Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

All things considered, though, I still had a lot of fun playing Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege. It’s a great ode to many classic NES series that plays like it was made during that era, which I suspect is the point. While the hint system is annoying and the bosses were a mixed bag, this is still a great adventure that any fan of retro games should enjoy.

If you’re looking for retro feels steeped in familiar old-school frustrations, but with some new twists, this may be for you.

Pushing through some of the more devious sections, I felt a sound sense of accomplishment in rolling credits on Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, in all its alliterative glory. In more ways than one, it's not for the faint of heart, but those seeking a retro-style challenge in 8-bit packaging will very likely enjoy the ride. While not all of its design choices land flush, the overall journey makes for a fun afternoon. A co-op mode made me wonder whom I might subject to this punishing experience, but once through was enough for me to hit my cursing quota for the year.

Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege is a competent game with a nice difficulty balance and curve for those who want to spend some time in a metroidvania title. The lack of content, though, lets the game become obsolete pretty soon.

The moments when you stray from the classic side-scroller are enjoyable, and the level variety and focus on the continuity of the adventure are also a welcome refresher, but the difficulty of individual levels varies wildly — from trivial to tedious to a brief filler. The dialogue is a waste of potential, and the knockbacks are as frustrating as ever.