This review was originally written on April 7, 2019.

Technical Information

Developer: Lab Zero Games
Publisher: Marvelous, Autumn Games
Release Date: August 22, 2013

The legend tells the story of an ancient artifact called the Skull Heart, which can grant any woman’s wish. However, if her heart is impure, she will be corrupted and transformed into a powerful being with great destructive power: a Skullgirl.
A new Skullgirl has emerged. Who will defeat her to obtain the Skull Heart?

A super frantic fighting game (fans of Guilty Gear will adapt quickly to the mechanics), featuring lovely and diverse characters.

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

At first, the game’s aesthetic style felt a bit strange to me, since it’s uncommon to see this type of design applied to a fighting game. However, the animations proved that the game is on par with any AAA title in the genre.

The entire visual concept is heavily influenced by noir aesthetics and references old cartoons from the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, in the official trailer, the characters are presented as if they were protagonists in a freak show (those circuses from the 19th century that featured people born with genetic abnormalities). All of these references are very well blended, creating a unique visual identity. The creativity is a 10/10!

I also noticed that some characters seem inspired by Guilty Gear. For example, Filia has hair “with a life of its own,” just like Millia (and her name sounds similar), and one of her attacks reminds me of Zato’s screwdriver.

The game offers several menu options, but they are all very simple to understand and follow the game’s aesthetic style.
The HUD is also very clear and follows the standard fighting game layout, with the life bars displayed at the top of the screen.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The soundtrack has strong ragtime influences.If you enjoyed Cuphead’s soundtrack, you’ll definitely love Skullgirls’ as well.
The voice acting is well done, and I have no complaints.

Gameplay

If you don’t like fan service, you can safely skip it. The characters’ attacks are not only creative but also offer a lot of variety.

I personally love fast-paced games, so I had a great time right from the first match.
In my opinion, the normal difficulty feels closer to easy. However, even on the same difficulty setting, I found Arcade Mode to be more challenging than Story Mode.

The physics are well calibrated and didn’t present any noticeable bugs, at most, a few classic “OH MAN, BUT I DEFENDED THAT” or “WHY DIDN’T THAT PUNISH WORK?!?” moments (nothing unusual for a fighting games! hahaha).

Online matches ran very smoothly, with no noticeable lag.

The game supports joysticks, but it can also be played with a keyboard (which I don’t recommend hahaha).

My favorite character was Valentine, the carnage nurse. 😛

Replayability and Game Retention

Very fun overall. You can enjoy the game casually or dive into a more hardcore experience.