Skullgirls PlayStation 3
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 60 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 60
  3. Negative: 17 out of 60

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  1. TaxExemption
    Apr 11, 2012
    10
    Well worth its $15 price tag, Skullgirls is the most endearing love letter to the fighting genre you could write. The game feels right, even to someone like me who has very little experience with fighting games. You will have no trouble learning how to start busting out combos of your own accord to keep your spirits high, while the game's excellent tutorials present to you how much you can improve your game into upper levels of play. This felt very comforting to someone trying to break into the genre, which is plagued with monolithic learning curves. The learning curve is still just as high, just not as steep.

    The art I don't feel like I even need to say anything about it. It is flawless. The art is jaw-dropping. The smoothness of the animation and the style of the each frame is enough to make a grown man shed a manly tear. I can't speak for the fighting game vets, but from the perspective of someone wishing to enter the fighting game scene, this is a MUST buy.    … Expand
  2. Fanthir
    Apr 11, 2012
    10
    I have never really been able to get into a fighting game before. From the Hadokens of street fighter to Blaz Blue's ridiculousness I never felt truly immersed. Then I played Skullgirls. This game is so beautiful and so much fun that I can not stop thinking about it. The game play has so much depth to it that I am thinking about new strategies to use on my opponents as I write this. The art is beautiful and the animation is also spectacular. The lack of a move list is NOT that big of a deal because you can find it online AND each move has simple inputs to where you can figure out each move easily if you are too lazy to go online. Each character is balanced and not one is too powerful or too weak. This game is amazing and with a promise of about 40 characters and a bunch of DLC it is certainly worth the 15$ entry price. Buy this game, because this is the new standard of fighting games and will be a major staple for years to come.… Expand
  3. Steve
    Apr 10, 2012
    10
    As usual, I highly recommend NOT reading game review sites for fighting games as they are either paid off or have no idea what they're talking about (with the possible exception of 1UP). With only 8 current characters, the game has the customization and variation that most modern fighting games lack. There is a very defined archetype for every character in fighting modern fighting games, and they all fit incredibly well. The chains are fairly simple to learn and incredibly satisfying when chained into aerial specials and supers. The option of 1-3 character teams adds a depth unseen in modern fighting games, particularly the option to create your own assist move. The online is solid, utilizing the quite popular GGPO system, and allows you to adjust input lag to handle online for every match you join, which is beautiful. Mike Z really helped make this game a truly modern competitive fighting game that takes the best parts of many older games and perfects it for a tournament standard. Do not pass this up if you are a fighting game fan in any way, especially since the tutorial mode actually teaches you how to not play like a mashy 5-year old. $15, yes there's some planned DLC, but it will probably still not add up to the price of games on the market now. This is definitely not a 77 rated fighting game. 100% A+… Expand
  4. RedWaltz
    Apr 12, 2012
    5
    I've been playing fighting games since the first Street Fighter game in the arcades during the 80's. That being said, this game, at times can be enjoyable. However, for me, a huge part of a game's goodness is its aesthetics. I am in my 30's and have a family; this game has a too much T&A for my liking and seems like a cheap tactic to get hormonal challenged little boys interested in the game. It doesn't help that every character in the game is a female, so every character is over sexualized. This is disappointing for those of us who play fighting games for the competition not to get some cheap tawdry thrills off of some weirdly drawn cartoon character.

    That brings me to the art design. It is clear and crisp, as are the animations, which is good. The bad is that the art design looks like it is something out of some cheap Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network anime show. Certainly not the most appealing art design for a game. I know they are trying to standout from other 2d fighters, like KoFXIII and BlazBlue, but, as a result, they end up with a bizarre art style that certainly will not appeal to all.

