Sker Ritual – Test and News

Sometimes there are games that give us a furious feeling of déjà vu. This is the case of Sker Ritual which, far from wanting to distance itself from its predecessor (or rather from its source of inspiration), fully assumes its Zombies air straight from the old Call of Duty games. A bias fully assumed by the developers who therefore offer us an experience that is both familiar and totally “comforting”. An experience that is also intended to be retro – the last Zombie mode of Modern Warfare III being a significantly larger open world – which has its good and bad sides. We'll explain it all to you!

Sker Ritual is not the kind of game where you waste your time. Your adventure begins with a very mysterious cutscene which reveals a most intriguing story. You are woken up by a woman we know nothing about and you are sent on a mission to stop the broadcast of a message. Obviously, your objective can only be achieved by braving numerous dangers which take the form of strange and malicious creatures. A synopsis which is ultimately not the most complex for a story which is completely diluted at the heart of the four cards which make up the content of the game. It is therefore clearly not on this side that the interest of the game lies, even if we can recognize a certain coherence and a rather successful atmosphere, at times.

In terms of content, Sker Ritual is a game fully oriented towards multiplayer. It is obviously possible to play all four maps solo, but it's not at all interesting. The reason ? The areas are large and enemies fall everywhere. We would obviously have appreciated the fact of being accompanied by bots which, even if they never manage to match human behavior, letting the illusion of team shine through.. As a result, when you play alone, the experience is blander, more basic and, above all, more innocuous. We spend our time running from one point to another, hurrying to avoid/kill enemies. With so much to do, it's impossible to care about the story, or even the mission objectives. We run, we move forward and we hope to find the right path by defeating the multitude of enemies who stand in our way over the waves that we push back. Paradoxically and logically, it is therefore alongside three other players that the experience proves truly rewarding. You can split up to cover a larger area, defend different points, choose additional weapons… in short, many possibilities that diversify the gameplay and make it much more interesting!

To fully appreciate the interest of this gameplay, you must understand how the game works. You land in an area which, initially, is limited. Different points of interest are around you: changing weapons, healing, reloading, locked doors… Obviously, everything has a price. And to get money, there is only one possibility: eliminate enemies. It is therefore at the cost of blood that you will be able to evolve and advance in the game. You must find a balance between equipping yourself sufficiently to be able to repel the opposing waves and advancing in the level. Among the four playable maps, we will remember the different branches which are offered to you and which can give the impression – at times – of finding yourself in a labyrinth. Your first steps are also painful since you lose a certain amount of time finding your way, which gives the enemies time to return several times, always more numerous, always more dangerous. This learning is key to the game and it is highly unlikely that you will complete the mission during your first playthrough. This aspect of “starting again” is also strongly inspired by Rogue-Like since as you progress through the missions you can unlock bonuses which offer you different advantages (additional damage, stun, etc.) as well as a “currency”. which can be used in the game menus to permanently improve your character. Everything is well thought out, perfectly functional and, if you are a fan of how it works, it is devilishly addictive.

Obviously, four cards is relatively limited. This is actually one of the downsides of the game. We have the impression of quickly going in circles and of having reached our objective very quickly. The most picky will still have the opportunity to unearth the few secrets hidden in the areas, while the most courageous will be able to encounter the different difficulties offered (five in number, all the same) in order to complicate the experience. , but in itself it is always the same environments and, ultimately, the same enemies. Besides, as long as we talk about the bestiaryit is interesting to note that the creatures that attack you are frankly varied and well thought out. We encounter basic adversaries at the start, then over the waves, we find ourselves confronted with more more specific enemies, or even bosses that are much more threatening and resistant. We can also add the – random – appearance of a creature during your game, just to make the experience a little less dull and you understand that in this regard the developers have not been idle. The bestiary is varied, coherent and the spontaneous appearances (and unexpected bosses) create a tension which is welcome!

On a purely technical level, Sker Ritual is a game that aims to be clean and without frills. Clearly, the studio does not have the resources of Activision, but the fact remains that the title has its own identity. So yes, we will still point out the cutscenes which are outdated, or even certain runny textures, but that doesn't matter. As with the story, the interest of the game lies elsewhere and, during a game, we do not take the time to contemplate the settings or the slightest pixel. The game has to be fluid, it has to play quickly, and on that side, we had nothing to say. So it’s a great success. We also remember from our test the atmosphere of the title which is intended to be tasty. The different objectives and places visited tend towards horror and the functioning of the title sometimes creates a tension which is most interesting. That being said, don't necessarily expect an atmosphere like Resident Evil VII. No, we are far from this kind of title, but it has happened several times that we have jumped when we turned around and found ourselves facing a creature that we did not hear coming. We don't ask for more, in the end. Finally, a quick word on the sound part of the title which is intended to be particularly discreet. The music is clearly relayed to the background while the sound effects are sometimes successful, sometimes anecdotal. We would have appreciated, as with any good FPS of this type, a little more raw, a little drier sensations, which would have been in keeping with the atmosphere / gameplay offered.