Slain!

 PC
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 38
  3. Negative: 18 out of 38

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  1. VonSeux
    Mar 27, 2016
    3
    As much as this game seems tailor made for my personal tastes, it just feels unpolished, badly connected and with a very loose art direction. Simple things remind you all the time this was made by a small team with a small budget; such thing as such as menus, transitions screens, sound effetcs and colisions... I can´t play a 2d game on 2016 that plays worse than games 20~30 years older. IfAs much as this game seems tailor made for my personal tastes, it just feels unpolished, badly connected and with a very loose art direction. Simple things remind you all the time this was made by a small team with a small budget; such thing as such as menus, transitions screens, sound effetcs and colisions... I can´t play a 2d game on 2016 that plays worse than games 20~30 years older. If you're interested on this genre do look for Odallus The Dark Call, at least Odallus made his homework before releasing the game.… Expand
  2. plushfloody
    Aug 11, 2016
    10
    This game was released too early so they could make it's funder's happy. Metacritic needs to adopt the kind of review system Steam has adopted where reviews can be changed. By the second patch this game became one of the top 20 platformers ever made. I deserves to have it's score updated.
  3. Hack
    Aug 13, 2016
    6
    Slain is a rare success story in the sense that it released in horrific condition and instead of washing their hands of it and cashing what little money they made from it the devs actually fixed it, and so we have Slain: Back from Hell which is basically version 2.0 and it fixes most of the issues that plagued initial release build, which is reflected in the recent (very positive) andSlain is a rare success story in the sense that it released in horrific condition and instead of washing their hands of it and cashing what little money they made from it the devs actually fixed it, and so we have Slain: Back from Hell which is basically version 2.0 and it fixes most of the issues that plagued initial release build, which is reflected in the recent (very positive) and overall (mixed) scores in the Steam user reviews section.

    I'd like to start off by saying Slain is hard, almost frustratingly so at times so you're going to die, a lot. Going into the game I didn't quite understand how challenging it was meant to be so it was quite the shock. Just for reference I have finished Bloodborne, the Dark Souls series and Salt & Sanctuary so I'm no stranger to hard games but Slain had a way of making me feel like it was being unnecessarily hard or even cheap just for the sake of it at times, however for the most part the game was a solid, enjoyable challenge, it's just a shame the overall experience was tarnished a little due to a few rare outliers that left me saying to myself "Really?.....", for example certain mobs have brutally tight timings on their counter attack, and when you have to hit multiple of them in a row without taking a single hit it can be frustrating, and it was. I also found myself begging to the Metal Gods themselves for a checkpoint at times after a tough section or mob but was left wanting which again caused frustration when I died and had to do it all again. I'd like to make it clear though, for the most part this isn't an issue, but these blips really did hurt my enjoyment of the game and I think Slain would benefit greatly from a final tuning phase.

    Difficulty aside the game is tight for the most part, but I did run into a couple of issues where my attacks would pass through enemies, most notably on the final boss, I also had an issue where the charge up attack would sometimes cancel before the *ching* even though I was holding down the button still, it didn't happen a lot but enough to become very frustrating, especially as it often meant death when it occurred. Other than those issues the gameplay is good, the controls feel responsive and the combat is enjoyable, I would highly recommend using the D-Pad over the thumb sticks, though, as it was far more accurate IMO.

    Technically I had no issues, I played the game on a GTX 970 / 3570k @ 4.3GHz and it ran at a solid 60fps throughout on maximum settings which is what you'd expect, but it's not always the case sadly so I thought I'd mention it. Visually the game is great and I say that as someone who isn't a big fan of pixel/retro style graphics but in Slain's case they worked and were executed well. To go with the smart visuals we also have a solid metal soundtrack which is a core part of the game and theme, so it was crucial that it was good and it is.

    Overall I do recommend the game but only if you enjoy challenging games, if you go into Slain expecting to He-man your way through everything you'll be sorely disappointed, you never feel particularly powerful and you're always one wrong button press away from death so it's quite stressful, but if this sort of adrenaline rush is what you enjoy then I'm sure you'll have a blast with Slain: Back from Hell.    … Expand
  4. szarkam
    Aug 9, 2016
    8
    This game was a piece of hot garbage at launch; broken controls, frustrating combat system, far too many bugs. That has completely turned around. It isn't perfect by any stretch, but the combat is now actually quite fun, the game feels much more balanced (you don't have to grind out battles against lesser enemies); the whole thing feels almost completely re-designed. Luckily theThis game was a piece of hot garbage at launch; broken controls, frustrating combat system, far too many bugs. That has completely turned around. It isn't perfect by any stretch, but the combat is now actually quite fun, the game feels much more balanced (you don't have to grind out battles against lesser enemies); the whole thing feels almost completely re-designed. Luckily the Castlevania aesthetic and metal soundtrack are still in tact. If this looked cool to you prior to the horrific (but well deserved) reviews, give it another chance.… Expand
  5. CharlyPlayman
    Aug 16, 2016
    9
    It seems the first version of this game was awful, i don't know, but that the which one i'm playing at the moment is awsome. A very fun classic 2D arcade platformer. I'm really looking forward to a 2nd part or another game like this.

