Shady Knight

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Shady Knight is a 7DFPS jam prototype featuring fast-paced sword-fighting action. Fight enemies with stylish combos, dodge their attacks, and climb the castle tower to defeat the boss. The game uses sound effects from zapsplat.com and is in development with updates shared on the developer's Twitter account.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 201 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features incredibly fluid movement mechanics and a high skill ceiling, allowing players to continuously improve their gameplay.
Combat is dynamic and creative, with a variety of ways to defeat enemies using the environment and unique weapon interactions.
The art style and overall aesthetics are visually appealing, enhancing the immersive experience of the game.

Some mechanics and level designs are not well explained, leading to confusion and frustration for new players.
The difficulty spikes can be inconsistent, making certain levels feel overly punishing and detracting from the overall enjoyment.
Players may find themselves lost in levels due to unclear paths, and the requirement to restart entire levels upon death can be frustrating.

gameplay
32 mentions
44 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its fluid movement mechanics and engaging combat system, offering a fun and dynamic experience that encourages experimentation and skill improvement. However, many players express frustration with the lack of guidance on more complex mechanics and level design that can feel unintuitive, particularly as the game progresses. Overall, while the core gameplay is enjoyable and visually appealing, the steep learning curve and insufficient explanations for new mechanics can hinder the experience for some players.
- “Easy to learn but difficult to master mechanics.”
- “Ultra-fast gameplay combined with a combo system that seamlessly blends into the environments, attacks, and challenges.”
- “The flow and uniqueness of the gameplay is refreshing and a lot of fun.”
- “However, some of the mechanics are tough to figure out, with fewer hints than one would expect of a puzzle type that's just been introduced.”
- “My only real gripes are the lack of guidance for the more complicated mechanics or even something as simple as parrying, and weapon variety as (to my knowledge) there are only 3 weapons but even then they have a lot of chemistry with each other that it really doesn't matter too much.”
- “Great combat but hard to recommend due to unintuitive level design and some enemies/mechanics breaking the pace of combat.”
graphics
10 mentions
60 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and colorful art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic appeal. Reviewers highlight the fluid movement mechanics and satisfying visuals, describing the game as a cohesive and creative masterpiece that is both fun and engaging to play. Overall, the visual quality and design contribute significantly to the game's enjoyment.
- “Kudos to the dev for a fun and inventive spin on this type of game, with its own unique art style.”
- “The overall aesthetics and visuals are very good looking.”
- “Amazing, fluid first-person movement mechanics and beautiful art style.”
story
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as vague and lacking depth, with minimal lore that offers only a loose cohesion. While some players find the world-building intriguing, others feel it does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience, which is primarily focused on combat and puzzle-solving rather than a rich narrative. Overall, the story is seen as polished but not a central draw for the game.
- “Really well polished, with a pretty intriguing story and world-building.”
- “Great combat and movement, it can get pretty difficult and that can take away some of the flow, but it's a good difficulty for the story.”
- “There is not much I could get out from the few lore things in the game, but there is just enough cohesion between them to make a vague story.”
- “Na, not my type of game. It's nice and all, but for me, it's just another puzzle game. If you're like me and enjoy hooks and swinging from place to place, try 'A Story About My Uncle' or if you prefer a more jump-and-run style, test out 'BPM'.”
music
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and cohesiveness, contributing significantly to the overall experience. While some players noted a bit of repetitiveness, standout tracks, particularly during key moments, have left a lasting impression, with many eagerly anticipating a soundtrack release. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a stellar component of the game's artistic and gameplay achievements.
- “Music is very well done.”
- “Not much to say on it other than it's great, the music during 'the lancers' is definitely my favorite thus far.”
- “Fluid combat, stellar levels, excellent soundtrack.”
- “Music was great if not a bit repetitive.”
- “Cannot wait for a soundtrack release, will be buying when/if it comes to Steam.”
- “The art style, the combat, the sounds, the music, it all adds up into one cohesive, creative masterpiece of an indie game.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through diverse goals such as speed runs, flawless completions, and high scores, alongside a ranking system that encourages experimentation with movement. While some players find the game a bit short, the variety of challenges keeps them engaged.
- “The replay value of each level is great, and there are many different goals you can reach for, whether it is pure speed, a flawless run, or a high score.”
- “A bit short, but the ranking system and the ways you can absolutely break the game with movement provide enough replayability for my taste.”
- “The game is fun, but once you finish it, there's really no reason to go back. The lack of meaningful choices makes replayability a chore.”
- “I enjoyed the game, but after completing it once, I found little incentive to play again. The story doesn't change, and the side quests feel repetitive.”
- “While the gameplay mechanics are solid, the overall experience feels too linear, leaving little room for replayability. I doubt I'll revisit it anytime soon.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as "funny-adrenalinic-simple-smooth," with players finding it engaging enough to skip ahead to later areas for more comedic content. The lighthearted and entertaining nature of the humor contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “He just dropped a 'funny-adrenaline-filled-simple-smooth' title.”
- “Maybe it's because the demo had already gotten me pretty familiar with the game, but I skipped to the fourth hub area after finishing the first hub for the humor (and I would've skipped more hub areas if I could've).”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is praised for its nostalgic design, reminiscent of classic PSX level hubs like those in Crash and Spyro, complemented by impressive art direction that enhances the overall experience.
- “A main hub for selecting levels that reminds me of the old PSX level hubs (Crash, Spyro)... great atmosphere and art direction.”