Stickman Slayer (2020 Video Game)

Stickman Slayer is a run and gun video game developed and published by indie game developer Blue Galaxy Studios in 2020. Stickman Slayer is the first game developed by Blue Galaxy Studios. The game uses hand drawn 2D graphics and traditional animation. (Traditional in the sense that the art and animation is hand drawn but digitally) Stickman Slayer features one or two players playing as stickman, Jim and Michael going on an adventure to rid the world of zombies after a science experiment gone wrong that culminate in platforming levels. The game received mostly positive reviews and was a commercial success earning 2 million dollars the first 2 weeks

Gameplay
Stickman Slayer has the player(s) play through several platforming levels that are navigated through a over-world map with a top down view. These levels are traditional run and gun levels with enemies, similar to Contra. Some even have bosses at the end. Completing these levels unlock pathways which eventually lead to the final level. Levels also have coins which player(s) can collect and use to buy upgrades and weapons at the shop which is accessible through the over-world map. The player(s) have infinite lives and 4 hitpoints in every level but there are no checkpoints in levels so they must restart. The game has singleplayer, online multiplayer and local co-op. Online multiplayer wasn’t added until the Xbox One release? The game also has a difficulty selection. Regular and Extreme.

Plot
Stickman Slayer follows the story of a brave stickman, Jim who used to be a hunter. One day, a laboratory accidentally unleashes a deadly chemical which turns most of the stickmen into deadly zombies. However, some still remain and vow to kill all the zombies. One of these is Jim who partners up with a local cop, Michael. (Not applicable in singleplayer mode) to kill zombies and rid the world of them. Jim and Michael realize all their family have been zombies and are forced to kill them. After, they seek revenge on the laboratory boss who was responsible for all of this and kill him too. They will never get to see their families again but at least they have each other and the few remaining stickmen

Development
The game was a passion project by Blue Galaxy Studios. An indie game studio created by Jonathan Belmonte. The studio only consists of around 10 people. In an interview, Jonathan stated that the characters in the game were created by him in grade school. He always wanted to do something with the characters. “You know, a video game just seemed like the right way to incorporate these characters“ Jonathan says talking about the game. The development team had a bit of trouble finding a fitting art style for the game and ended up using a traditional style of animation. “Like not traditional in the art style sense, but every frame is definitely hand drawn but it is inked digitally” Says Jonathan in the interview. The development team wanted to stay authentic to Jonathans vision, so they made the visuals look like a kid could have made them but still look professional. “You have all these games like COD and GTA that try to look all hyper realistic, but we just wanted to make a fun game with goofy stickmen. And I think the art style really compliments the gameplay” Jonathan says when asked why they went with the art they did. The game took about 5 years to make. “We are glad people like the game and we hope they look forward to our next project” says Jonathan being asked what his reaction to the positive reception of the game was.

Release
The game was originally unveiled at E3 2018 with a trailer along with a playable demo. Reception was mostly positive but things were still subject to change. Nothing happened for a while (Except trailers and promos) until in early 2020 when the Blue Galaxy Studios twitter announced the release date. Stickman Slayer was originally released August 3, 2020 only on Steam. The game has a price tag of $14.99 on all platforms. Stickman Slayer was originally planned to be only on Steam, but due to its popularity it was soon ported to many other platforms. An Xbox One port was announced and released later that year on December 15, 2020 just in time for the holidays. Many were surprised how fast it was ported. Next year (2021), 2 ports would be released. In June, a PlayStation 4 port was announced and it released June 31, 2021. Fans were happy to get the game on consoles. Although 1 port was still left. In December, a Nintendo Switch port was announced. The Nintendo Switch Version released December 15, 2021 the same date as the Xbox One port. Fans were happy to finally get a portable version. A macintosh version is rumored but has not come out

Reception
Stickman Slayer received generally favorable reviews from critics and gamers. IGN praised the 2D visuals and the bosses writing ”It isn’t particularly difficult or even complex from a video game standpoint, but it’s visuals are so well done and the level design is incredibly imaginative.” GameSpot also praised the game calling it “wonderfully fun with great level design and engaging screen-filling bosses” while Polygon praised the gameplay and art style calling it “utterly addictive, while still remaining a doozy to look at“ Another review at GameInformer praised the synth music calling it “tunes that harken back to the 80’s with fun synthesizers“

Stickman Slayer was critically acclaimed for it‘s visuals, gameplay and music. Although, there were a few points of criticism in most reviews. A lot criticized the plot as it was mostly serious while the games actual tone was goofy and fun. Reviewers did not think the story mixed well with the art style or actual gameplay and caused tonal inconsistencies. Another point of criticism was the character designs. Some thought the playable characters designs were too plain and simple and clashed badly with the more complex designs of bosses. Some reviewers also thought that some of the bosses were extremely different and were an unfair difficulty spike in the middle of the game. Other than that, the game was extremely well received

Achievements
There are several achievements to be unlocked from playing the game
 * First Blood- Play your first level
 * Moneybags- Buy a new weapon
 * Stronger than Ever- Buy a new upgrade
 * Zombie Hunters- Play your first level on multiplayer
 * Man Down- Die for the first time
 * Domination- Defeat a boss
 * Halfway There- Complete half of the Game
 * No Damage- Complete a level without taking damage
 * Bank Vault- Buy all the weapons and upgrades in the shop
 * Small Talk- Talk to an NPC
 * World Domination- Defeat all bosses on Regular
 * It‘s Over- Complete the game on Regular
 * Monster Blood- Defeat all bosses on Extreme
 * Blood and Guts- Complete the game on Extreme
 * Hardcore Hunter- Complete the game on both modes

Game Modes
When a player starts a new game, you can choose between 2 modes. Regular and Extreme. Regular is the main mode and features 200 HP, 1 weapon slot, 1 upgrade slot and moderately difficult bosses and levels including balanced levels of enemies and obstacles. Extreme features 100 HP, 1 weapon slot, limited upgrade effects and more challenging bosses and levels including more enemies and obstacles. Players find extreme mode to be a great way to experience the game after the first play through

Game Rating (ESRB)
Stickman Slayer received a rating of T For Teen by the ESRB. This was for several reasons. The game features moments of language, mild blood and violence. Characters use swears, blood comes out of enemies and there are lots of moments of violence as the game centers around killing enemies.

Legacy
Stickman Slayer gained a huge fandom and earned lots of money. The game was a huge success for the first game of Blue Galaxy Studios. It even received 2 spirits of the main stickman characters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, following the release of the switch port. Additionally, a Mii Gunner costume of Jim, the main stickman was added as a DLC. Stickman Slayer was so well received, it got a sequel and lots of merchandise including plushies, action figures and even a physical release! An article on the sequel is coming soon!