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Combining fast - paced action and fluid parkour platforming , Shady Knight is a merriment and originative little indie secret plan that promptly makes a good impression . Built using its solid shop mechanic as a instauration and avoiding grindy or otherwise unnecessary mechanics , Shady Knight is sure to make a splash with buff of tight - paced platforming , even if this commentator thinks it could utilize a slight more style .
Before I get into this review , I think it ’s worth taper out that I ’m jolly of a unknown to the “ parkour ” genre of platformers .
Though I ’ve been made aware of late pop titles in this subgenre , like ULTRAKILL , it ’s not one I ’ve ever really been super into . The last clock time I remember really sit down and wreak these types of games was Mirror ’s Edge on my Xbox 360 . That said , it ’s difficult for me to delineate what Shady Knight does or does n’t do well because I do n’t have a foundation of references to compare it to .
While I ca n’t tell you how Shady Knight holds up to other “ competing ” rubric , I can distinguish you what I liked and what I liked less about it during my time with the game . Spoiler : After putting a fair amount of time into Shady Knight , I found myself lacking any actual criticism of the game . There were facet I did n’t enjoy quite as much as others , but overall , my printing was that the game was honest , and I had a fun clip with it .
Shady Knight has you playing as a horse , defeated in conflict by a brawny foeman and waking up in another world guided by a talk skull to search your vengeance .
The game is a potpourri of parkour platforming and knightly wildness , tasking you to complete a serial publication of levels with one end : destroy the ball and get the highest grudge possible along the way .
The main facet of this parkour platforming game is , of course , the parkour and platforming . In Shady Knight , you move somewhat fast , jump moderately far , and use a serial publication of movement abilities to ascend various towers and physically make the globe you mean to destroy . You will employ slide jumping , make out maulers ( er … daggers , actually ) , ledge - grappling , and environmental boosts like jump pad .
While I ’m unfamiliar with the writing style , I imagine a super important factor in a game like this is the bowel movement . answer it to say , Shady Knight does movement really well , and I consistently matte up a good sense of speed as I jumped , slither , and grappled my path around the map . I did n’t even mind when I overshot my jump and flew off a ledge ; it always felt like my fault when I did so .
In addition , Shady Knight features a host of enemy and some Christ Within , albeit fun , scrap mechanics to mix it up between ( and during ) your parkouring . While fighting these enemies is commonly completely optional , doing so is the best way to rack up your score by pulling off fashionable move like chain yanks , backstabbing , and kick your foes off ledges .
I was very satisfied with how combat was implemented in Shady Knight . Again , while often entirely optional , taking on your foes in stylish style was a good means to spice up things up in a discharge and challenge yourself to conquer the scoreboard . The game handle to keep the scrap feeling just as quick and bouncy as the parkour , so it never feel like a detour . Often , you’re able to and are encouraged to apply the combat as a substance to platform as well ; it ’s hard to excuse just how satisfying attaching to an foe and tugging them off a drop as you hang glide over them is .
Something I initially had mixed feelings about is how the enemy in the game can cook your bowel movement . Beyond using enemies to move yourself , you may also be knocked back by an flack or have your parachuting completely disrupted by an foe appear at the ledge you have in mind to land on . Though at times I found myself in death cringle , often due to enemies spawn around new areas they were n’t at before and crowding the landing place on very tight jumps , I never witness it too frustrating and finally came to see it as part of the challenge .
So , what else is there to say about Shady Knight ? The combat is fun , the movement is splendid , and there is n’t much more you could say about it .
While more of a nitpick and less of a literary criticism , I find the biz ’s setting and visual demonstration to be a small tiresome . Far from the hard stylise world of ULTRAKILL , Shady Knight utilise a sort of low-down - poly fantasy aspect that , while inoffensive , kind of feels like a flipped asset ring you ’d bribe on the Unreal store . Very little about the game ’s visuals manage to charm me , and I found the sort of semi - futurist - gothic aesthetic of glowing swords and spirit knights to be underwhelming ; a cool concept , sure , but not one I feel like the plot capitalized on too well with its visuals .
That being said , I thought the plot did exceptionally well with its UI and effects . It ’s the overall esthetic outside of these area that variety of failed to wow me .
Again , this is more of a nitpick than a criticism , and you ’re certainly not going to be put off by the secret plan ’s looking , nor will they be at the forefront of your mind too much as you play . Also , the talking skeleton head word is cool and is my unexampled BFF .
The Final Word
Shady Knight conflate tight - step combat with even quicker parkour , challenging you to scare off , grapple , and slay your elbow room through acute platforming puzzles on your quest to get the highest grievance possible . The game focalize on its hearty foundation of well - designed mechanism and should easily appeal to any fans of the genre .
attempt Hard Guides get a PC followup code for this biz . discover more detailed looks at popular and forthcoming claim on ourGame Reviewspage ! Shady Knight is available onSteam .