    People try to defend this game's very small roster with the idea that more characters will come if it is successful. Notice the conditional clause. No one should EVER make a purchase based on a conditional promise, you should buy the game based on what you get out-of-the-box. That being said, in this day and age, 8 characters is just way too few. With other high quality titles available on the PSN & Live, like Street Fighter III: Third Strike OE, Skullgirls doesn't seem like a good value. Anyway, I admit this game isn't for me, and I have given some of the reasons. Its up to you though to decide by trying out the demo. Enjoy.    … Collapse
  5. acertainguy69
    Apr 10, 2012
    9
    It's been sort of a slow year for gaming. The first actually fun game didn't come out until late February. (I'm looking at you, SSX) I think we're back on track with good releases. Skullgirls is unique. It is a 2D style fighting game for fighters, (think street fighter/m vs c) yet this game will most likely see one of the most diverse fanbases of the year. The controls are smooth, I never experienced a single frame rate issue, and the storyline (being short but sweet) was actually interesting. Some might complain about the difficulty spikes throughout, but honestly, who has fun blasting through an entire game in an hour? I'd recommend this to not just fighting game junkies, but anybody who plays games. Honestly.… Expand
  6. VidsRule
    May 4, 2012
    0
    okay, so people are saying 'it's only $15'. So basically, I have to pay $15 for a horrible, horrible game. I love all things SF, VF has my original heart. Kof and BB are a couple of the best things ever. Skullgirls is everything that is bad on this planet. Right when I think it's technical and i have earn my love of it like the other fighting games, I am in a terrible position where I slowly, and slowly realize that this game sucks. Period. I hate the developers of this game and hope they all get fired, and their lives ruined. 'it's only $15? The developer should have to pay me $15, or $1000, to play this game. I hate you.… Expand
  7. stelmoslight
    Apr 10, 2012
    10
    I have been looking forward to something fresh in the fighting genre for years. I have tried the mainstays like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Virtua Fighter, etc. And while 3D fighters certainly can be fun, they don't seem to have the same staying power of the traditional 2D fighting plane. And after so long, all of the Street Fighters have that "same old same old" feel. It's about time someone stepped up to the plate and tried to create something fresh for the genre. First off, the visual style is incredible, with extremely well done animations. Not only is it pretty, though, but it is also has the potential to be a very deep game play experience. The little nuances, like being more forgiving with timing and the infinite combo breaking mechanic, and even the very helpful tutorials which actually try to teach strategy, all help this title feel like a genuine competitor in the fighting game world. This, along with the very unique art style and the personal charm of the characters, helps a lot to make this game feel like a new attempt to rejuvenate the genre. While some may complain about lack of characters or the overly-sexual art style, these quibbles are hardly worth wrecking the game down from the pedestal it so rightfully climbs atop (besides, the studio has already made plans to release more characters to increase the number of fighters, so no need to panic). My hat's off to you, Mike Z. You did a tremendous job with this game.… Expand
  8. Zombichef
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    Definitely a breath of fresh air in the the fighting game genre. You can feel the love put into this game. Im not going to lie to you and tell you that it's perfect. It has some quirky flaws at the time of its release. Not having a moves list in game being one of them. Some glitchy art at times. But the love put into the combat system is definitely there. Haven't enjoyed a Fighter and had the appreciation for what has been put into it this much since the first time i played BlazBlue. The characters while only having 8 to start are all very unique. Ill take 8 unique characters over 50 clones all day long, and with more planned on the way im very interested in seeing how it goes. If these guys support this game like they are planning to, this will definitely go down to be one of my favorite fighting games.… Expand
  9. Cogzwell
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    Its a shame that people have been dissing this game because as someone who's been interested in fighting games I've never had more fun. For once its enjoyable to "watch" the fights, and the gameplay is fluid, the visuals are great, and the music is stellar. I love every single character and it doesn't take long to learn what they can do, but it takes time to master. The story mode can be a genuine challenge and while the writing is meh, the endings are fun.… Expand
  10. Agent-J
    Apr 12, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is really nice. It helps you learn the basics of a fighting game. It does have a big lack of tutorials for each character, as well as other things that are promised to be added as a free patch. The Aesthetic in this game is beautiful, and the animations are really smooth. It might only have 8 characters, but hey, how many characters did Street Fighter originally have as playable characters?… Expand
