RetroRealms Double Feature - Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead [Review]
Boss Team Games and WayForwards’ RetroRealms Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead are retro platformer crossover delights.
RetroRealms - Ash vs Evil Dead. Credit: Boss Team Games / WayForward
Boss Team Games has released the first two games of its RetroRealms series, Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead, developed by WayForward. The first is based on John Carpenter’s classic 1978 film, and the latter is on the Starz TV show. Both are 16-bit action platformers with the unique franchise twist of allowing players to play as characters from any game in any other game. More titles based on horror properties are planned for later release, with characters swappable between all games. I previously covered the game in a video interview with executive producer Tim Hesse of Boss Team Games; now, I’ve had a chance to play through them myself from start to finish for this review.
Both games loosely follow their respective source material, letting you explore locations from the movie and show, though the stories for the games are original. The series is framed by an archvillain—the Overlord, who could have been more creatively named—manipulating and trying to recruit the games’ protagonists to help him take over the world. The story is rather generic, and the dialogue is not very compelling, though it’s a nice touch that it changes based on which character you use in what game. This isn’t why you want to play these games, though.
RetroRealms - Halloween. Credit: Boss Team Games / WayForward
The RetroRealms games are gloriously gory side-scrolling platformers focused on melee combat. Each character uses a variation of the same basic move set, with varied physics and character-specific flair. Ash is quick on his feet and uses his chainsaw and shotgun, while Michael is heavier and relies on his knife but has some shadowy movement skills. Bonus DLC characters Laurie Strode (Halloween) and Kelly Maxwell (Ash vs Evil Dead) are also varied. Strode uses knitting needles and has a double jump; Maxwell uses a mallet and has a rifle that can shoot diagonally. It’s a testament to WayForward’s skill that everyone feels great to play.
Characters also have different secondary weapons that they can pick up, including scythes and pitchforks for Michael, and a nail gun and Kandarian dagger for Ash. Currency you pick up allows you to upgrade stats and buy special moves in a shop in between levels.
RetroRealms - Ash vs Evil Dead. Credit: Boss Team Games / WayForward
In both games, you have a special item that lets you shift from the “real” world to the Overlord’s “nightmare realm” for a limited time. This gameplay mechanic creates opportunities for more interesting level design, as walls, platforms, and enemies can be different from one world to the next. If you see an unreachable area or object, entering the nightmare realm will likely open up a path. It’s also a fun trick to kill enemies that are difficult to approach—stand where they would be in the opposite world, then switch, and spawning there will instantly pulverize them.
Both games are tied together via a 3D abandoned arcade you enter when loading up RetroRealms. Just approach one of the arcade machines to play a game. Nearby, other arcade machines are covered in tarps, clearly placeholders for future games that will be added to the series. The arcade also features dioramas you unlock after finishing each level in the games and a museum for each title where you can use tickets you find while playing to unlock 3D models of artifacts from each, such as Ash’s costume and Michael’s mask. The arcade is a nice touch but not strictly necessary; it pales in comparison to the rich experience of the side-scrollers themselves.
RetroRealms - Halloween. Credit: Boss Team Games / WayForward
The 16-bit style side-scrollers look and sound great. WayForward is no slouch when it comes to games like these, and they put in a magnificent effort here. The graphics are colorful, pixel-perfect, and faithful to their inspirations. The design of the nightmare realm is gruesome and gross in the best way possible. The character and enemy sprites are detailed and animated with a lot of personality, and the splattery gore effects when you kill things make the combat feel especially satisfying.
I played through both games in the current lineup, finishing them each in a few hours. I started with Halloween, playing as Michael Myers, followed by Ash vs Evil Dead as Ash Williams. I preferred the Evil Dead game because the levels were more memorable and interesting, with boss encounters that were more varied and enjoyable. This isn’t to say Halloween doesn’t have those things—I just liked the other game more. I also spent some time playing with the DLC characters and crossing characters over from one game to the next. Playing as the other characters presents new challenges and variety in gameplay; it'll be fascinating to see how the developers approach balance while maintaining variety when the plan is to make every character playable in every game. I just wish that once I finished a game with a character, I’d have access to all the levels as any character instead of having to start the game over as someone else.
RetroRealms - Ash vs Evil Dead. Credit: Boss Team Games / WayForward
Likewise, since the plan is to continue making more of these games to add to RetroRealms, I’d like to see what Boss Team and WayForward do to keep the series fresh. Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead are both great, but they’re similar games with nearly identical gameplay designs. Even if the devs don’t oversaturate by releasing too many games too quickly, I could imagine the formula eventually getting stale, especially if it relies on staying similar to accommodate the interchangeable characters. I’m eager to see what the future holds for RetroRealms and hope these titles will succeed so we can see more. Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead are a must if you’re into horror or retro side-scrollers. I also recommend picking up the DLC because of the charm of playing as the additional characters.
RetroRealms Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead, along with DLC, are available together or separately now on PC (Steam), PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One / Series X|S.
Overall Score: 8/10
Played on: PS5
