Kingdom Shell
- October 5, 2023
- Cup of Pixels
- 20h median play time
Get on SteamIn Kingdom Shell, the magical Shell that protects the Kingdom has shattered, unleashing nightmarish creatures. Players control Elias, a half-blood who may be the Kingdom's only hope. Explore the Kingdom, battle enemies, complete quests, and engage in challenging boss fights, all presented in stunning hand-drawn pixel art. Stop the impending catastrophe and uncover the Kingdom's lore.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The pixel art is beautiful and reminiscent of classic 90s games, with distinct and engaging environments.
- The game features enjoyable boss fights that ramp up in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge as players progress.
- The exploration aspect is well-designed, with numerous secrets and collectibles that encourage backtracking and discovery.
- The game suffers from a lack of save points, leading to frustrating backtracking after deaths, especially in challenging platforming sections.
- Combat feels basic and can be unsatisfying, with limited attack options and inconsistent hitboxes that detract from the overall experience.
- The healing system is restrictive, as players must purchase healing items and lose currency upon death, which can discourage exploration and combat.
- story34 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story is described as engaging yet somewhat cryptic, with a mix of unique environmental storytelling and traditional narrative elements. While some players found it simple and generic, others appreciated its darker themes and the depth of lore available through exploration. Overall, the narrative experience is enjoyable but may require patience and attention to fully appreciate its nuances.
“The world, story, and writing are all engaging as well.”
“The story had a really cool setup that started off stronger than it ended but remained engaging throughout.”
“Unique and interesting story that leans towards darker themes of prejudice, classism, and grief, among other facets.”
“The story is impossible to follow; the pause menu desperately needs some kind of dialog log system that allows you to keep track of what has happened in this world.”
“There's a story somewhere in there, and the story is delivered in many cryptic snippets, much like a typical soulslike game.”
“That said, there's no urgency to anything; the story pieces often come as something of a side-thought, with random NPCs popping up to provide exposition on nouns that you've long forgotten.”
- music23 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the solid and fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, particularly in later areas. However, some players find the earlier tracks repetitive and irritating after extended play. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, it has moments of inconsistency that affect the gaming experience.
“Great pixel art graphics, smooth animations, a solid soundtrack and challenge that ramps up over the course of the game. The game is an absolute steal at full price, let alone a sale.”
“The gorgeous visuals are accompanied by a fitting soundtrack that, while a bit more on the retro side, still felt like it belonged.”
“Shoutout to the excellent soundtrack as well; Samdee nailed the vibe on every track and really elevates each location.”
“The music is irritatingly repetitive; the heal system cripples your desire to actually fight anything or explore, and the camera/screen judders whenever it scrolls in classic GameMaker Studio 2 style.”
“By that point, the repetitive music tracks of the first two biomes had been grating on me.”
“At first, I thought the music was alright, but after 15 minutes in either of the first two biomes, the tracks actually get very annoyingly repetitive because they repeat the same short pattern, just in different ways.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by enjoyable exploration and distinct environments, making it a solid metroidvania experience, though it lacks innovation and has some fundamental design issues. While the mechanics are generally smooth and entertaining, particularly in platforming, players may find certain elements, like the death mechanics and bouncy butterfly orbs, frustrating. Overall, the game appeals to genre fans but may not satisfy those seeking a more polished experience.
“If you like exploration, smooth mechanics, and perfectly enjoyable difficulty, this is an excellent metroidvania.”
“The game is an enjoyable experience that focuses on exploration with different environments and well-done graphics and gameplay.”
“The game has a strong atmosphere and interesting mechanics; this one is a proper metroidvania too with ability gating and backtracking.”
“It's functional but barely enjoyable, only if you like the genre or the gameplay.”
“One of the main disadvantages, in my opinion, is the reworking of the basic mechanics of soullike games.”
“The dev is extremely hardworking in fixing some of the more egregious bugs in the game, but unfortunately the more I play, the more I realize the problems with this game are in its fundamentals, such as the game economics, death mechanics, level design, and enemy design.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a charming blend of pixel art and varied aesthetics, with standout areas like "top city" showcasing beautiful visuals and smooth animations. While the overall art style is appealing, some early environments lack detail and feel somewhat basic, contrasting with the more polished later sections. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the exploration experience, enhancing the game's atmosphere and charm.
“Very good metroidvania with beautiful pixel graphics.”
“Great pixel art graphics, smooth animations, a solid soundtrack and challenge that ramps up over the course of the game; the game is an absolute steal at full price, let alone a sale.”
“Gorgeous graphics that showcase the varied game environments and enemies.”
“Overall, the aesthetic is somewhere between blasphemous and Momodora.”
“The map itself opens up nicely after the halfway point, with the artistic design and aesthetic of the top city and royal palace being truly excellent, but the early portions of the game lack that general flair and, in the case of the sewers, are truly basic and almost unfinished-looking in comparison.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating and artistic design, complemented by a strong soundtrack and engaging mechanics. Players appreciate the unique ambiance and the interesting narrative elements, making it a notable entry in the metroidvania genre. Despite some reservations, the overall execution of the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“The game's atmosphere is captivating, and reading the texts is interesting.”
“I just started playing it and I can say that I love it; good artistic designs, beautiful atmosphere, good bosses, good soundtrack.”
“The game has a strong atmosphere and interesting mechanics; this one is a proper metroidvania too with ability gating and backtracking.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable, with traversal between areas being mostly smooth. However, some note that save points can be sparse and distant from bosses, necessitating some grinding, particularly at the beginning of the endgame.
“Some grinding is required at the start of the endgame.”
“Traversal between areas was generally non-tedious, although certain save points were a bit too far from the bosses and a bit scarce.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game's optimization is excellent, highlighting flawless performance and a high level of polish.
“Lastly, there's performance and polish, which I'm happy to report were both flawless.”
“Good performance.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express confusion regarding the emotional impact of character interactions, particularly how certain enemies exhibit inconsistent behaviors towards player engagement, which detracts from the overall emotional immersion in the game.