  11. solutions10
    May 17, 2012
    7
    A quick distraction from other fighters, but nowhere near as robust as it needs to be to compete with other, much more complete fighters. You're better off putting the $15 toward Mortal Kombat or BlazBlue: EXTEND. It's not that it's a bad fighter--it isn't, not by any means, sans a few balance issues and a poorly-done story mode--it just doesn't do anything particularly exceptional, except perhaps the multiplayer, which, if it had more options, would be excellent, and the "frame delay" that compensates for ping is wonderful, making it so you can play with practically anyone, anywhere, using the frame delay as a mediator so no one has a ping advantage. It's basically an amalgamation of other fighters in a very tight, budget-priced package. While there are some neat touches, such as the ability to choose one strong fighter, two medium-powered fighters, or three low-powered fighters versus any other matchup, and some very flashy special moves, the game suffers from just not being enough, with some rather poor character design, to boot. Yeah, the characters are certainly all very different design-wise, but they all feel so random, as if they don't belong in the same game at all. It doesn't seem to work as well as you would think it should. This might be worth a look if, in the future, they make some serious tweaks and add a *lot* more content, but for the moment, it's just Every-Other-Fighter Ultra-Lite.… Expand
  12. Huey_Freeman
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    I fell in love with Skullgirls on my first playthrough. It's charm is infectious. It's art style beautiful. It's fighting mechanics accessible yet infinitely explorable with intense depth. The passion and creativity behind the making of this game just oozes out onto the screen whether in the form of slick easy to navigate menu screens, it's uncanny attention to detail from gorgeous stages to an fighting announcer that has the potential to be as "iconic" as the NBA Jam guy. Seriously, if you're not in love with the announcer then you have no heartbeat. As for the characters, wow. I don't think an 8 roster fighting game has ever had so much depth before. This gets said alot nowadays but EVERY character in Skullgirls is genuinely unique. And they each have a plethora of tools at their disposal to stand a fighting chance against any matchup even 1 against 3! Ive been playing fighting games for a looooong time I promise you I haven't had this much fun learning combos and set ups in a fighting game since mastering Orchid, Sabrewulf, and Glacius in the original Killer Instinct. The game is so addictive, so well made (clearly this was made by a bunch of guys who love the fighting game genre and actually PLAY IT extensively themselves) you can tell by every inch of the product. This game is well worth the $15 spent. I dare say it may just be worth 20 to 30 if not more. The only gripe I have about the game is the lack of a in game movelist. Some will say, its not relevant but seriously this is a glaring omission. I shouldn't have to download the pdf file to get my characters special moves. It's not a gamechanger by any stretch of the word just a minor annoyance. I also think the METER should be located at the bottom of the screen. I hate having to look up at my life bar to see my meter mid fight. In my fighting game experience it's waaaay more convinient to have the meter at the bottom directly in your line of sight during the match. And it should be noticeable not small. The number of bars you have should glow or pulsate and change color or something the more bars you get. But other than that Skullgirls is perfect. Valentine is a masterpiece of character design and in estimation the crowning achievement of this game. She is instantly a classic fighting game character for the history books. But don't mistake this as a one woman show. The entire game is full of characters that can and most likely will win your hearts. It certainly won mine at first sight. Skullgirls is without question one of the best fighting games this generation. Hell to me it's sitting comfortably in second place only behind Super Street Fighter 4 as the best. With a roster at about 20, a robust training mode, a endless battle lobby, a replay channel, and a character movelist this game will undoubtedly become one of the best fighting games ever made. And definitely my fighting game of choice. The possibilities are boundless for this incredible for this incredible labour of love. Major fighting game publishers have been called out. How can a game with less than a 10th of the budget as other games have better visuals, better fighting mechanics, and a better announcer than games made by billion dollar companies for 1/4th of the retail price? Because they makers of the game care, that's why. And it's evident as soon as a you pick your character for battle and the announcer says, "Ladies and Gentlemen (?) [hehe nice touch with the question mark on gentlemen btw].....IT'S SHOWTIME!!!". You damn right it is, off I go to enjoy more of the show. BUY THIS GAME!!!… Expand
  13. MikePhillips
    Apr 16, 2012
    10
    The depth and presentation of this game is stunning. It's hard to believe that this game only cost $15, when quality-wise, it's on par with the best games in the genre. Couldn't recommend it more highly.
