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RetroRealms is serving up two petrifying platformers with Halloween and Ash Vs Evil Dead. I didn’t know “sidescrolling Michael Myers slash-’em-up” was a thing that I needed, but I’ve seen the baleful light. The game ties together these pixel horror experiences not only by including a hub museum (think Haunted PS1) but also by allowing characters to cross over into one another’s games. Ever wanted to watch Ash chainsaw his way out of the psychiatric facility holding Michael Myers? No? Well, now you get to anyway, and it’s as goofy and gutsy as it sounds.
Murder by Myers
Whether in Dead by Daylight or the Halloween films, Michael Myers isn’t known for playing along with other people’s plans. In RetroRealms: Halloween, a demonic figure known as the Overlord steals Judith Myers’s tombstone and vows not to return it until Myers has carved a bloody path through basically everyone. That’s exactly all the motivation you need to start jumping, slashing, and shadow-stepping your way through gorgeous and gory pixel-graphic levels. Between the moody lighting, burst-open bodies, and raving patients, the opening sets a definite mood.
The action is tight, with an emphasis on precision rather than speed. Though slow, Myers is an unrelenting force of destruction: one big walking knife with an absolute willingness to stab, cut, and skewer any poor body he finds. RetroRealms hits the sweet spot for a platformer beat-’em-up: easy enough for casual players to manage but with a skill ceiling that rewards the most dedicated. Hospital guards and minor demons pose little threat, but the hulking boss awaiting you at the level’s end is a different matter.
Ash vs. Your Expectations
The biggest difference between RetroRealms: Halloween and Ash vs. Evil Dead is the protagonist’s flavor. Ash is as lethal as Myers, but he’s a good guy and quippy. You can play as either character in either game, and stalking through Ash’s trailer park as Myers feels as cool and surreal as watching our Ash fight his way past padded cells. With the press of a button, you can also swap from the real world to the Nightmare Realm, often unblocking the way forward or revealing hidden platforms. The Nightmare Realm also dumps a Roger Corman-approved bucket of blood and guts over levels, in addition to swapping human enemies for fleshier, demonic ones.
Early levels emphasize bloodshed over precision jumping, although there are some enjoyable moving platform sequences. The real stars here, however, are the iconic characters, as well as the lovingly-detailed setting. Juicy animations, immaculate vibes, and a ticket-collecting, memorabilia-unlocking metagame give you even more reasons to get stuck in. You can experience the pixel horror action for yourself when RetroRealms: Halloween and RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead release on October 18 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
