wfmag.cc \ 61ReviewRated
ReviewA hero with no skin in the game
kellboy’s hero, Skippy, isn’t so
much a character as a group of
parts. His skull, ribcage, and legs
can be swapped for anything of
similar size and shape, until there’s
nothing of the original left. The head of a fallen
enemy replaces his own noggin, a bale of straw
becomes a makeshift torso. To succeed in your
quest, you mix and match identities, becoming
whatever’s required to get by.
It’s a versatile idea. As you traverse the land,
accosted by monsters, you’ll grab parts that help
you survive, such as the head
of a plant that spits projectiles,
a pumpkin body that adds
armour padding, or a full set
of zombie bits that allows you
to walk among the undead. Or
you’ll don certain items to unlock the next path
forward, such as putting together a princess
disguise to gain access to the castle, or switching
your head for a bomb to blow up a wall.
The changes knit together the action, which
alternates between a gated overworld and
interiors filled with traps and switches. There’s a
pleasing contrast between the two, as you slice
your way through the creatures in the fields
above, then carefully work through winding
passageways below. And the way each new
area loops back to previous locations, gradually
linking the parts together, is admirable. It’s not
quite Dark Souls, but it makes the world feel
singular and coherent.
Yet ultimately, the body and outfit swapping
doesn’t bring as much to the table as it might.There aren’t that many varieties, and mostly
it’s easiest to stick to whatever grants a decent
health boost, unless you need a specific piece
to advance. Combat, meanwhile, comes down
to wafting some lightweight weapons around,
and despite all the different types, there’s no
real tactical element to consider.
The game’s retro presentation also does it no
favours. Incessantly repetitive chiptunes recall
a part of gaming history that’s best left there,
while the distinctive visual style, with its pixel art
characters mounted on wooden boards in 3D
landscapes, is crudely drawn
and indecipherably blocky
up close. When it shows off
some depth and detail in the
outdoor sections, it’s spoiled
by jolting pauses as each
chunk of scenery loads in.
Most damningly, the combination of style
and perspective takes the precision out of
your actions. Foreground objects obscure the
view, and the minimal animation makes your
movements feel clumsy. Basic platform tasks
and battles become needlessly tricky as you
struggle to gauge distances and manoeuvre
awkwardly in tight spaces.
With these frequent moments of frustration
and nothing really game-changing to discover,
it’s hard to find much incentive to explore.
Skippy’s laborious walking speed doesn’t help
there, either. In his defence, he’s a rough
construction of simple parts that functions
adequately but isn’t a pretty sight. In that sense,
the game suits him rather well.Skellboy
S
VERDICT
A scruffy adventure that
doesn’t fully capitalise on
some decent ideas.47 %
GENRE
Action-RPG
FORMAT
Switch
DEVELOPER
Umaiki Games
PUBLISHER
Fabraz
PRICE
£18.00
RELEASE
Out nowInfo
ReviewRated
REVIEWED BY
Jon BailesHIGHLIGHT
There are times when the
cardboard construction of
the world is incorporated
into play to good effect, such
as when you work your way
behind a fireball-spitting
statue and render it harmless
by shoving it flat on its face.
Pushing two-dimensional
cows over is also fun.“The game’s retro
presentation does it
no favours” Conversation with NPCs is played
for laughs, which mostly boils
down to a load of strained puns.