Slayin 2 Review
Fast Facts
Slayin 2
Developer: Pixel Licker
Publisher: FDG Entertainment
Website: https://www.fdg-entertainment.com/games/slayin-2/
Genre: Arcade, Action, Role-Playing, Multiplayer
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Age Rating: PEGI 7
Release Date: 07/05/20
Price: £10.79
A code was provided for review purposes.
Story
The story in Slayin 2 is about a kingdom under siege. After the king has been kidnapped, the kingdom falls and inevitably becomes overrun with monsters. It’s now your job to rid the world of these foul beasts and save the kingdom. While it’s not hugely original, it gives you a purpose to go on a monster-hunting spree.
Slayin It!
Back in 2013, a development studio known as Pixel Licker created a really addictive, end-less RPG named Slayin which they originally released on IOS and very quickly became a hit. This endless RPG allowed you to play as multiple characters in a grand adventure, listen to awesome chip-tunes and play through over 100+ quests. Since it’s last update, I never had the chance to play the original but it had a really cool retro aesthetic which I love the look of. Things were kept simple which made the game highly addictive
Now, let’s skip to the present where Pixel Licker came back with their newer entry Slayin 2.
Slayin 2 expands on the original formula, adding in a new art-style, more characters and a brand new adventure for the Nintendo Switch crowd! Let’s see how it pans out!
Fight the Good Fight!
Slayin 2 is a rather unique little title that sees you going on a journey to save a Kingdom; fighting all manner of monsters along the way. Slayin 2 is not your typical RPG or platformer, however. What makes it unique in this instalment is how you actually play the game. Instead of moving from one screen to other or fighting in turn-based combat, you’re locked into one single screen that has multiple lanes that you can switch between at any time with the R button. This allows you to jump in between lanes to fight different enemies or collect loot that falls to the ground whilst also dodging out of the way of incoming projectiles or attacks.
Combat, while staying true to the original, sees you simply walking into enemies to defeat them. Mainly smaller enemies can be killed with this method while bigger boss monsters require repeated hits to reduce their HP bar before being able to defeat them.
Thankfully you can collect crystals and coins to fill up your spark meter allowing you to pull off your special attack which can help deplete bosses health bars considerably. It’s this simple mechanic that makes combat so damn addictive.
My issue though is that this game is extremely challenging. Death is inevitable. Thankfully multiple plays in stages you’ve beaten can earn you loot which falls constantly from chests and defeated monsters and this will allow you to purchase helpful weapons and upgrades from the item shops around town. You can also help people you meet in towns, especially in the beginning where you have to build up a small village after an attack. While some buildings do offer you some incentives to spend your cash, others don’t really offer anything too useful. They’re merely there as set-dressing.
Rewarding!
Each time I completed an area or defeated a tough boss (I’m looking at you graveyard boss) I was stuck on for good while, there was a real sense of achievement. Sometimes if you were lucky you would be rewarded with a new character allowing you to purchase them in town and allowing you to try a different combat style to play around with.
Each character comes with their own ways of attacking, each with there own unique special ability. This is one of the main driving forces behind wanting to get further in the game in order to unlock all the additional characters.
Great Short-Burst Play!
I would recommend playing the game in short bursts to alleviate the grind otherwise you may find yourself tiring of the uphill struggle. It’s great for playing on the go if you want to waste some time as the earlier stages only take a few minutes to complete.
Slayin 2 also comes with an arcade mode for you and a friend to play locally. This is where you fight as many enemies as you possibly can earning loot. In between matches you can level-up and purchase new items to continue on. It’s another extra little addition that prolongs your gameplay in the game.
Graphics and Sound
The art style in Slayin 2 is actually really nice. There’s a lot of bright, vivid colours making each stage pop out of the switches screen, especially in the hand-mode. The dialogue can be quite charming and helps give a little personality to the townsfolk you speak to. The music also has a lot of great little tunes that keep your focus on the battle at hand… It’s all pretty solid on this front.
Verdict
Slayin 2 is a pretty fun adventure that has addictive combat and boss encounters but does suffer from the infamous big G… The Grind that bogs down the experience. You will find yourself repeating many of the stages over, over again and this can get repetitive after a while.
There’s a lot of characters to unlock, the arcade mode and the ability to play locally with a friend so the game does offer some extra things to do if you tire of the main story. If you can get over the grindy nature, there’s a lot to like here especially if play the game in short bursts!
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase Slayin 2 for £10.79 on the Nintendo eShop
You can find and read our reviews on OpenCritic.
