Barbarian

Overview

Barbarian stands as a controversial remake of a violent classic that faithfully resurrects the brutal combat of its Commodore 64 predecessor. This straightforward fighter delivers exactly what it promises: visceral decapitations and methodical dismemberments that stirred significant controversy upon release. While capturing the essence of the original experience for nostalgic fans, its limited scope and singular focus on gore leave it feeling like a novelty rather than a fully developed fighting game. The experience remains exactly what it was decades ago - a violent tech demo that prioritizes shock value over depth.

Faithful Recreation of Controversial Classic

The game's defining feature remains its graphic violence, particularly the infamous decapitation mechanic that caused public outcry during the original release. Combat offers two distinct approaches: players can either engage in prolonged, methodical hacking at their opponent's health bar or attempt the instant-kill beheading move that made the game notorious. This dichotomy creates tense moments where fighters must decide between safe attrition or high-risk finishing moves.

For enthusiasts of the 1987 original, this remake delivers precisely what they remember - the same clashing swords, the same pixelated gore, and the same satisfaction from landing that perfect head-removing strike. The development team clearly prioritized authenticity over innovation, preserving even the original's limited move sets and straightforward arenas. This approach creates a peculiar time-capsule effect, transporting players back to gaming's more experimental era when violent content alone could define a title's identity.

Barbarian captures much the original so any lover of the old C64 game will not be disappointed.

Acidic