Night Slashers: Remake | PS5 Review

With all the cheese and charm of a Saturday morning cartoon, "Night Slashers: Remake", and it's crew of mismatched monster hunters are on the scene once again in this retro remake to save the world from a soul harvesting evil. It is this evil that not only recruits the infamous undead, werewolves, and every other creature of the night to do it's bidding, but that also aims to create the ultimate evil doomsday device through collected human souls. As one of four characters, or one in the company of three others across two modes of play and several difficulty settings you'll embark on a quest to fight against the undead mobs, and the monsters of myth. Each character sporting their own unique abilities, base attacks, and back stories.

Based on a 1993 arcade brawler of the same name by Data East, "Night Slashers: Remake" returns with a completely different art style, a newly remixed soundtrack, and options to toggle on the visual and audio retro features. In it are two modes of play including the normal arcade mode, and a custom mode with handicap toggles that will make the experience even more challenging should you be interested. With the arcade mode comes a total of seven stages with two bonus mini-game stages to break up the routine. The main stages, themselves, are linear with mob clearing and boss defeating being the primary focus. All to the tune of a limited stock of lives, a score tally, and a health bar that also depletes upon special ability use. 

In the way of characters there are four in total including two males, and two females. Each with a specific element that is used in their more powerful special attacks. Jake Hunter, for example acts as the Trevor Belmont of the group with cybernetic arms, and electric element alignment. Christopher Smith, on the other hand, is an English detective and vampire hunter with the element of water and ice at his disposal. On the female side of things Hong Hua Zhao is a martial artist and mystic who controls the element of fire. This leaves Liu Feilin who is a Remake specific character with a mysterious background.

All characters have in their move set melee combos and basic attacks dependent upon the pressing of "X", and a DPad direction input. This allows for grappling, throws, and combos. Additionally characters can jump by pressing CIRCLE, and follow up with a pressing of X for a jump attack. For the elemental special attacks that depend upon health to use you'll need to press X + CIRCLE to execute. The most powerful of these special attacks though lies with the SQUARE button, and also depends upon health meter to utilize. Putting to use all of these attacks will be the way with which you deal death to the mobs, and the bosses.

In the way of power ups and weapon items "Night Slashers: Remake" does have them. Pressing X over food items, score based items, single use weapons, briefcases, rocks, or elemental orbs will allow you to pick them up, and put them to use. Food items will, of course, replenish health while damage dealing items will deal damage to enemies. Leaving the score items to add to your score for a chance at bonus lives.

In the way of extras "Night Slashers: Remake" has three retro filters, a retro or remixed soundtrack option, and a music player at the main menu featuring both soundtracks. As you beat each arcade difficulty setting you'll also unlock access to all the stages individually as well as the bonus stages for replay sake. The fact that they added a custom mode where you can toggle on handicaps pertaining to enemies, and attack usage adds a reason to revisit the game after having played through it on each setting.

The Presentation ...

Visually "Night Slashers: Remake", in all it's cartoon glory, has stolen away the beautiful pixel sprites that made the original as good as it was. This color coating complimented by cell shading doesn't really act as a pleasing replacement for what was. As an added effect to combat the gameplay also feels loose, and crudely applied. Leaving it seeming like a button bashing session more than a competent brawler with sophisticated mechanics. Audibly it is alright though, and it is nice that the developers left the original soundtrack in as an option.

The Verdict ...

Night Slashers: Remake, is pure Saturday morning cartoon cheese. Everything from the story to the characters has a "Monster Squad" vibe, especially with classical monsters making the cut in some form or fashion. It's a game that lacks in seriousness, but is somehow brooding with blood and gore. Personally I did not like the artistic liberty they took, and feel the design pales in comparison to the original. Had they at least kept the original as a bonus option it would have been great. I don't think they did though. As far as the custom mode, retro filters, and alternate soundtracks go they are welcome, but do not make the bulk of the gameplay more palatable. In the way of ratings it is a middle ground remake that loses points over doing an unnecessary reskin.