Mary Skelter Finale

About

"Mary Skelter Finale" is the final chapter of the gruesome RPG series where players navigate the living prison of Jail, battling monsters and managing the powers of the Blood Maidens. In this installment, Jack and the separated group must face the being known as Pyre and uncover the truth behind their reality. Each character's unique abilities and struggles add depth to the story as they work towards a common goal.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

story12 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Mary Skelter Finale provides a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, wrapping up the story and character arcs in a compelling way.
The game features a unique multi-party system that enhances exploration and puzzle-solving, making for an engaging dungeon-crawling experience.
The artistic direction and soundtrack are standout elements, with creative character designs and music that elevate the overall atmosphere of the game.

The port suffers from numerous technical issues, including poor graphics compared to previous versions, long loading times, and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
The narrative can be convoluted and difficult to follow, especially for newcomers, and some character developments feel rushed or underexplored.
Gameplay balance is problematic, with slow experience gain and tedious dungeon designs that can lead to frustration during exploration.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
8%
The story of "Mary Skelter Finale" is a complex and abstract narrative that continues the series' tradition, featuring unexpected twists and a blend of whimsical and grim elements. While the beginning and end of the game deliver engaging plot points, the midsection is criticized for lacking substantial story development, focusing more on gameplay than character arcs. Overall, the game offers a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but may leave newcomers feeling overwhelmed by its lore and veterans disappointed by the uneven pacing of the narrative.
- “Regarding the narrative, 'Mary Skelter Finale' continues the tradition of its predecessors by delivering an abstract story full of enigmas and unexpected twists.”
- “The juxtaposition of whimsical fairy tale elements against the grim backdrop of the jail is a masterstroke in storytelling, drawing players into a world that is both enchanting and horrifying.”
- “Their individual struggles, past traumas, and dreams of escape create a strong emotional bond between players and the cast, making every victory, every loss, and every plot twist hit home with a resounding impact.”
- “Game is okay, focuses much more on mechanical dungeon crawling than story for the most part.”
- “It's got a whole lot of story at the beginning and at the end, but the midsection of the game, where you'd expect quite a bit of development, is marked by hours and hours of entirely plotless gameplay.”
- “This is a huge disappointment because the story would really be improved with more development for characters, especially the newer characters and NPCs.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
79%
11%
The gameplay in this installment builds on the established mechanics of its predecessors, enhancing the dungeon-crawling experience with unique party-switching mechanics and strategic puzzle-solving elements. While some players find the midsection overly focused on gameplay at the expense of narrative development, others appreciate the finely tuned mechanics and the balance of blood-related abilities that contribute to a challenging yet rewarding experience. Overall, the game successfully integrates its gameplay with storytelling, making it accessible for newcomers while still engaging for veterans of the genre.
- “Like its predecessors, this third installment maintains the same core mechanics but elevates nearly every aspect to the next level, improving in gameplay, narrative, and technical elements.”
- “The dungeon-crawling mechanics are finely tuned, offering a challenging and rewarding experience for both newcomers and series veterans.”
- “I enjoyed the party-switch and item sharing gimmicks, a great example of gameplay serving the story and vice versa.”
- “Game is okay, focuses much more on mechanical dungeon crawling than story for the most part.”
- “It's got a whole lot of story at the beginning and at the end, but the midsection of the game, where you'd expect quite a bit of development, is marked by hours and hours of entirely plotless gameplay.”
- “It makes the overall gameplay experience a bit laborious.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and creative visual design that enhances its charm and atmosphere, despite not being cutting-edge. While the Switch port lacks the sharper visuals of the PS4 version, the art style remains captivating, featuring detailed character designs and haunting environments. However, some players express disappointment over the limited graphical options and the overall quality compared to other platforms.
- “Despite not having cutting-edge graphics, its visual design stands out for the quality and creativity of its characters and world.”
- “The visuals create a fresh, detailed experience full of personality and charm.”
- “From the grotesque yet mesmerizing Märchen designs to the eerie and haunting locations within the jail, the art and graphics are nothing short of breathtaking.”
- “Graphics aren't that sharp with the Switch port and some UI portions require way too many clicks/key strokes.”
- “This is a port of the Switch version of the game and is missing the PS4 graphics which add detail to the levels and make them much more readable.”
- “Why are we stuck with Switch graphics?”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its spectacular and immersive quality, enhancing both the story and gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the haunting melodies and evocative compositions as standout features, with some considering it the best soundtrack of the series. However, there are minor critiques regarding the absence of music in certain dungeon areas, which some found jarring.
