Outside of crossovers,Halloweenhas just two notable games — a shoddy, promotional Flash tie-in, and an old Atari game where it’s hard to tell which handful of pixels is Michael Myers anyway.Evil Deadhas a fair few more, but they were always too little, too late, launching long after the movies lost relevance. Thankfully,RetroRealms fills that historical voidby imagining a world in which there werearcade platformers for these two horror icons.
RetroRealms functions much like Capcom Arcade Stadium in that it’s a hub you add games to by purchasing them as DLC. The foundation itself is an 80s-style arcade that you’re able to explore freely in first-person, with machines hidden away under grey tarps and exhibits housing memorabilia alongside dioramas of each level.
So far, there are two packs — Ash vs. Evil Dead and Halloween. These are played via machines in the arcade’s main hall, and function like 2D platformers with a beat ‘em up flavour.
Every character has their own combos, and you can unlock new moves at the end of each level to spruce things up.
However, all of the games are in one shared universe in which the Overlord, a powerful demonic creature, plans to turn Michael Myers into his minion and steal the Necronomicon out from under Ash Williams. That means future packs will take the story further while also giving a new horror franchise its own tie-in game.
For the most part, it’s authentic to the arcade games of old. The 16-bit pixel art feels right at home in these old fuzzy machines, the platforming is slower-paced and simple, leaving plenty of room to spill guts, and the story is mostly just a vehicle to explain why these characters are back in action. It’s an arcade, you’re not here to have your socks blown off by a gripping narrative, you’re here to kill two hours (and a whole lot of freshmen) while trying to beat a high score. RetroRealms understands that perfectly.
Killing ‘enemies’ (in Michael Myers’ case, I’m not sure mechanics and nurses count) is incredibly satisfying as they explode into bloody viscera, splattering their innards all over the background with a pleasingsquelch.It’s true to the era it so lovingly draws inspiration from, but there’s new life in these arcade bones thanks to the flashier, more complex effects.
My favourite detail was what happens when you plummet off a ledge — rather than dying instantly, you’re reconstructed piece by piece like a fleshy Lego minifig.
The moment-to-moment gameplay isn’t as brutal as the showy deaths or original arcade games, thankfully. A lot of modern quality-of-life features, like save files and checkpoints, have been utilised to make this old-school genre approachable all these years later.
However, there are some elements that feel painfully out of place. Take boss fights: at the end of every zone, you face a tougher opponent with a big on-screen health bar. It’s standard fare, but what’s jarring is that it briefly cuts to a 2D, cartoon-y portrait before the fight begins that feels more Flash game than old arcade. The pixel art is stylish and incredibly detailed, so these generic designs couldn’t feel more out of place.
As for the boss fights themselves, they are surprisingly frustrating. Dodging is fiddly since you have to crouch and press a button, and the timing when rolling past an enemy is anything but forgiving. Clip a boss even slightly and you’re losing a piece of your health. To make matters worse, you’ll spend most of the fight just standing around, dodging easy attacks while you wait for an opening, since so much as touching an enemy causes damage.
The most egregious instance of this was the construction fight at the end of Halloween’s second world in which the boss has a magically transforming machine that can go from bulldozer to industrial drill in a heartbeat. The boss goes through several forms, but only a couple of them leave you enough room to attack without taking damage, and even these have very small windows of opportunity, which drags the fights out needlessly.
Combat is otherwise a highlight, and the platforming is intuitive and snappy. There’s even a demonic world you can switch between like the iconic Effect and Cause mission fromTitanfall 2, opening up hidden paths and revealing new platforms to progress further, which adds an interesting layer exploration while also sprucing up fights as you’re put face-to-face with tougher, more determined enemies. But like with combat, there’s one notable moment in which the platforming completely fell apart.
Once again, it has to do with the construction zone. It throws conveyor belts that move both left and right into the mix, but these are unbelievably fiddly. Trying to jump from one to the other doesn’t always register, and you can be hurled off right as you touch down. It took me nearly ten minutes to complete a pretty basic segment, and when I finally pulled off the jump, I hadn’t done anything differently. The game just finally let me land for whatever reason. This is the only instance of the platforming feeling frustratingly unfair, so hopefully the construction site is nothing more than a blip.
One of the highlights is how the packs flow together. You can pick any character for any game, meaning you can carve through the trailer park as Michael Myers, or saw through the mental institution as Ash Williams (don’t worry, the patients turn into deadites, so it’s totally ethical). The loot pool will even change as you’re presented with each character’s unique, individual weapons, and the narrative makes room for the new character with tweaked Overlord dialogue. It’s far more than just swapping out a skin.
Horror and crossovers are all but synonymous in video games these days, but this is a unique way to keep that idea intact while still giving each character their own platform that tellstheirstory. As the arcade grows, it’ll be fascinating to bring your favourite horror icons into completely different movies, mixing and matching the genre’s century-long legacy.
RetroRealms is shaping up to be an incredible experience, stepping away from the usual asymmetrical crossover fare to offer a new foundation for horror games to thrive on. I can’t wait to unravel more of Halloween and Ash vs. Evil Dead, with such a promising beginning that captures the magic of old school arcade games, and I especially can’t wait to see what other machines are unveiled. Hellraiser, Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Candyman — there are so many classics which haven’t found space in video games that RetroRealms could finally make room for.
RetroRealms Arcade
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the RetroRealms™ and take control of iconic horror characters in two separate games filled with over-the-top arcade action!Step into a 16-bit Pixel Art world filled with gory good fun as horror legends Michael Myers and Ash Williams! Slice and shoot your way across multiple levels of terrifying platformer action filled with familiar sights and sounds from the original “Halloween” film and the STARZ television series “Ash vs Evil Dead!” Test your skill, use your weapons, and confront twisted and fiendish versions of iconic characters in two separate games that can be connected for even more fun. (Each game sold separately.) Engage in epic, heart-pounding encounters to overcome the ultimate evil in this sprawling adventure filled with over-the-top terror!RetroRealms Arcade:RetroRealms includes access to the RetroRealms Arcade that connects select RetroRealms games with other titles in the series that you own (games and DLC sold separately) to unlock new access and abilities and create the ultimate mash-up of horror legends!Retro Aesthetic:Immerse yourself in Pixel Art-styled 16-bit visuals and a hauntingly nostalgic horror soundtrack. RetroRealms pays homage to classic side-scrollers while delivering a fresh take on retro gameplay.Secrets, Upgrades, and Unlockables:Discover hidden relics and collectibles. Unlock new power-ups and abilities to enhance your character’s skills, and discover all-new ways play.See where you Stand:With leaderboards for both “Halloween” and “Ash vs Evil Dead” you can see how you stack up against other RetroRealms players. Do you have skills to get your name on the high score list?It’s the ultimate arcade experience with iconic legends of horror! Cross into the RetroRealms and see if you have what it takes to make it out alive!
