Panzer Paladin

About

In "Panzer Paladin", pilot the Paladin power armor and wield weapons seized from the demonic hordes to save humanity. Forge and share custom melee weapons through the Steam Workshop, and prepare for a showdown between technology and the occult. Experience thrilling platforming action and intense battles in this action-packed game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 740 reviews

gameplay127 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and an engaging soundtrack that captures the retro aesthetic perfectly.
The weapon system adds depth to the gameplay, allowing players to break weapons for unique spells and manage their inventory strategically.
The level design is reminiscent of classic platformers, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.

The game suffers from frustrating difficulty spikes, particularly with instant-death pits and long stretches between checkpoints.
The controls can feel sluggish and imprecise, making platforming sections more challenging than they should be.
Many enemies and weapons lack variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and diminishing excitement as the game progresses.

gameplay
406 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of "Panzer Paladin" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of interesting mechanics like weapon durability and character swapping, but often criticized for its repetitive nature and clunky platforming. While some players appreciate the nostalgic retro feel and the challenge of managing weapons strategically, others find the mechanics underdeveloped and the level design lacking in variety, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience for fans of classic platformers, but it struggles with execution and depth in its gameplay.
- “A straightforward retro action platformer with interesting mechanics, appealing spritework, a rocking soundtrack, and just enough hidden secrets to make you feel smart for finding them.”
- “The gameplay in Panzer Paladin is fast-paced and satisfying.”
- “Beautiful art, great characters, satisfying gameplay mechanics that take some time to master... it's all here.”
- “The whole mechanic of getting out of the mech is certainly interesting, but outside of that, it doesn't really seem to fit very well in the rest of the levels since you can't activate checkpoints nor collect weapons with her, so you are forced to either find a healing item for your mech (which there aren't many through most levels), die to respawn, or complete the rest of the level as a very weak player character.”
- “The game is fun during the first two levels or so - but once you realize that the game is not going to introduce any new mechanics or challenges throughout the campaign, the gameplay loop quickly wears out its welcome.”
- “The platforming issues continue as the mech pilot, Flame, has a whip weapon used as a hook shot - this mechanic is very flimsy and, again, failing it means you die and, if you are unlucky, have to redo the entire level again.”
music
287 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
32%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its engaging and well-composed tracks that evoke nostalgia for classic 8-bit and retro soundtracks. Players appreciate the variety of themes across different stages, noting that the soundtrack enhances the overall gameplay experience and complements the vibrant pixel art. While some critiques mention that certain tracks may not be memorable, the general consensus is that the music is a standout feature, elevating the game significantly.
- “The music in the game during stages as well as boss fights is so engaging and very well composed.”
- “The music is incredible, right up there with the soundtracks of Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man II.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic and really feels like a tier below the classic Mega Man soundtracks, but only one tier below.”
- “The soundtrack is uninspired.”
- “I think the song from the sewers on the final set of levels is the only one that stood out to me as being particularly good; everything else was forgettable.”
- “Unfortunately, the further down the path you go, the more noticeable it gets: the high-quality visuals and music serve as mascara, trying to hide the sad truth that the gameplay was in dire need of additional polish.”
graphics
169 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The graphics of *Panzer Paladin* are widely praised for their vibrant retro aesthetic, reminiscent of classic 8-bit and 16-bit games, with detailed pixel art and a strong anime influence that enhances the overall experience. While many reviewers appreciate the colorful and expressive visuals, some note that the level design can lead to confusion due to competing colors and cluttered backgrounds. Overall, the game's art style and animations are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to its nostalgic charm and engaging atmosphere.
- “The artwork itself is nothing short of amazing, everything is exceptionally detailed from backgrounds to characters, and nearly all character and stage animations have clear cues to help give you an idea of how to react to a given situation.”
- “Presentation wise, Panzer Paladin is a gorgeous game to look at, with graphics that are evocative of classic 80’s platformers.”
- “The graphics are well-detailed and bright (the backgrounds in particular), the controls are tight and responsive, and the core gameplay loop prompts experimentation in using your weapon loadout.”
- “Despite being professionally produced, there's inexplicable, obsolete 2D retro pixel 'art' used instead of proper PC graphics.”
- “Due to the lazy pixel art being used instead of contemporary PC graphics, the visual quality here is very low.”
- “The graphics are confusing, and sometimes you step onto a moving platform without realizing it's about to move, which then means you accidentally hop off and die.”
story
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
72%
4%
