer(s) – 2ndBoss

Publisher(s) – 2ndBoss

Designer(s) – Abdel de Oliveira & Fernando Rodrigues

PEGI – 7

Developed as a love letter to a number of NES classics, most notably Castlevania and Contra, Savage Halloween is an 8-BIT side-scrolling shoot ‘em up set in a world based on several tableaus associated with Halloween. And boasting a massive amount of variety in gameplay. I’d seen previews of this game prior to playing. And yet, I was still taken aback by just how good it is. It’s definitely one of the standout retroactive indie experiences of 2020. 

Graphics – 8/10

Taking place in a world reminiscent of classic works and characters of horror, including Frankenstein and Dracula, there is as much variety in terms of visual design as there is in gameplay. With multiple characters and as well as its horror-styled setting, the game it reminded me of most in its graphical design is actually Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. But at the same time, the game also does well to differentiate itself from the former. Each level perpetuates a different subject of horror. Such as circuses complete with clowns and circus monkeys along with a couple of elements that don’t necessarily do that. Auch as the mini gun-wielding Santa Clauses.

Gameplay – 8/10

Though the game is primarily a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up, there are also a number of gameplay sequences that challenge the player in a number of different ways reminiscent of other classic games. Such as Battletoads and Gradius, including on-rail shooting sequences. Like in Contra, there is also a massive amount of variety in terms of weapon choice. With machine guns, burst weapons, and guns that fire ghosts and exploding chickens. There are three characters to choose from at the start. Each with its own strengths and weaknesses. So the game is designed to be played 3 times at a minimum, and each of these three playthroughs offers a new experience and challenge. A challenge that also doesn’t seem too inaccessible like the likes of Mega Man.

Controls – 10/10

The game’s control scheme is also exceedingly simple to get to grips with. Especially if you’re a fan of the third generation of gaming. And poses no problems whatsoever. The only distinction that I suppose can be made is whether players may prefer to use the analog stick or the D-pad. Either one works fine. That being said, it is also quite impressive how the developers managed to cram as many different control mechanics into this game with the amount of gameplay variety there is compared to other titles of the era of influence. 

Lifespan – 7/10

One playthrough of the game can be made to last about an hour and a half. But as I said, this was a game designed to be played multiple times. So it can be made to last as long as the player desires ostensibly. Especially with the included traditional incentive to try to beat your high score. So the bare minimum that this game should be made to last is 4 and a half hours. But there is definitely scope for more playtime than that. 

Storyline – 7/10

The story of Savage Halloween is that a vampire hosting a 24-hour Halloween rave for creatures of the night has decided to close the portals leading back to Hell so they can continue to rave forever. The three main characters, James, Dominika, and Lulu have been called in to defeat the night creatures and stop the rave. It’s not exactly a story that reinvents the wheel. But it’s just as wonderfully insane and outlandish as any story associated with gaming in the third generation. It’s a concept somewhat reminiscent of A Nightmare Before Christmas, in fact. As that’s one of my personal favorite films, the story concept of this game works pretty well for me. 

Originality – 8/10

Although Savage Halloween has been influenced by a great number of games that have come and gone before it, all the elements of which do come together to nicely form its own cohesive concept. And it stands out to a great extent as a result. It was also rare in the third generation to come across a platformer whereby the high score played as much of a role as it does in this one; something which only generally has meaning in arcade games such as Space Invaders and Pac-Man, so this game does quite well to go against that tradition as well.

Happii

Overall, Savage Halloween is a title I can’t recommend enough. It’s entertaining, challenging, wonderfully varied, and will provide players with hours of fun. 

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)

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