SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell

 Xbox One
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. GameSpew
    Sep 22, 2017
    90
    If you’re a fan of challenging platformers or find yourself drawn to the ever popular art of speedrunning, SEUM is a title that you definitely shouldn’t resist.
  2. XboxAddict
    Oct 6, 2017
    80
    It’s going to take a lot of dedication and skill to get the most out of SEUM, but there’s a lot of content within for those willing to sink the time into speedrunning with the best of them. Sure at times it will become infuriating, and the narrative is silly at best, but as an overall package, SEUM more than delivers a true speedrunning experience. It’s not a matter of if you can complete the levels, it’s more if you can simply do it fast enough with its challenging-but-fair par times, constantly keeping you under pressure and forcing you to become a better player.
  3. TheXboxHub
    Sep 20, 2017
    80
    With several modes to get lost in, addictive gameplay and incredible replayability, SEUM is one of the most promising platformers of the year so far and is well worth playing even by the most casual platforming fans.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Akira_The_Kat
    Jan 4, 2021
    6
    SEUM : Speedrunners from Hell is a pretty fun game overall. You go on a quest into hell to get back your hand and beer from the devil himselfSEUM : Speedrunners from Hell is a pretty fun game overall. You go on a quest into hell to get back your hand and beer from the devil himself as he stole them from you. This involves using the devils hand to platform your way through 90 stages to the end of the game. Each stage taking what you learned from the last and ramping up the difficulty. I enjoyed this style of short platforming challenges. The only real issue is that I can see is that each stage is under a time limit. I think it would have been much better if the time limit wasn't imposed on the player, rather a choice that they choose to try and beat. I understand that the game is called "Speedrunners from Hell", so one should know what they are getting in to. The different abilities you get throughout the game are creating platforms, making a save point to bring yourself back to, and teleporting. These mixed in with the sometimes quick and precise platforming makes for an exhilarating experience at times. And a bit frustrating at others, because of said imposed time limit. But overall the gameplay is pretty fun, very arcade like with the fact that restarting levels is super quick, although you have no lives so there's no punishment for death, so it's all about if you have the patience to keep retrying. The art style of the game is that very cliché metalhead depiction of hell, which isn't bad, but as the game is made in unity the game can kind of look a bit rough. The music is also alright. Kind of generic metal. Nothing that stands out or I find myself humming. But overall, I see SEUM as a passion project based on Doom, Metal, and Speedruning, and I'd say that makes up for it shortcomings. A pretty fun game that is worth a shot if you have a bit of spare change lying around and are looking for something to pass the time.… Full Review »
  2. GBG_Jason
    Sep 27, 2017
    6
    As a hardcore metal head, I found the opening of SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell to be the most metal opening in gaming since the first revealAs a hardcore metal head, I found the opening of SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell to be the most metal opening in gaming since the first reveal for the Doom reboot. The game opens with our hero sitting back and relaxing with a six pack when the devil comes along and steals his beer. Now, no self-respecting metal fan will allow this to happen without a fight. Sadly, the devil also took one of your hands, but not before you could steal his in return. So, what do you do if the devil takes your hand AND your beer? You duct tape his hand to your own stump Ash William’s style and go after him.

    Upon entering a very detailed, vivid depiction of Hell, you are set forth to make it from point A to point B at neck breaking speeds. I found the depiction of Hell to be straight from my nightmares and only comparable to Doom or the upcoming Agony. Not that you have much time to take in the sights, since this is a speedrunning game with a painfully short timeframe allowed to complete each level. As you’d expect, failing to complete the level in the limit results in the option to replay it. I often was able to only achieve a bronze medal, after multiple attempts, within milliseconds of the deadline. While it’s an exhilarating feeling when you complete the section within this timeframe, it is disappointing many players will not be able to see all this game has to offer.

    I found this time limit to be somewhat unfair, as I was unable to find any obvious shortcuts through the level, nor was I able to achieve a gold rating on a flawless run. The leaderboards presented at the end of each level only confirmed my claim, as I was in the top 10 of the prerelease player base on multiple levels, which steadily declined from around 50 entries, to under 10 by the second chapter. While you can skip ahead to other runs, you must receive a set number of medals prior to facing the “boss” battle.

    I use this term loosely, as you don’t truly fight a boss; you are faced with a less linear map to run through with more traps that are akin to an actual puzzle opposed to a battle. These were a high-point, as I found the puzzle levels to be much more enjoyable and the time limit to be more forgiving.

    While not used on any enemies, you are equipped with the devil’s hand, which can summon and throw fireballs at will. In my time with the game, I was only able to use these against mines blocking the path and to trigger switches. As you progress, you will acquire other abilities that add additional depth to the game.

    Controlling said abilities works as it should; however, there is a bullet time-ish delay when you hold the button to trigger the ability – this was an annoyance and caused some unneeded deaths due to the jarring effect it has to your own momentum. Since momentum is your friend and losing it at the wrong time causes you to over or undershoot your target, I was thankful this option could be turned off.

    Boasting a whopping 90+ levels and featuring collectible cans of beer throughout the levels, there is a wealth of content here. It’s a shame that I, and I am assuming a number of gamers who take the plunge, will never get to see all of it due to the time constraints.    … Full Review »
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