Overview – developed by Pugware and Published by Red Art Games, Skautfold: Into the Fray is the next chapter in the eldritch horror adventure, set in an alternate version of Britannia. As Hito, a knight of the empire, explore the island of Portland and battle the rebellious Sons of Washington, who have made a pact with unknown cosmic entities. This version is available for all console platforms, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Red Art Games for providing the copy of Skautfold into the Fray that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer Service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note I will only be covering the core aspects of the experience, as there are elements that I feel should be experienced by players first hand. I previously covered Skautfold: Usurper, which you can find (HERE).
Story – in the year 1899, Hito, one of the Knights of the Empire of Britannia has been dispatched, to the island of Portland, off the south coast of England. He has been given the task to investigate reports of a missing royal and the presence of the rebellious Sons of Washington. During this investigation, Hito is mortally wounded, but is saved by a mysterious brain in a jar as a fog descends on the island. Now a new nightmare begins.
Gameplay – Skautfold: Into the Fray, offers players a top down twin stick shooter experience, with two styles of play to choose from. The first is Pure Mode, which removes levelling systems, giving players a straightforward action shooting experience. Then there is RPG mode, which offers a more challenging adventure, where stats must be levelled to survive. Both options offer the same core gameplay experience, with little difference in progression.
Speaking of progression, this title uses a fairly straight forward mission based system. During the adventure, the player must guide Hito through various locations, fighting the rebels who have captured the island. The game starts with an introductory area, where the player is thrown into combat immediately, teaching them the ins and outs of battle. This tutorial is brief before transitioning into the main story.
When the game starts proper, the player will find themselves in a town, where they must disrupt a ritual from being completed in order to escape. This section teaches the player about missions, with objectives and how to progress with them. The lessons that the game wants to impart can be found as statues in the stage, giving information when interacting with them. These are very useful during the early areas, where players are getting used to the game.
The stages are split up into zones, where the player will need to clear out all of the hostiles in an area to progress. When moving into new areas, the player needs to be aware of their surroundings, as they can get caught out by enemies quickly. The heavily armed rebellion forces will attack the player on sight, often attacking when off screen. This is one of the unfortunate flaws of this release, as it can lead to unwanted damage and sudden death.
The objectives for stages will vary, but the main mission will be to disrupt the eldritch rituals going on. There will be multiple rituals occurring, with the player needing to clear out all enemies and destroy the ritual sites. Then there are the rescue and annihilation objectives, where a set number of captives must be rescued or enemies eliminated. These are but a few types of mission that needs to be completed, making it a varied experience.
After clearing the opening mission stage, the player will find themselves on an open map. This map shows all of the areas of the island of Portland, where the player can freely move around them. The mission areas will show up as red markers, showing the player where they need to go. After a set point, the player will unlock the safe house, a base of operations where they can rest, interact with characters and resupply before venturing out again.
The player will also obtain new, devastating weaponry during the course of the adventure. At the start, the arsenal will consist of only a Hand Cannon pistol and sword, but quickly the player will obtain the Triple Barrel Shotgun. The ballistic weapons have a limited amount of ammunition, which must be replenished from killing enemies and collecting munitions crates in the stage. This makes the sword a good fall back but it does have limitations.
Hito has a limited amount of stamina, which is used when swinging the sword, but is also used up when using the dash ability. The Dash is an important skill, as it can prevent damage from being taken during intense battles. But overuse of it can lead the player to taking unwanted damage. Effective use of the dash skill, as well as weapon management is key to survival in this game, as there will be many close quarters skirmishes.
However, there is a way for players to heal the damage taken during combat. When fighting the enemy forces, Hito will be able to use the power of his eldritch cape to kick enemies to finish them off. If the player is uses the kick, the slain foes will leave a red soul marker behind, which will restore health when collected. Some enemies will be easier to finish than others, so it is important to be able to judge when to use the finisher against enemies.
During the course of the game, the player will encounter boss battles against powerful foes. These take place in an enclosed arena, with various hazards and traps that can quickly kill the player. The battles can be tense with the bosses having varied attacks, which can leave little room for error. There will also be limited ammunition pick-ups, as well as a lack of healing. This makes resource management crucial for success against these opponents.
Due to the intense nature of this experience, death is likely to occur, especially during the challenging boss battles. When death occurs, the player will lose all progress and items collected. This can be fairly punishing if the player falls right at the end of a stage, or before getting the final hit on a boss. After death, the player can choose to immediately retry, or go back to the map and regroup before trying again.
There is a mostly linear progression to this experience, with the new areas opening up as dictated by the story. But there will be areas that will open up away from the main narrative, which can be challenged ahead of time. These are some of the most difficult areas of the game, with the player being heavily pressured by a horde of enemies. The player can also be ambushed while moving on the map, with sudden combat encounters that come out of nowhere.
During the game, the player will also earn morale, which will be added to the safe house which is operated by the militia on Portland island. This serves as a story progress mechanic, aswell as affecting the resources at the safe house, increasing the amount of ammo that can be restocked for weapons. It is unknown if Morale affects the endings that can be achieved, with multiple endings that can occur based on choices made during play.
The last thing to discuss is the progression of the RPG mode for this title. As discussed above, the RPG mode for this title requires the player to level their stats to progress. In order to improve the Hito’s combat abilities, the player must collect Yth Stones scattered across the stages. These stones can be added to stats like health, damage and speed, strengthening them for the battles ahead. The stones are one time use, so be careful when using them.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to cover the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the control system for this release is set up in a fairly traditional twin stick style, with movement on the left and aim on the right. This works fairly well, but can be a little cumbersome at times when in an intense gunfight. The hiccups with the controls are most noticeable when trying to use finishers on enemies, and avoiding attacks. Once you get used to the slightly awkward flow of battle, it feel satisfying to control Hito and his arsenal.
Difficulty – there is a range of difficulty options available to the player, with the recommended choice being the normal option. If a lower difficulty is chosen, there will be changes to the gameplay experience. Endings will be locked off, enemy behaviour will be modified and on the lowest blood will be replaced with flowers. The higher difficulty settings make this a real challenge, as all enemies will deal heavy damage and the Hito dies very quickly.
Presentation – visually, this game has an old school look to it, with 2D sprites and art that works well for an ultraviolent top down shooter. The only issue that I have with the visuals is the camera, as it feels to close which can make it hard to see enemy attacks, but aside from that the game performs well. The sound is good, with oppressive and somber music, which builds the atmosphere. There is no voice over in game, with all dialogue showing up as text on the screen.
Final Thoughts – I had previously played Skautfold: Usurper and had a good time with the eldritch horror, so this was an easy choice for me to look into. However, my first impressions of the game were a little bit mixed, as I had some difficulty getting used to the controls. But after a while, it all fell into place and became very satisfying too play. I quite enjoyed the narrative that was being spun too, with characters that made me invested in the world further.
That being said, it is not without its faults. There is an unfortunate issue with the camera, where Hito is placed above the centre of the screen. Due to this, enemies can be alerted off screen and get free damage, which can lead to sudden and unexpected death. This is frustrating but it can be adapted to after a little while, all you need is patience. So with all of that being said, I can recommend this game to fans of eldritch horror and ultraviolent shooters, as it can be a lot of fun.
In the end, I give Skautfold: Into the Fray a final score of 4/5. This is a solid top down shooter, with a fun but tough gameplay loop, an engaging world and buckets of blood that are splashed on screen. it has some little issues, but as a whole, it is a satisfying horror experience. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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