The game's story is generally described as simple and lighthearted, with a campy charm reminiscent of 70s anime, but it lacks depth and memorability. While the narrative serves its purpose and is complemented by engaging gameplay and appealing visuals, many reviewers feel that it could benefit from more substantial story-driven elements to enhance player engagement. Overall, the story is seen as secondary to the gameplay experience, which remains enjoyable despite its superficiality.
- “This is an interesting take on a metroidvania... to battle against the evil demons and help an archangel from the heavens, you play the role of an android gal and her living mech companion on a quest to save innocent humans from terrorist monstrosities.”
- “I love the campy story and the fun characters.”
- “The story is played out in cheesy 70's anime style, and it's clear the devs put a lot of passion into the presentation, because despite a limited color palette and pixel density, they did a bang-up job making it look sleek and stylized, right down to the loading screens for the levels themselves.”
- “Unfortunately, I wasn’t as enamored with Panzer Paladin’s story as I was with the rest of the game.”
- “Panzer Paladin features short cutscenes that are meant to expand on the world and character motivations, but as a whole the story that’s told is very sparse and surface level.”
- “Story isn’t always associated with retro platformers, but I would have preferred the developers either flesh out the narrative more or just forego it altogether.”
grinding
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, particularly when upgrading weapons and health, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. The repetitive level design and the need to replay long sections after dying contribute to a frustrating experience, making the gameplay feel like a chore rather than a challenge. Additionally, the weapon durability system adds to the tedium, as players must frequently manage their inventory and deal with quickly breaking weapons.
- “The death system is by far the worst part of this game because it makes it so tedious if you are stuck on one boss to have to replay the whole just okay level over and over again to get to the boss.”
- “It eventually got so tedious that I found myself wanting to take breaks from the game - because I was hoping it would just line up the final stage and finish already.”
- “And when a game that's not really hard becomes tedious enough to make the player desire for the game to be over - it's failed as a game, and has become a chore.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through various modes, including classic and remixed story modes, tournament and speedrun options, and additional features like blacksmith mode. While the campaign may be completed in 4-6 hours, the diverse challenges and difficulty levels encourage players to return for more. However, some alternative modes are noted as lacking in replay value.
- “This is a great game with lots of replay value.”
- “Two story modes - classic and remixed, each with three levels of difficulty, tournament mode (boss rush) and speedrun mode ensure great replayability.”
- “There are also a few more extra modes and stuff to play after you've beaten the game, like blacksmith mode, where you can make your own weapons, which is super fun, so this adds a good deal to the replay value.”
- “Alternative game modes also don't add any replay value.”
- “It'll probably only take 4-6 hours to get through [i]panzer paladin[/i]'s campaign mode, but it's decently replayable and the pacing remains even and engaging throughout.”
- “A little on the short side if you're good at these sorts of games, but there seems to be enough to give it some replay value (remix mode, challenge module, difficulties, etc).”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game features minimal character development and plot, focusing instead on a basic premise of saving the world from a demon invasion. While the character designs pay homage to classic 70s and 80s sci-fi anime, the overall narrative depth is lacking, leaving players wanting more in terms of character growth and story engagement.
- “Character designs, particularly flame and grit, are nice nods to 70s and 80s sci-fi anime such as Tekkaman and Robotech.”
- “Between the character designs having similarities to Gundams, the Mega Man styles of unique weaponry and bosses, and the Zelda II blocking with the shield, this game takes a bunch of influences and smashes them together.”
- “While the game does have a basic premise (the player must save the world from an invasion of demons), there is little in the way of character development or plot.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, particularly the instant death from spikes and enemy contact, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and emotional engagement. This design choice leads to a sense of annoyance rather than fun, impacting the emotional experience negatively.
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, particularly for users on older systems, where performance may fall short of expectations. Additionally, it appears to lack proper optimization for larger screens, impacting the overall experience.
- “Performance might not be as great as you'd think if you're on an older system.”
- “It seems it has not been optimized for big screens.”
- “It seems it has not been optimized for big screen.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy for Panzer Paladin has drawn criticism, with users expressing skepticism about the game's quality based on its advertising presence on platforms like Reddit. This suggests a perception that aggressive marketing may indicate a lack of substance in the game itself.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often derived from its flaws, particularly the poorly executed dodge function, which players find amusingly ineffective.
- “Oh and the dodge function of this game is hilariously bad.”

79%Critics’ scoreBased on 16 critic reviews

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