Developer: Wales Interactive
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Action, Adventure, FPS
Publisher: Wales Interactive
Sker Ritual is an FPS spin-off game of the indie title Maid of Sker. The game was developed and published by Wales Interactive. Sker Ritual is quite similar to games like Outlast Trials, COD: Zombies, and a few other games. This review was done on the PC, but the game is also available for PlayStation and Xbox series.
Sker Ritual is a first-person horror shooter game where you can play either by yourself or with friends. Your team can consist of up to 4 players. A feature we did not like so much was that there was no in-game voice chat option, which can, at times, take away from the in-game experience. At first, when we started to play the game and invited others to play, there were some hosting errors which were not correlated to wi-fi connections. It seemed players from other regions of the world had difficulty staying within the game. For this problem specifically, it would be nice if you could invite your friends mid-run because some runs can last almost up to 2 hours. If the hosting of the game is done between people in the same region, then there is no lag or disconnection between the game. While playing the game, there was no evident lag or delays, and each round progressed quite smoothly. We do wish the online co-op mode was fleshed out better as it seemed single-player performance was no match compared to when playing with a party.
The controls for the game are very straightforward when playing on the PC. When starting, a cutscene was shown, which was based around Wales in 1814. The game did not have an in-game tutorial, but things were very easy to pick up on while playing. Controls for melee, healing and grenade were shown on the bottom right and mechanics that were unfamiliar would have some sort of pop-up information. The game is very much like a run-in-and-go but with not much difficulty when familiarising yourself with the controls. The default keybindings and movement with the game were pretty nice. When using various guns, there was a difference between the aim, which I liked, giving the game a bit of variety. Anything that could be interacted with would have the interaction button on the line, and objectives that would need to be followed would show up as a white diamond with a distance shown. One of the main issues I had was that the UI was pretty messy; a lot was being thrown at the screen. On top of that, the objective diamonds were not accurate and would cause us to walk around the objective area for a few minutes before finding out what needed to be done. The game was quite easy to follow in terms of mechanics and controls.
The visuals of the game are so quite stunning and crisp. There is a realistic yet slightly cartoonish look to the game, which allows for the game to be brought to life. The game features an immersive and atmospheric environment which is filled with many little details to bring out a horror, decaying effect. The overall atmosphere is eerie, and the monster/infested species are so well designed, making them look absolutely horrifying. These species have such a menacing and grotesque appearance, and the gore aspect really sets the environments for the four different maps. The lighting in the game is incorporated really nicely to build upon this chaotic environment. The eeriness builds up with both the visuals and music. The sound effects, from the snarling monsters to rugged footsteps and the mayhem of bullets, really grasp upon the gameplay.
The overall gameplay was enjoyable, but it was pretty lengthy. At first, loading into a game without having a party member disconnect became an issue, but then we just had to continue the game without them. Our very first run lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes because we were unfamiliar with the surroundings and objectives. Even with unfamiliarity, I feel the run should not have lasted that long. The main premise of the game is to survive rounds of monsters whilst completing a set of objectives. For example, the first map we played had an objective where we had to collect four cylinders and collecting each cylinder on its own took about 30 minutes for us to complete. When collecting the cylinder in the Library room, using the UV lamp was such a hassle because I was unable to find any other code besides the fourth one and was not able to drop the lamp over to someone else. This was also done in normal mode, but it seemed the difficulty was even worse than normal mode. At times, the game got very chaotic, but with the chaoticness came an overly good gameplay. The game is most enjoyable when playing with others, as the more you kill, the more money you earn, which you can use to buy new weapons, upgrades, perks, and life tokens that will help you progress. In just one run itself, the game does offer a lot, which we quite enjoyed.
Besides the overall gameplay, the game offers four different maps with varying objectives and themes. At the end of the run, there is a big boss that you need to defeat, and you get the option to either continue over to the next objective or end the game. When buying this game, you are definitely getting your time’s worth. On top of that, the game offers a levelling system which unlocks tiers in the Sker Pass that gives you cosmetics. Cosmetics include masks, voice lines (some of the voice lines in the game were so funny, like the Bruh or Sheesh), and menu backgrounds that let the player personalise their character.
We were provided with four codes for the base game and additional DLCs. The DLCs were cosmetic packs, and each one of the players had a different DLC pack. The other people we had played this game with had the following to say about Sker Ritual. First, Vroggo said the following, “Playing Sker Ritual was both a terrifying and fun FPS experience. I liked how the game incorporated both lore and objectives for players to stay attentive to as they progress through a series of intensifying waves of enemies. Although the game can be experienced as a single player, the game truly shows its appeal when playing co-op. Not only would it be easier to progress through the waves of enemies, but objectives would be accomplished more efficiently as well. The only downside I had was the spike in lag throughout the game and disconnecting from the lobby unexpectedly while playing with friends from Europe (for context, I played the game in Asia). I also happened to get the “Goon Brenn” DLC and the voice line that came with it, and it was my whole shebang throughout my entire playthrough..”
Secondly, Genno said the following, “The game experience was interesting and overwhelming, but enjoyable. At first, it was hard to understand what was happening, but after playing it a few times, it became easier to understand. The game is pretty long but has many ways it can still improve to better the gaming experience. One aspect I enjoyed was the weapon/tool/character upgrades, allowing you to become stronger when facing each wave of enemies. The monsters were scary enough to cause many jump scares, and the details of each were impressive, like the ghost ones that appear in front of you and then behind you. One problem I encountered was the connectivity of the gameplay, as we experienced issues with lag. I believe if the servers were optimised better for future updates, it could make this game even more worth it. Customization was a fun part of the game, especially with the voice lines like “bruh” and “sheesh.” We had a fun time with friends, which added a positive experience. Finally, the DLC customization is awesome, adding more cosmetics to let me fully personalise my character.”
Lastly, Moody said the following about the game, “I’d say the major problem that others have also said was the server disconnection error and even with excellent wi-fi, this still would be evident. Sometimes, you would even get kicked for being inactive, which could be a pain. My favourite part of the game was the waves of enemies and the mayhem of killing. Having a special and being able to buy perks was a really good way to invest the players into killing the most monsters. We did end up finding a loop on how to get resurrected after dying without the help of others, but this led to a constant loop in the game, which, at times, got very boring. The game has five difficulty levels; we mainly tried the easy and normal, where there was a difference but not entirely noticeable. I do have to say I liked that I received a separate DLC from the others, which was really fun to personalise. This game is not one I would play by myself but do 100% enjoy with others.”
If you are looking for a horrific atmospheric shooter game where you carry out various objectives whilst gunning down monsters in terrifying environments, then this game is just for you. The game features customizability, several maps, and upgrades that all enhance the gameplay. You can play this game either by yourself or with friends, and there are many cosmetic DLCs to get as well. If Sker Ritual sounds like a game for you, then be sure to check it out!
Overall: 8/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
