Skullgirls

 Xbox 360
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. games(TM)
    May 17, 2012
    70
    A storming opener. [Issue#122, p.102]
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  2. VideoGamer
    Apr 23, 2012
    70
    It's a great stepping stone if you're looking to really improve on your overall fighting game skills, and it's a meticulously well-made effort in its own right. Just like the dominatrixes flaunting and frolicking about on the screen, though, it's just a little too weird and demanding to fall in love with.
  3. Eurogamer
    Apr 20, 2012
    70
    Despite these reservations, Skullgirls is a welcome addition to the genre's bustling roster. While Street Fighter 4 has acted as the catalyst of a fighting game revival, for the most part Japan has led that charge, with few Western studios chancing their hand at the genre and next to none of their games featuring on the tournament circuit. So an American-made game that not only understands the fundamentals but is able to build upon them in interesting ways is a welcome sight, even when the execution around the core is lacking.
  5. GameWatcher
    Apr 19, 2012
    70
    What this game does really well is appeal to those nostalgic fans of old-school fighters, whilst providing a new, refreshing aesthetic.
  6. Metro GameCentral
    Apr 11, 2012
    70
    The art and character design is likely to put off as many as it attracts, but underneath is one of the most forwarding-thinking new fighting games of the generation.
  7. D+PAD Magazine
    Apr 16, 2012
    60
    To conclude, were there even the slightest concessions to moderation in Skullgirls' aesthetics, and a few small but fundamental UI changes, it would be a superb entry-level fighting game which allows a player new to the genre to leap in and through practice become a master. But as it stands, the relentless sexuality on display is ineffective as parody and serves only to reinforce the belief that games are designed for young men who read FHM.
  8. Joystiq
    Apr 13, 2012
    60
    Skullgirls should have spent another year in development. What we got is good for what it is and will adequately fill a very niche void for serious fighters pining after a non-Blazblue Guilty Gear methadone, but it could have been so much more.

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 45
  3. Negative: 14 out of 45
  1. Yvl9921
    Apr 15, 2012
    6
    Skullgirls is a very one dimensional and over all weak release. While there is a mediocre, combo dependent game hiding at its core, theSkullgirls is a very one dimensional and over all weak release. While there is a mediocre, combo dependent game hiding at its core, the barrier to entry in this game is far too steep, and the tutorial gives you none of the help you need to reach its potential.

    While this game, and this studio, has tons of potential, the game isn't anything remarkable in its present state (at release). While it is solidly constructed, technically, many of the decisions seem shallow or poorly thought out. There are only 8 characters at launch, and each of those characters has only a handful of skills available to them, causing them to feel far too much alike. Yet, somehow, these characters manage to be unbalanced. A few of the characters have extremely limited mobility, and a few of them, like Parasoul, relentlessly keep you at range. No matter who you choose, you're either going to be frustrated or be frustrating someone.

    What confuses me the most, however, is how this game has been toted as a beginner friendly game, when I've never seen a fighter that's been harder to get into. The tutorial teaches you how to play fighting games, but it doesn't teach you how to play THIS fighting game. After you're done learning concepts like poking, comboing, and so on, the game leaves you completely on your own to figure out each character. Because of the lack of skills, you're supposed to chain regular attacks in combos that are frustrating to use and to have used on you. However, the game does not give you any indication what skills are available to you. Instead, the game directs you back to your computer to look up all of their special skills online. Even the character guide that is provided online gives no indication what regular attacks (which are the backbone of the gameplay) are available to use, nor how they interact with each other, leaving new players far more lost than they deserve to be.

