Shadow King
- November 19, 2023
- Johan Peitz
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Shadow King," help the Knights of Valor reclaim their castle from the invading Shadow King by exploring a large map, fighting enemies, and bosses, and discovering secret rooms. The game features a metroidvania-style of gameplay, with upgrades for moves and weapons available throughout the journey. With its unique areas, engaging soundtrack, and challenging platforming, players can expect an exciting adventure. move: ⬅️➡️, jump: ❎, attack: ⓩ, drop down: ❎+⬇️, talk/enter doors: ⬆️.
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Reviews
- Charming retro aesthetic with a fun, bite-sized metroidvania experience that offers enjoyable platforming and exploration.
- Simple and responsive controls that allow for a satisfying gameplay experience, especially for fans of the genre.
- Packed with secrets and upgrades, making it a great option for a quick gaming session without overstaying its welcome.
- The game is very short, with completion times around 40-60 minutes, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Control mapping can be frustrating, as the jump and action buttons are not intuitively assigned, leading to gameplay issues.
- Some platforming mechanics feel unrefined, with issues like sluggish character movement and unreliable jump inputs.
- gameplay8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a charming, lo-fi microgame that offers a brief, self-contained experience rather than a full-fledged adventure. While it features simple and responsive controls, the mechanics are limited yet surprisingly effective, though some minor bugs were noted that did not significantly impact play. Overall, it provides a slightly original take on the microvania genre, but players should manage their expectations regarding its length and depth.
“It's charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, with a completely naive story and simple gameplay that is just barely original enough not to be every other microvania.”
“If you buy this game, be aware going in that it is very much a microgame, a self-contained appetizer or snack of gameplay, not a full-size experience.”
“It's charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, with a completely naive story and simple gameplay that is just barely original enough not to be every other microvania, but not so original that you would've wanted a longer game to see it developed.”
“The controls are simple and responsive while the gameplay gets a surprising amount of mileage out of a limited number of mechanics.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story is characterized as charmingly lo-fi and naive, offering a simplistic narrative that feels familiar yet slightly original within the microvania genre. However, its lack of depth leaves players wishing for more development, suggesting that while it has its charm, it doesn't fully engage or satisfy.
“It's charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, with a completely naive story and simple gameplay that is just barely original enough not to be every other microvania, but not so original that you would've wanted a longer game to see it developed.”
“The story is charmingly lo-fi and scuffed, featuring a completely naive narrative that feels underdeveloped.”
“The gameplay is simple and just barely original enough to stand out from other microvanias, but the story lacks depth and leaves you wanting more.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their appealing retro aesthetic, which adds a charming and nostalgic visual style to the game.
“Really nice retro aesthetic.”
