Light on platforming, heavy on puzzle. The charms of Raskulls far outweigh its flaws.
Introduction: Raskulls is one of the few console based game for the team at HalfBrick. HalfBrick Studios is known mostly for its popular PSP mini titles, such as Age of Zombies and Blast Off. HalfBrick recently made a big hit on the iPhone/iPad app store with its runaway hit Fruit Ninja.
Achievements: Raskulls currently has 250 achievement points, because of an update that added 50 more due to a new DLC pack that is out for 160MP. Achievement types range from simple complete area achievements (Complete Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.) to using a specific move to perform certain tasks (Using a Fireball Power to Burn 3 players at the same time). There is an achievement designed for completionists, as well as an achievement for winning matches online. Overall, all achievements are completely obtainable, but unless you have friends who play online with you, you may have a hard time getting the multiplayer achievements looking for random matches.
Game Mechanics: Raskulls is a puzzle-platformer game that feels like an interpretation of Mr. Driller mixed with classic 2D platforming.
The puzzle portion is basically Mr. Driller. You choose a color block and when you press the "Zap" button, the block or chain of blocks disappear. In some instances, the puzzle mechanics are little more than a means to slow your progress down while in the middle of a race or a time based mission. These do bring in some intensity into what would be a rather vanilla 2D platforming race, especially in the later levels.
Where the puzzle portion shines is when the game isn't tethered to racing mechanics. Some levels have you making specific shapes in a level, while others will have you trying to play items from the top of a long chain of blocks to the bottom without having the item drop 3 blocks in length. Mind you, these are some of the more challenging and frustrating aspects of the game, because the difficulty on these levels can be brutal. There are also levels where you have to strategically whittle away blocks from the bottom of the pile to the top where the finish line is, which is also timed in some instances.
In almost all levels, the puzzle mechanics make you think fast while assessing your moves a few steps ahead before you actually execute.
Platforming is also a big part of the game. The jump mechanics have you jumping 1 1/2 blocks length with a variable of 2 blocks length when jumping on a certain arc. This is important to note because there are puzzles that will require you to know whether or not you can make the jump just by looking at the way the blocks are laid out.
It's important to note also that the actual jumping arc is a hard arc with little air control. In some specific bonus levels (mainly in the 3rd chapter), you have to go through bonus levels that require you to be very precise when platforming. This can be challening due to the fact that you have little to no air control to speak of, so either you have to time your jumps perfectly or do them in conjunction with your powers, which is also hard to time due to its dodgy length procedure.
Platforming becomes especially difficult when FRENZY mode is activated in the middle of a race (or at times, in the beginning of a level). FRENZY is obtained when you collect enough FRENZY power (which is in the form of glowing balls on the screen) and for that limited of time, you are given a boost of speed in both movement and zapping power. It sounds great when you first obtain it, but in later levels, it is very hard to navigate with this on. There are also some levels that require you to start with FRENZY and stay in it throughout the entire level in order to win the race or objective, which can lead to some of its more frustrating parts.
The game is definitely a puzzle game first that uses its platforming to supplement the puzzle mechanics (Braid is a popular example of one), but there is a lot of diversity in the game that anyone who spends the 800MP wiil find some aspects of the game they will enjoy, if they are into puzzle or platforming games.
Personality: Raskulls is a game that definitely doesn't take itself seriously. Each beginning chapter starts with cutscenes that involve The King, who is an egotistical moron who sets the plot in motion. His self-indulgence, along with his often abusive means of dealing with his subjects, offer plenty of dumb and silly humor that borders on slapstick and crude.
In fact, all of the characters in this game have a silly, parodic sense of humor that riffs on all sorts of different gaming diatribes. The cute and funny caricatures, along with some witty and funny writing, makes going through each and every level fun and enjoyable just to see the next joke that comes up.
Final Verdict: Raskulls is a game that starts off simplistic with its mechanics, then reiterates on itself dozens of times before the game is over. When it comes to variety of the different levels you're playing through, it makes Raskulls a blast to play. However, the experience is over far too quick. 800MP ($10) will net you roughly 2 - 4 hours of gameplay, unless you want to beat every last level, which will add another 1 - 2 hours on top.
Raskulls is a challenging and fun puzzle platformer that is fun while it lasts and in my opinion is worth the 800MP to be spent on this game. It's a very limited experience, but still very much worth the price.
Intangibles:
Do you not like Mr. Driller? Subtract 1 - 3 points. - The main hook of the game is its puzzle mechanic, which derives from the Namco-Bandai puzzler Mr. Driller. Depending on how much you can tolerate that game, you might as well skip Rasksulls.
Sense of humor not the dumb and crude type? Subtract 1 point. - The game constantly makes references to videogames while have somewhat corny and at times crude jokes. If you can't appreciate that, subtract one point and skip the cutscenes...and don't read the texts.
Finicky about platforming? Does it need to be just like Mario? If so, subtract 1 point. - Listen, I understand platforming game fans have a certain specific style of platforming they enjoy or have grown accustomed to. However, this is specific to the people who only like Mario games: If you can enjoy it because the game's jumping isn't "floaty" enough or doesn't provide enough control, take a point off and relax, since platforming isn't that important in this game. Which reminds me...
Like platforming more than puzzle games? Depending on your tastes, take off 1 - 2 points. - If you like your platforming puzzle games to be more dominant in the platform sense, take away 1 point. If you do not like puzzle games at all but like a good platforming game, take 2 points away.
Do you have a group of friends who will play online multiplayer with you? If so, add 1 point. - Raskulls multiplayer isn't deep nor does it require tons of time to master its gameplay. It is, however, chaotic fun and is fun with multiple people.
Is this on sale for 400MP? Add 1 point. - 800MP is worth getting this game if the mix of silly humor and puzzle platforming, with emphasis on puzzle, rubs you the right way. However, for 400MP, it might be worth a shot for you to take a chance on this charming platformer.