It’s October, which means spooky season is upon us and gamers are looking for fresh horror titles to play.October 2024 has no shortage of horror gamesfor fans to check out, with one of the more unique offerings beingRetroRealms Arcade, a game that serves as a hub for 16-bit-style 2D platformers based on classic horror franchises.
Developed by WayForward and published by Boss Team Games,RetroRealms Arcadeis, in effect, a hub housing two different platformers for fans to check out. One is based ondirector John Carpenter’s slasher movie classicHalloween, while the other is themed after theEvil Deadfranchise, specifically theAsh vs. Evil DeadTV series.
After first booting upRetroRealms Arcade, players find themselves in a creepy, seemingly abandoned arcade that they can explore from a first-person perspective. There isn’t much to see at first; a room to the right has some bonus videos to watch, but the door leading further into the building is boarded up. Besides the videos, theAsh vs. Evil DeadandHalloweenarcade cabinetsset up in the hallway are the only things to interact with at the start of the game.
I’m a bigger fan of theHalloweenfranchise thanEvil Dead, so, naturally, I decided to check out that arcade cabinet first. TheHalloweengame starts with the overarching antagonist known as the Overlord rousingMichael Myersfrom his slumber in the psych ward, letting him loose to hack and slash his way to freedom. Michael is able to kill most of his victims with a single knife attack, though there are some foes that take a few more hits to go down. Typically, those are the non-human enemies, which take the form of demonic creatures that fire projectiles and fly across the screen not unlike the Medusa heads fromCastlevania.
RetroRealmstakes Michael Myers and locations from theHalloweenfilm franchiseand translates them to a 2D side-scrolling action platformer format that wouldn’t be out of place on the Super Nintendo. Things are perhaps a bit too basic at times, but there are some cool gimmicks to shake things up, like the ability to swap between the “real” world and a demonic realm to solve simple exploration puzzles and snag hard-to-reach collectibles. Another interesting feature is the shop, which lets players cash in the currency they’ve collected to level up Michael’s abilities, increasing his stats and unlocking new moves in the process.
The progression system is a modern twist that gives added replay value to the game that wouldn’t necessarily be found in the classic16-bit titlesthat inspired it. Plus, it gives players more incentive to go out of their way to collect absolutely everything in any given level. It also means that if players get stuck on boss fights, they have the option of revisiting a previously-completed stage to grind for cash to level up and try again. I didn’t find the boss fights in theHalloweencabinet to be terribly difficult, but it’s still nice to have that option.
TheEvil Deadcabinet plays out the same as theHalloweenone in terms of gameplay, but instead of Michael Myers and his signature knife, it hasAsh Williams and his chainsaw. The core gameplay between the two cabinets is identical. Players complete minor platforming challenges, kill a bunch of enemies, and do their best to hunt down collectibles.
Where the two cabinets differ are their stories and locations. Whereas Michael is being strung along by the Overlord in theHalloweencabinet with the promise of getting his dead sister’s tombstone, Ash is instead motivated to stop the evil creature and get back the Necronomicon. And whereas Michael is busy murdering innocent people in Haddonfield and the surrounding areas, Ash fights demons in locations that should be familiar to those that have watched theAsh vs. Evil DeadTV series.
RetroRealms Arcade Has Potential to Be a Great Horror Hub
RetroRealmshas an interesting wrinkle in that it lets the two franchises intermingle. This means that players can choose to jump into theEvil Deadcabinet as Michael Myers instead of Ash Williams, if they so desire. The story changes if players do this, though the actual gameplay seems to play out largely the same. It’s a little disappointing that players can’t take their leveled-up characters into the other cabinets and instead have to start from scratch, but it’s still fun to mix and match. It’s a neat feature and, if more cabinets are added in the future, could become an even greater selling point forRetroRealms Arcade.
Besides Michael Myers and Ash Williams, Kelly Williams and Laurie Strode are available as DLC characters. I was unable to try either character out during my preview, but there is a ton of potential here to flesh out the roster with even more horror characters later on.RetroRealms Arcadecould very well become a hub for side-scrolling interpretations ofclassic horror franchises, though that will largely depend on the success of these first two cabinets.
Developer WayForwardhas a long history of making high-quality side-scrollers, and so far,RetroRealms Arcadeseems like it’s going to be yet another feather in its cap. I’ve only played the first two worlds of either cabinet, but I’m excited to go further and see what else the game has to offer.
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’re able to 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!
RetroRealms Arcadelaunches on October 18 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided with a PC code for this preview.