- “The music doesn't just accompany the action—it amplifies the impact of the story and gameplay, becoming an indispensable part of the experience.”
- “The soundtrack, with its haunting melodies and evocative compositions, further enhances the immersive experience, effectively pulling players into the twisted fairytale world.”
- “The soundtrack, as with the entire series, is spectacular.”
- “The first thing that stood out to me was the lack of music in one of the dungeon areas.”
- “While this could be intentional, it feels strange that one dungeon would have no background music or sound at all.”
- “But this has the strongest OST and more clarity.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The atmosphere of "Mary Skelter Finale" is a mixed bag; while the unique color palette and character designs enhance its appeal, technical issues such as washed-out cutscenes and overly bright lighting detract from the intended dark and tense ambiance. Many players feel that these visual shortcomings undermine the game's overall atmosphere, despite the developers' efforts to create a captivating experience.
- “The color palette, character designs, and environments all contribute significantly to the unique atmosphere of 'Mary Skelter Finale,' proving that great designs can overcome the lack of next-gen technology.”
- “The game's visuals are a testament to the developers' commitment to creating a captivating atmosphere.”
- “Cutscene backgrounds are all washed out, crashes within the first hour, inexcusable loading times, dungeons look much worse than the PS version, lighting is overly bright, ruins the atmosphere entirely.”
- “The game is extremely bright, and it completely ruins the dark, tense atmosphere that the game is trying to present.”
- “Again, this could be intentional, but it feels like such a strange decision as it again takes away from the atmosphere of the game.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the ineffective rewards from exploration compared to blood farming. The experience points (XP) system is criticized for being excessively slow, leading some players to switch to easier modes just to avoid the grind, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “This is not in any way helped by the fact that, even though they severely nerfed blood farming from 2, blood farming is still strong, and makes it so that going out of your way to find chests is just not very rewarding.”
- “One of which is the XP and grinding; it's horrible, absolutely god awful. I can't stand it. I cannot begin to say how horrible it is. It took me over 3 hours to gain 30+ levels just so I won't lose any of my party members, and this is on nightmare mode. Somehow, you made getting XP horrible.”
- “It's to the point where I am forced to be on easy mode because grinding XP on easy would give me the same amount as it would give me on nightmare and normal.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The optimization of "Salvation Tower" has been criticized for poor color choices and a cluttered environment that hampers visibility. Players report significant movement delays, particularly during combat, which detracts from the overall experience, although the game does not crash or suffer severe performance issues. While some may overlook these optimization flaws, they nonetheless negatively impact gameplay.
- “I used to believe Mary Skelter 2 on Switch was laggy because of my old console, but now it's clear that the cause was the game's weird optimization.”
- “If you're not too picky with performance issues, then there really isn't much problem with it.”
- “To be fair, issues may be a bit harsh, as none of these cause the game to crash or performance to suffer in any way; these are things that impact the player experience in a negative way.”
- “Salvation Tower was badly colored and optimized: leaving aside the extremely white environment with the random nooses hanging from the ceiling, filling the map to the point you cannot tell what they are.”
- “I used to believe that Mary Skelter 2 on Switch was laggy because of my old Switch, but now it's clear that the cause was the game's weird optimization.”
- “To be fair, issues may be a bit harsh, as none of these cause the game to crash or performance to suffer in any way, but these are things that impact the player experience in a negative way.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the deep connections players have formed with familiar characters, whose struggles and growth culminate in a poignant conclusion. This final chapter emphasizes the complexity of their journeys, making victories and losses profoundly impactful for long-time fans, while offering a rewarding experience that ties together the series' narrative threads. However, it may be less accessible for newcomers.
- “The characters, familiar to fans of the series, remain endearing and feel like a natural extension of the previous entries, contributing to an emotional and complete conclusion.”
- “Players have been on a long journey with Jack and the Blood Maidens, and in this final chapter, the emotional depth and complexity of these characters are brought to the forefront.”
- “Their individual struggles, past traumas, and dreams of escape create a strong emotional bond between players and the cast, making every victory, every loss, and every plot twist hit home with a resounding impact.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in "Mary Skelter Finale" is highly praised, with reviewers noting that the character designs and environments enhance the game's unique atmosphere, demonstrating that strong character development can shine even without next-gen technology.
- “The character development in Mary Skelter Finale is nothing short of remarkable.”
- “The color palette, character designs, and environments all contribute significantly to the unique atmosphere of Mary Skelter Finale, proving that great designs can overcome the lack of next-gen technology.”