Also On: PS4, PC
Publisher: Autumn Games
Developer: Autumn Games
Medium: Digital
Players: 1-2
Online: Yes
ESRB: T
From a gameplay perspective, it doesnโt seem like thereโs a whole lot to say about Skullgirls 2nd Encore. I mean, itโs a 2D fighting game. Iโm undoubtedly showing my ignorance here, but I feel like thereโs not a tonne of variety when it comes to that genre. There are obviously nuances that separate Street Fighter from Marvel vs. Capcom, or Blazblue from Guilty Gear, but in general terms, if youโve played one, youโll have a pretty good idea of whatโs in store for you here.
To be sure, itโs not exactly the same as those games. The attacks in Skullgirls are built around the characters, which โ as Iโll explain shortly โ gives them some individuality. Beyond those, though, itโs all your standard punch-kick-combo move-teammate assist controls, all of which will seem pretty familiar to anyone whoโs ever put in any amount of time with these games.
However, while Skullgirls 2nd Encoreโs gameplay may be a little lacking in originality, it more than makes up for that by having an aesthetic thatโs 100% its own.
See, Skullgirls oozes style. A very specific style, in fact: art deco-meets-film noir. Obviously, Autumn Games didnโt come up with that combination, but itโs still clear that they had a distinctive vision of how they wanted this game to look and feel โ and, whatโs more, itโs clear that they put a lot of care and attention into turning that vision into a reality.
This means that the slang-heavy dialogue sounds like it comes from some fast-talking movie from the early days of talkies. This means that the music sounds like it should be spilling out the window of a smoke-filled speakeasy. And, most of all, it means that the characters and the environments and pretty much every graphic element of the game look like they sprang forth fully-formed from the minds of, say, Tamara de Lempicka or Ert?. Itโs pretty impressive stuff, with the only downside being that everything looks oddly muted on the Vitaโs smaller screen. I donโt know what they had to sacrifice in order to make the game run properly, but you always have the sense that youโre looking at a somewhat pale reflection of incredible art, rather than at the incredible art itself.
Nonetheless, the art is impressive enough that even a somewhat pale reflection of greatness is still worth seeing. Combine that with an average fighting game andโฆwell, to be honest, Iโm not sure if itโs enough to make Skullgirls worth a recommendation, unless youโre either really into fighting games, or really into seeing an aesthetic that doesnโt get nearly enough representation in games.