  14. Frosty
    May 16, 2012
    4
    I played the demo for this game, and I was very excited to play this game moreso. However, it is a huge disappointment and wish I would have spent $15 on Street Fighter III Online Edition. This game has a very small selection of characters, only 8! This is 1990, this is 2012, give us a little bit more than that. The art style of this game is neat, but the fighting mechanics and the characters of the game were very dull and boring. Not to mention you can play with three different people at the same time, meaning you can play as 75% of the entire roster in one match. This game made me waste my precious $15 on a incomplete, broken, and dull fighting game. They were too lazy to even put a move list into the game and you have to hold the pause button for like 2 seconds for the menu to pop up. I'm very let down by this game and is not worth the $15 you will put into it.… Expand
  15. mongoman
    May 26, 2012
    8
    If BlazBlue and StreetFighter had a love child, it would be Skullgirls. The graphics are well done, the controls are tight (once you spend 2 weeks learning them), and the story is amusing. However, there are only 8 characters and they seem to glorify gratuitous sexuality which may turn off some players. The game features a good tutorial and the music fits nicely with the game. I really cant complain much about this game, it is a fast, furious, fighter that is limited by its own roster and difficult learning curve. If you are are SF fan then you'll love this game, if you dont like the SF controls then you'll hate Skullgirls. Try the demo before you spend $15 bucks on it, you'll be glad you did.… Expand
  16. natedawg-kz
    Jun 5, 2012
    4
    Personally i found Skullgirls disappointing. I had high hopes for this game after reading/watching reviews and playing the demo myself but now i regret spending my money on this game. I'm no expert when it comes to fighting games but personally i found the game a little difficult (especially the last boss) when i'm not spamming the same moves which obviously makes the game tedious. Another major problem for me was the fact that there are only 8 characters available!, I understand that the developers wanted to make 8 characters so that they could focus more time on developing the roster but only 8 characters is a joke and again makes the game boring really fast. However i have to admit the characters do look pretty awesome Also combos are nowhere to be seen in the menus and instead they are on the website of the game, i don't have fricking time to check them out. Skulgirls isn't a bad game but it seems that the game is directed at hardcore fighting gamers and isn't accessible for anyone else… Expand
  17. Skullgirlsfan13
    May 12, 2013
    8
    What a great game, I haven't played a such a great fighting game in a long time. I like how each character is significantly different each character is from each other; although it is disapointing that there's only 8 characters, but at least they're all interesting. The fighting is tight and fast paced, along with great animation just makes this a great visual pleasure, there's nothing with saying that. I do wish they had made more characters, because even the characters are cool, it's good to have variety. Also the lack of content can be bothersome, but it can still have great replayability. All in all, a very good game.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jun 12, 2012
    80
    The single player mode is quite challenging at any difficulty level as the momentum of any battle frequently shifts. There are some balancing issues (particularly on the easier difficulties), which may make going it alone less appealing. Versus and online, however, is where Skullgirls really shines and will keep you equally entertained and frustrated. [June 2012, p80]
  2. Eurogamer Portugal
    May 22, 2012
    80
    Skullgirls is a nice surprise in the fighting games genre. It stands out mainly for its fighting engine that offers a good challenge for veterans.
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  3. Multiplayer.it
    May 17, 2012
    79
    Skullgirls is funny and beautiful to see, it's a good mash up between technic and spectacular. However only 8 characters are too few and online features are poor.
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