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 and aesthetics are beautiful, with standout areas like Top City showcasing impressive design.
- The game features a solid variety of bosses and enjoyable combat mechanics, with a good balance of challenge as players progress.
- Kingdom Shell offers a rewarding exploration experience with numerous secrets and collectibles, making it engaging for Metroidvania fans.
- The game suffers from frustrating design choices, such as infrequent save points and a punishing death penalty that penalizes players for dying.
- Some platforming mechanics, particularly involving the double jump and certain enemy hitboxes, feel inconsistent and can lead to unfair deaths.
- The story and world-building are often criticized for being generic and lacking depth, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story68 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as engaging yet somewhat cryptic, with a mix of unique environmental storytelling and traditional narrative elements. While some players found the plot to be generic and slow-paced, others appreciated its darker themes and the depth of lore available through exploration. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a strong aspect, though it may require players to piece together information from various sources to fully grasp the narrative.
“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.”
“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.”
“I feel like the story is going for a slow burn, but like pretty much everything else in the game so far, it's a bit too slow and I simply don't care enough about our character to want to push through all the other gripes to find out what's going on with him.”
- music46 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the solid soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and fits well with the visuals, particularly in the later areas. However, some players find the music in the earlier biomes to be repetitive and grating after extended play. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, it has moments of inconsistency that affect the overall experience.
“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.”
“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 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.”
“There was a little bit of jankiness with the lurker fight, and 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 became very annoyingly repetitive because they repeat the same short pattern, just in different ways.”
- gameplay44 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a solid metroidvania experience, emphasizing exploration and distinct environments, though it lacks innovation and can be hindered by frustrating mechanics, such as the death system and the bouncy butterfly orbs. While the mechanics are generally smooth and enjoyable, some players may find the design issues and difficulty spikes off-putting, particularly if they are not skilled in the genre. Overall, it appeals to fans of metroidvanias but may not resonate with those seeking more compelling gameplay.
“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, only if you like the genre or the gameplay.”
“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.”
“Great art direction, but the gameplay is lacking.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by beautiful pixel art and smooth animations, with a charming aesthetic that varies across different environments. While some areas, particularly the "top city," are praised for their stunning visuals, others, like the early biomes, are noted to be less impressive and somewhat basic. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the exploration experience, blending style and detail effectively.
“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.”
“The game is an enjoyable experience that focuses on exploration with different environments and well-done graphics and gameplay.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating and unique qualities, complemented by beautiful artistic designs and a strong soundtrack. Players appreciate the immersive experience it offers, alongside interesting mechanics typical of the metroidvania genre. Despite some reservations about other aspects, the overall ambiance significantly enhances the gameplay experience.
“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.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in 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.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received positive feedback, with users noting that both performance and polish are flawless, indicating a smooth and well-refined experience.
“Lastly, there's performance and polish, which I'm happy to report were both flawless.”
“Good performance.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express confusion regarding the emotional impact of certain gameplay mechanics, particularly how enemies exhibit inconsistent behaviors regarding player interaction. This inconsistency detracts from the emotional immersion, as players struggle to understand the logic behind these interactions.
