Review: Skully (PlayStation 4)

by Jim Smale · August 4, 2020

On a mysterious remote island, a skull washes up on shore and is reawakened by an enigmatic deity. Dubbed Skully, the newly reanimated being has been summoned to intervene in a war between the deity’s three siblings, whose quarrel jeopardizes the island they call home.

Pros:

Decent graphics.
8.16gb download size.
Platinum trophy.
Invert axis and sensitivity slider.
Action-adventure gameplay.
Stop animation cutscenes.
Tutorial tips as you play.
Humor throughout.
Chapter select.
Can replay levels.
Hidden areas and shortcuts.
You play as a Skull (Ball) and then take on other forms by inhabiting them, you can jump out of it anytime.
Full voice work.
Each area feels like a new game.
When playing as Skully it’s like a next-gen Marble Madness.
18 levels in 7 distinct ecosystems.
Levels roll into each other (pun fully intended).
Constant checkpoints that are also used to heal and take on new formations.
Happy bouncy soundtrack.
As Skully, you can roll and jump fast but also stick to grass-covered rocks.
Puzzle elements.

Cons:

Playing as Skully is not fun as it all moves way too fast and it is way too easy to fall in the water and die.
Checkpoints are constantly far apart.
Quick to die.
Got stuck in rock formations many times.
Same gameplay loop.

7/10

Graphics - 7/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
8/10

Accessibility - 8/10
8/10

Length - 8/10
8/10

Fun Factor - 8/10

7.6/10

Summary

Skully is a game that is very reminiscent of a little game called Marble Madness, you guide a ball around an ever-expanding world. OK, so that is pretty much where the similarities end, you play as Skully a round skull and for the most part of the game roll around the many biomes of the world and can take on different “forms” to aid progress. By form you will enter a body and get new abilities like the ability to fly, shoot or punch around, you still take damage and can get kicked out of the form and of course jump out whenever you want. When in a form the game plays a lot more like a 3D action game with puzzle elements, outside of a form it’s a fast-paced reflex heavy Marble run game. They manage to blend the many genres together in a cohesive and solid way. The world’s that are your playgrounds are open and varied and encourage you to take risks and explore off the beaten path or you can play it safe and still get enjoyment. I found the marble style sections fun but ever-challenging thanks to the fast pace and tight angles of movement needed coupled with geometry issues, inform mode it played a lot better, and had some cool set pieces. Overall I found Skully to be the right mix of frustration and joy but a masterclass in mixing genres together into a cohesive and enjoyable experience.