Panzer Paladin

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 198 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Panzer Paladin Game Cover
When you want to feel like a powerful mech rider carving through massive demons, Panzer Paladin just can’t be beat.
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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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 198 reviews
gameplay31 positive mentions
grinding11 negative mentions
  • Great graphics and charming pixel art that captures the retro aesthetic perfectly.
  • Fun and engaging gameplay with responsive controls and a unique weapon system that encourages experimentation.
  • Excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and evokes nostalgia.
  • The difficulty can be inconsistent, with some sections feeling unfairly punishing due to cheap deaths.
  • Limited variety in enemy design and mechanics, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • The checkpoint system can be frustrating, requiring players to sacrifice weapons to activate them, which can hinder progress.
  • gameplay120 mentions

    The gameplay of "Panzer Paladin" is a blend of nostalgic 8-bit mechanics and modern design, featuring tight controls and a straightforward combat loop that encourages experimentation with weaponry. While the game offers enjoyable platforming and combat, it suffers from some outdated mechanics, such as punishing level design and a tedious weapon durability system, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its charming visuals and engaging boss battles, the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks the depth needed to fully realize its interesting mechanics.

    • “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.”
    • “The gameplay in Panzer Paladin is fast-paced and satisfying.”
    • “Panzer Paladin has great, easy-to-learn controls and the gameplay loop is very straightforward: get weapons, kill bad guys, defeat boss.”
    • “This Mega Man-like game is just full of bad ideas, bad level design, and terrible gameplay decisions.”
    • “While there is a lot of great things to love about this game (the design, the music, the pixel art, etc.), the gameplay is incredibly uninspiring.”
    • “The gameplay feels rather simple, and it gets old and tedious fast.”
  • music91 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and nostalgic 8-bit and synthwave-inspired tracks that enhance the overall experience. While some found certain pieces forgettable, the majority highlighted the soundtrack's ability to evoke the charm of classic NES and SNES games, making it a standout feature. Overall, the music is described as fantastic, engaging, and a significant contributor to the game's retro aesthetic and enjoyment.

    • “The music is fantastic and so is the pixel art.”
    • “The soundtrack is fantastic and really feels like a tier below the classic Mega Man soundtracks, but only one tier below.”
    • “Each stage stands out with unique scenery, a few different enemy types, and music which fits the theme.”
    • “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.”
    • “The music was alright but a bit 8-bit generic (still some tunes were stuck in my head, so that's a good sign that at least the game has good tunes).”
  • graphics55 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, detailed pixel art and strong retro aesthetic, effectively capturing the essence of 8-bit and late '80s anime styles. While many reviewers appreciate the fluid animations and colorful backgrounds, some note that the color palette can occasionally lead to confusion between backgrounds and foregrounds. Overall, the visuals are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's nostalgic charm, despite some criticisms regarding level design and repetitiveness.

    • “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.”
    • “The game also has a strong sense of style, with colorful and detailed pixel art graphics and a synthwave-inspired soundtrack.”
    • “Presentation wise, Panzer Paladin is a gorgeous game to look at, with graphics that are evocative of classic 80’s platformers.”
    • “My main issue with the game is that sometimes it takes too much inspiration from the NES era, not only in graphics or audio, but in design decisions as well.”
    • “The color palette and art style are also not to my taste; it can get really blocky and hard to discern backgrounds and foregrounds at times.”
    • “Visuals are a bit more subjective: the animations made it easy to see what was going on in most cases, but every so often the color schemes started to blend together and felt samey (especially with certain enemies).”
  • story37 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered simple and somewhat superficial, often compared to classic Mega Man narratives, but it serves its purpose without detracting from the enjoyable gameplay. While some players appreciate the nostalgic and stylized presentation, including cutscenes reminiscent of 70s anime, many feel that the narrative could have been more fleshed out. Overall, the game prioritizes gameplay over story, with additional modes like remix and boss rush providing replayability despite the lack of depth in the storyline.

    • “Beating the game rewards you with the remix story mode.”
    • “The story is played out in a 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.”
    • “Concept is a 14/10 to start with (mecha knight vs. mythological creatures all over the world), the story is simple but has enough there, the cut-scenes are serious eye candy, the OST is jamming, and difficulty is absolutely present.”
    • “One minor issue I had with the game was the lack of story.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly during the initial level and the lengthy Wily Castle section, which features overly long levels and stiff controls. The need to upgrade weapons and manage inventory adds to the monotony, leading some to feel that the game becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Overall, while the game has enjoyable elements, the grinding mechanics detract significantly from the overall fun.

    • “There is a Wily Castle section at the end of the game that is like 7 levels long; you can't go back to the normal levels or you'll lose progress, so you have to finish all of these in one sitting. These levels are very long and tedious.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a moderate level of replayability, bolstered by multiple modes such as classic and remixed story modes, tournament and speedrun options, and additional features like blacksmith mode. While the campaign can be completed in 4-6 hours, the variety of challenges and difficulties encourages players to revisit the game for a more engaging experience. However, some users feel that alternative modes do not significantly enhance replay value.

    • “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).”
    • “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 'Panzer Paladin'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 development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is minimal, with a basic premise centered on saving the world from demons and lacking depth in plot progression. While the character designs pay homage to classic sci-fi anime and feature unique weaponry, they do not contribute significantly to character growth or narrative complexity.

    • “Character designs, particularly flame and grit, are nice nods to 70s and 80s sci-fi anime such as Tekkaman and Robotech.”
    • “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.”
    • “Character designs, particularly flame & grit are nice nods to 70s & 80s sci-fi anime such as Tekkaman & 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.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players express frustration with the emotional impact of instant deaths from spikes or falls, highlighting how these moments can detract from the overall experience and lead to feelings of annoyance.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy for Panzer Paladin has drawn skepticism, with users suggesting that heavy advertising on platforms like Reddit may indicate a lack of quality in the game itself.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
    • “The constant ads and prompts to purchase in-game currency really detract from the overall experience.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game has been criticized for poor optimization on larger screens, leading to a subpar visual experience.

    • “It seems it has not been optimized for big screens.”
    • “The game suffers from significant performance issues, especially on lower-end hardware.”
    • “Loading times are excessively long, indicating poor optimization.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

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