    The only people whom I would recommend this game to are people who are huge fans of combo heavy gameplay, and fighting fans who are on a budget. Hopefully this studio will have better luck with its future releases and DLC.    … Full Review »
  2. Huey_Freeman
    Apr 13, 2012
    9
    I fell in love with Skullgirls on my first playthrough. It's charm is infectious. It's art style beautiful. It's fighting mechanics accessibleI fell in love with Skullgirls on my first playthrough. It's charm is infectious. It's art style beautiful. It's fighting mechanics accessible yet infinitely explorable with intense depth. The passion and creativity behind the making of this game just oozes out onto the screen whether in the form of slick easy to navigate menu screens, it's uncanny attention to detail from gorgeous stages to an fighting announcer that has the potential to be as "iconic" as the NBA Jam guy. Seriously, if you're not in love with the announcer then you have no heartbeat. As for the characters, wow. I don't think an 8 roster fighting game has ever had so much depth before. This gets said alot nowadays but EVERY character in Skullgirls is genuinely unique. And they each have a plethora of tools at their disposal to stand a fighting chance against any matchup even 1 against 3! Ive been playing fighting games for a looooong time I promise you I haven't had this much fun learning combos and set ups in a fighting game since mastering Orchid, Sabrewulf, and Glacius in the original Killer Instinct. The game is so addictive, so well made (clearly this was made by a bunch of guys who love the fighting game genre and actually PLAY IT extensively themselves) you can tell by every inch of the product. This game is well worth the $15 spent. I dare say it may just be worth 20 to 30 if not more. The only gripe I have about the game is the lack of a in game movelist. Some will say, its not relevant but seriously this is a glaring omission. I shouldn't have to download the pdf file to get my characters special moves. It's not a gamechanger by any stretch of the word just a minor annoyance. I also think the METER should be located at the bottom of the screen. I hate having to look up at my life bar to see my meter mid fight. In my fighting game experience it's waaaay more convinient to have the meter at the bottom directly in your line of sight during the match. And it should be noticeable not small. The number of bars you have should glow or pulsate and change color or something the more bars you get. But other than that Skullgirls is perfect. Valentine is a masterpiece of character design and in estimation the crowning achievement of this game. She is instantly a classic fighting game character for the history books. But don't mistake this as a one woman show. The entire game is full of characters that can and most likely will win your hearts. It certainly won mine at first sight. Skullgirls is without question one of the best fighting games this generation. Hell to me it's sitting comfortably in second place only behind Super Street Fighter 4 as the best. With a roster at about 20, a robust training mode, a endless battle lobby, a replay channel, and a character movelist this game will undoubtedly become one of the best fighting games ever made. And definitely my fighting game of choice. The possibilities are boundless for this incredible for this incredible labour of love. Major fighting game publishers have been called out. How can a game with less than a 10th of the budget as other games have better visuals, better fighting mechanics, and a better announcer than games made by billion dollar companies for 1/4th of the retail price? Because they makers of the game care, that's why. And it's evident as soon as a you pick your character for battle and the announcer says, "Ladies and Gentlemen (?) [hehe nice touch with the question mark on gentlemen btw].....IT'S SHOWTIME!!!". You damn right it is, off I go to enjoy more of the show. BUY THIS GAME!!!… Full Review »
  3. Xborn74
    Apr 12, 2012
    8
    "SkullGirls" is a 2D Fighting game for XBLA, which costs 1200ms points, developed by Reverge Lab, in partnership with Konami. The story is"SkullGirls" is a 2D Fighting game for XBLA, which costs 1200ms points, developed by Reverge Lab, in partnership with Konami. The story is about the search by the protagonist girls (Skullgirls) for an ancient artifact, the Skull Heart, who is able to realize their dreams and that is (obviously) with the final boss of the game. The game displays graphics with a Noir subject, reminding the decades of 40-50 (like Bioshock for comparison), with hand drawn graphics, which mocks the styles of female characters from the old, in the 30s to the latest anime and modern cartoons, each one with his particular style (in physical aspect and gameplay). In the game, the graphics are good, with a style reminiscent of Darksiders and Blazblue, with good color variations, but I missed an outline better and better detail of the characters. The backgrounds are highlighted by the colors and detail - the special moves, and indicators as well, but without many special effects. The Story mode is presented in a comic style way, with animations. Very nice work in the graphic part, in a whole. The songs play a lot of pianos and saxophones, as well as singing in some parts, remembering the songs of the decades I have mentioned - many are very good, if you like the style, but I do not know if most players today will like it, they would prefer something more upbeat and modern. Presenters voices and announces also have an Old style, as well as phrases written during the game. This game presents five difficulties, and in two basic gameplay modes (Story and Arcade), besides having a Training and Versus mode. It also has 08 characters, and depending on the mode of play, you can choose more 2 characters beside yours, to assistance. It seems that more characters will come later with DLC. Overall, the features and gameplay style remind me of Darksiders / Blazblue - the detail is that the AI Ã… Full Review »
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