Dark Scrolls is the latest game from doinksoft (Gato Roboto, Devolver Bootleg) in the side-scrolling action platformer genre, from the publisher Devolver Digital (Cult of the Lamb, Quarantine Zone). It takes me back to when I was young and glassy-eyed, playing the Commodore 64. Let’s jump in, put the fluro shorts, Air Jordans and a Chicago Bulls shirt on and see how it plays 

​Loading in, you are greeted with a 30-second cut scene featuring three dragons, a dark scroll (I assume), and the three characters of the game, setting the backstory. No text is given, but as the cutscene continues, it does help you paint a picture of the story ahead. Once completed, you have your choice of three main characters from the cut scene to start with, each with their own special skill set. 

Grizz is a large barbarian who uses a ground-pound attack and throws axes to hit his enemies. Emery the Mage, whose appearance is like a large hat that uses snowballs to attack, and when you double jump, the special skill he uses turns him into an arrow shaped in that direction.

Finally, Pigeon the thief looks a lot like an elf and throws his knives horizontally and downwards when you double-jump, which I found to be the most useful when attacking enemies. You also have numerous other characters you unlock or free along your journey, such as: Biscuits the Dog, Quinn the Cupid, Ironbeard the Dwarf, Saturn the Alien and Nezumi the Bard.

You start in a neutral area with a graveyard in the background, providing a nice backdrop. Here, you can change characters depending on which one you want to take into battle by selecting the tombstone. There is also a nicely put-together tavern you can enter to spend the diamond coins you earn as you progress through the maps and speak to Honk the trader. At the tavern, you can also buy upgraded skills with the diamond coins, from rocket jumping, enhanced speed attack or even fire bonus attack.

There are twenty-five in total, but you can have three active at once, so choose wisely. You need to power these skills up in-game by powering up the stars from killing enemies and from opening chests. The game really is meant to be played multiplayer, but you can still have a lot of fun by yourself.

Entering the game map, the background is an enchanted forest as you work your way towards a castle at the end of the scene. What I love about the game is that if you die, you have to start back at the beginning of the scene, which has led to a few rage quits. But most importantly, the map changes as you enter it again, ensuring you have a different challenge each time you play.

It is your usual jump over enemies, landing on their heads to kill them, and jumping or weaving through obstacles as the screen moves, ensuring you don’t fall behind and die. Numerous different enemies are in the scene as you progress, from purple spiders, blue frogs and my personal favourite, the zombies with their tongues sticking out, just to name a few.

During the quest, you will come across a number of boss fights where the screen stops moving, which actually makes it harder, as you have to rely on movement. Once you have completed the boss fight, the scene will end, creating a save point. If it’s a mini boss, the screen will continue on.

There are three different routes you can take once you leave the tavern: travel straight to the Castle, go underground via the mountains and into the depths of the Earth, or go above ground and head to the Moon. This ensures replayability, as you can try different characters or paths over and over again.

The graphics are from the 1990s; if you have that expectation, you won’t be disappointed. They suit the genre well, filled with nice colour and variable enemies. The sounds match the classic theme; however, there is no talking, just cold school music and effects. It really is nostalgic for someone of my age, as I grew up on these types of games, and it is enjoyable to go back to games where you don’t have to think, just mash the keys and kill anything in your path.

Overall, Dark Scrolls is a basic action platformer that stays true to the genre roots. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel and sticks to its strengths. The variation of characters and one life will ensure you get a few hours of enjoyment out of this game. If you enjoy this style of game, make sure to check out Doinksoft’s back catalogue, as they have released a number of these types of games, so you’ll never be disappointed! 

Written by: Mike Bridge