Skautfold: Usurper is the latest release in the Skautfold franchise, available on the Nintendo Switch. The game adopts an action-focused Metroidvania template with a strong influence from Soulslike games. The plot takes place in an alternative 19th-century London, where an alien structure called the Citadel crashed into the city and began releasing a dangerous Fog that drove people insane and turned them into Lovecraftian monsters. The player takes on the role of Saragat, a dead knight brought back to life by a necromancer named Waltham, who has taken control of Saragat’s body to destroy the keeper of the Citadel and seize its power for himself.
The Game’s Shortcomings
Despite the promise of the game’s premise, Skautfold: Usurper falls short in several areas. The plot is poorly written, and the dialogue is stiff and oddly paced, making it difficult to follow the relationships between characters and their vague histories. The gameplay is slow and highly lethal, with the main gimmick being that the player has a tiny amount of health but a much larger, rapidly regenerating stamina meter that extends their longevity. However, the combat is terribly balanced and needlessly punishing. The player’s character remains weak throughout the game, despite leveling up, and encounters often end in defeat due to one mistake. This feels counter to the central idea of Metroidvanias, which are supposed to offer extended power fantasies as the player makes progress.
Exploration in Skautfold: Usurper is also lackluster. While the environments are simple to navigate, they do not hide any secrets that feel worth pursuing. There are new weapons and magic stones that players can use to level up, but no other gear or items to help shake up the gameplay. Additionally, the map is terrible at communicating information, making it difficult to use.
The game’s spritework and sound design feel amateurish, making Skautfold: Usurper appear more like a mid-effort flash game than a polished new release. While there are flashes of fun, none of the game’s ideas or concepts cohere into something worth the player’s time. If players are looking for a solid Metroidvania with Soulslike elements, they may want to consider other games such as Blasphemous, Hollow Knight, or Salt and Sanctuary, which offer a substantially more polished and enjoyable experience.
While the Skautfold franchise has been unafraid to mix things up in the past, Skautfold: Usurper falls short in several areas. The game’s poor writing, lackluster exploration, and terribly balanced combat make it difficult to recommend. The game’s spritework and sound design also leave something to be desired, making Skautfold: Usurper appear more like a mid-effort flash game than a polished new release. Players looking for a solid Metroidvania with Soulslike elements may want to consider other games that offer a more enjoyable experience.
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