Raskulls

Raskulls is an action puzzle platformer, which was originally slated for a DS release, but the increasing tech demands meant it was changed early on to be a Xbox Live Arcade release.

The single-player story revolves around a bunch of characters who have, well, they have skulls for head. One day a ship full of evil Pirats (because they're actual rats) crashes into their land, and to get off and sailing again, they need a new fuel source. They discover that a great fuel source is called the "Shiny Stone", so set off on an evil plan to steal it from the Raskulls, and hilarity ensues.

The characters are very reminiscent of Bomberman with their wide range of characters that still retain that iconic look - in this case, a skull. The storyline is pretty stupid - but that's the entire point. The humour in Raskulls is laid on nice and thick and is one of the game's best qualities; it never takes itself too seriously. If you love a good pun and plenty of self-referential comedy, then you'll laugh throughout the entire campaign.

But don't let the cutesy graphics, adorable characters and dad-joke quality puns fool you - this game can be very punishing. There's a number of puzzles in this game that will get even the most seasoned gamer rage-quitting in frustration. As well as the straight Mr Driller style race modes, there's a number of different puzzles to keep things interesting. There's a big emphasis on leader-boards, so seeing your friends jump above you in the rankings is usually enough to keep you going back for bragging rights (although seriously, Luke is great at this game, so don't be surprised if you see his name at #1 quite often, with near impossible-sounding scores), which helps keep the longevity of the reasonably short single-player campaign. Going the quickest route from A to B, completing the story campaign will take you just a couple of hours - but doing so almost defeats the purpose of the game entirely.

As fun as the single-player campaign is, the excitement and longevity of Raskulls is in the multiplayer. It's uses only the race-mode, but it splits it into separate Mario-Kart style Grand Prix events of 4 races each, using characters from the main story (and some others which you unlock during the main story when completing specific quests) for what is thoroughly some of the most frantic and fun multiplayer games that I can remember in recent history. While you can play online, you can't go past 4 player games with all 3 opponents sitting next to you on the couch. The other great thing about the multiplayer is that it's easy to pick up - it's an easy concept with a simple enough control scheme that you can pretty much throw a controller to someone, explain it within 30 seconds and have them winning races almost instantly. It's pretty frantic gaming experience that seems all-to-rare these days with casual multiplayer games, that can truly be enjoyed by the whole family.

PROS

- Heaps of pick-up-and-play fun for even the most novice gamer
- Great sense of humour
- Art direction fits the game perfectly
- Probably one of the most fun multiplayer experiences from XBLA

CONS

- Single-player campaign is a little short

SUMMARY

It's no secret that AustralianGamer has a close relationship with Raskulls, so I was careful that people may see such a positive review as a little biased. But trust me, this is a fantastic Arcade title containing some of the most fun I've had all year. If you're after a fun little puzzle platformer, you can't go past Raskulls. It's got a perfect blend of nearly everything you could want from this type of game.
[originally written for australiangamer.com]