    PROS: responsive and smooth controls + varied game + different kind of fighting (different swords and magic, both max powered option) + challenging game +    It seems the first version of this game was awful, i don't know, but that the which one i'm playing at the moment is awsome. A very fun classic 2D arcade platformer. I'm really looking forward to a 2nd part or another game like this.

    PROS: responsive and smooth controls + varied game + different kind of fighting (different swords and magic, both max powered option) + challenging game + etc
    CONS: sometimes it can be very difficult but if you insist, you're patient and think about the combination of sword and magic (and their max powered) you'll finally beat    … Expand
  6. RaceToNowhere
    Apr 1, 2016
    8
    Rough atmosphere, superb, fluent pixel art, thrilling soundtrack, engaging and addictive gameplay. I can't ask for anything better. I hope these guys will have the recognition they deserve, and that there will be a sequel.
  7. BlossomingFlowe
    Apr 1, 2016
    10
    Some see it clearly similar to Castlevania. Symphony of the Night and in my opinion it is true. It has an action gameplay, excellent physics, which is demostrated when you break the wall and a stone block drops down with the character, you can slightly move it from side to side, all the "special effects" needed, which sre making the game's atmosphere darker. It literally adsorbs the playerSome see it clearly similar to Castlevania. Symphony of the Night and in my opinion it is true. It has an action gameplay, excellent physics, which is demostrated when you break the wall and a stone block drops down with the character, you can slightly move it from side to side, all the "special effects" needed, which sre making the game's atmosphere darker. It literally adsorbs the player as you pass through first stages and get into the game. Describing the soundtrack I just can't use words like "mesmerizing", "awesome", " intense", none of this gets close to what it really feels like. In general, the music is just enchanting. I always followed the idea that music is the essential part of every game. Who would play a silent game with pleasure?
    In my opinion, it cant get lower than 10/10. Excellent.    … Expand
  8. rosnk30
    Mar 29, 2016
    8
    Aweasome game. Slain showed my entire youth in front my eyes! This game has a lot of stuff that you'll like. Soundtrack and metroidvania, like the nines!
  9. MufasaMedic
    Apr 8, 2016
    0
    Let me start by listing the great things about this. The art, the music, the concept. Absolutely freaking beautiful. I was expecting a tight platformer like Castlevania or Metroid. I was totally disappointed.

    The controls are unchangeable, and silly. The jump button is automatically mapped to the "Select" Button and cannot be configured or mapped to any other button. The detection boxes    Let me start by listing the great things about this. The art, the music, the concept. Absolutely freaking beautiful. I was expecting a tight platformer like Castlevania or Metroid. I was totally disappointed.

    The controls are unchangeable, and silly. The jump button is automatically mapped to the "Select" Button and cannot be configured or mapped to any other button. The detection boxes need to be reworked.

    This game is like a hot boy/girl who looks absolutely gorgeous. But once you meet them you find out they chew with their mouth open, eat their boogers, and support Donald Trump.

    This game plays like an Alpha release. Don't waste your money. Don't pick up this game.    … Expand
  10. blackbowbandits
    Jul 30, 2016
    3
    not my idea of fun really, just very buggy and has an unpolished feel to it. Almost like its unfinished. lets hope they fix it with an update??? you never know

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
40

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 11 out of 18
  1. Kill Screen
    Jun 20, 2016
    50
    Slain! is a poser, well-dressed and intentioned but vacuous, contributing nothing to the scene. It has the spiked gauntlets, the long hair, the denim jacket; but the house lights are on and everything’s out of tune.
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  2. Everyeye.it
    May 27, 2016
    60
    Slain! is in the middle between its beautiful atmosphere and its problematic gameplay, which is unable to fully valorize it. The biggest problem lies in its structure, enjoyable but still wasted if compared to the game's potential.
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  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    May 18, 2016
    20
    Boring, frustrating and technically ruined arcades are unworthy to play. Slain! deserves attention only because of its decent soundtrack. [Issue#263]
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