Grave Chase Review – Spooktacularly Fun

Like Frankenstein’s monster, it’s evident upon first glance that Skeleton Crew Studios’ 2D action brawler Grave Chase was made with care. Easy to pick up and hard to put down, the game pits two siblings against a groundskeeper who has murdered their folks and filled his graveyard with their remains and that of countless other victims. Armed with shovels and science, the kids have until Halloween to dig up the graves and build shambling monsters to defeat their foe. As brutal as that sounds, there’s a playfulness to Grave Chase that makes it feel more like playing through The Monster Squad and Little Monsters movies than a new Hotline Miami sequel. There are a time and place for all of those things, but the lighthearted nature of this love letter to ‘80s film and gaming makes the overall package that much more enjoyable over long play sessions.

Grave Chase is at its best when you find yourself trapped between a headstone and raging skeleton, forcing you to make that fight or flight decision that may be your last. A single scratch from most of the charmingly animated pixel enemies will do you in instantly, but others, like the spiders who slow you down with a poison bite or the bats who steal your loot, are merely there to annoy you. That frustration can cause you to drop your guard for just a second, which is all the time that a zombie needs to eat your brains and end the round. There are 31 stages in total (one for each day in October), tons of achievement medals, and unlockable game modes to look forward to.

Grave Chase Review Final Thoughts:

Grave Chase’s heart is in the right place, which in this game’s case, is likely six feet under in an unmarked grave. Simple controls and a difficulty curve that steadily ramps up at an approachable pace make this a truly fun time for gamers and horror fans young and old to enjoy. If the idea of streaming the entire new season of Stranger Things or a bunch of old-school slasher flicks on Halloween excites you, you’ll want to give Grave Chase a go.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/611630/Grave_Chase/

Disclaimer – the owner of COIN-OP TV, Robert Welkner, is personal friends with one of the developers of Grave Chase but did not have any input into the review process.