Shady Knight

About

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 998 reviews

gameplay79 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Incredible movement mechanics that allow for a high degree of creativity and fluidity in combat.
Engaging and satisfying combat system that rewards players for stylish play and experimentation.
Strong replayability with a variety of levels and challenges, encouraging players to improve their skills and achieve higher ranks.

Some level designs can be confusing and unintuitive, making it difficult to determine the intended path forward.
Certain enemies can feel overly punishing, especially with mechanics that require specific strategies to defeat.
The game can become repetitive due to similar environments and enemy types, leading to a lack of variety in later levels.

gameplay
198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
59%
2%
The gameplay of the game is widely praised for its fluidity, depth, and innovative mechanics, combining parkour and combat in a way that encourages experimentation and skill mastery. Players appreciate the smooth movement and dynamic combat, though some express frustration over the lack of clear tutorials for advanced mechanics, leading to a trial-and-error learning process. Overall, the game offers a satisfying and addictive experience, appealing to both casual players and those seeking a challenge.
- “I can't recommend this game enough, it's well worth the price for its replayability and easy to learn, very hard to master gameplay.”
- “The various mechanics work together so smoothly, and parkouring all over the arena while improvising and coming up with all kinds of creative ways to dispatch your enemies never stops being fun.”
- “The gameplay is amazing, the maps are beautiful and despite not understanding or knowing most of the lore, the little I do know kept me wanting more!”
- “Only complaint is there are a lot of mechanics / special moves that are only explained in tips in the levels or in secret levels, like the bow does a homing shot while sliding.”
- “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.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
5%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its dynamic integration that enhances the gameplay experience, making players feel powerful during combat. However, many users note that the soundtrack can be repetitive and fails to capture the intensity of battles, leading some to suggest muting it in favor of personal playlists. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's atmosphere, it is seen as a weak point by several players who desire more variety and engagement.
- “Insanely good game that does a great job at really making you feel badass and powerful - all in a constant, hypnotizing flow accompanied by the dynamic music picking up and becoming more enthusiastic as you style on your foes.”
- “If you're looking for any of that, I highly recommend picking this game up. This is a game I would recommend at full price in a heartbeat, incredibly fun, and the music slaps, rewarding the butt kicking you show your foes with a heavy grungy mix that makes you feel cool as hell.”
- “Fluid combat, stellar levels, excellent soundtrack.”
- “The music is also a weak point; it fails to capture the moment of the heat of battle.”
- “I do wish there was more music, though.”
- “My advice personally is to mute the ambient soundtrack the game offers and plug in your own flowstate music.”
story
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
57%
9%
The story in the game is generally described as brief and simplistic, serving primarily as a motivation for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate the minimalistic approach and find it enjoyable, others criticize it for being predictable and lacking depth, suggesting that its removal would not significantly impact the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a secondary element to the game's stylish combat and mechanics.
- “Overall, I had fun and the story, while brief, was an enjoyable experience.”
- “Love it, epic soundtrack, atmospheric environment, and bonus points for having a story.”
- “Really well polished, with a pretty intriguing story and world-building.”
- “I found the story unnecessarily obtuse given how simple and predictable it is.”
- “There's also not much of it which is fine, but if the story were removed entirely, nothing would change.”
- “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.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
34%
8%
The game's graphics have received widespread acclaim for their vibrant and unique art style, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the fluid movement mechanics and the visually engaging combat, describing the visuals as both beautiful and immersive. While some critiques mention minor gameplay issues, the overall aesthetic and presentation are considered standout features of the game.
- “The game's art style looks awesome, the weapons feel so good to use, and the enemies are really fun to style on as you pogo off their heads with spears, drop from hundreds of feet in the air right on their face with a sword, or captain-america's-shield them and ping-pong it back and forth through a crowd of enemies.”
- “It's got great graphics, amazing performance, at least 20 hours of content, secrets, an amazingly fast and stylish gameplay loop, and a ton of speedrunning and combat tech that is both complex and concise.”
- “Deep game mechanics, fluid movement, beautiful colorful art style, very satisfying to play, and it's overall just fun.”
- “As much as I love the visuals and presentations of the game, gameplay-wise could be better. The game feels like it wasn't playtested enough; some things aren't explained or easily missable (I missed an entire tutorial world because of the lack of direction).”
- “Visuals and music are serviceable.”
- “The game feels like it wasn't playtested enough; some things aren't explained or easily missable.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players enjoying the challenge of mastering levels through various goals such as speed runs and high scores. While some feel the content is limited for the price, the engaging ranking system and unlockable modes keep players coming back for more. Overall, it is highly recommended for those seeking a fun and challenging experience.
- “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.”
- “While there are 40 or so stages in the game and they can be beaten pretty quickly, they are also insanely replayable - I've played some of my favorite stages dozens of times, trying to do better than before or kill enemies in different ways.”
- “I'd say it's too overpriced for the amount of content on offer, but it's just so damn replayable that I feel satisfied with how much I paid vs how much I received.”
- “A bit short, but the ranking system and the ways you can absolutely break the hell out of this game with movement provide enough replayability for my taste.”
- “But the replay value I had trying to SSS rank every level was incredibly fun, and there is an arena mode that you can unlock as well to have fun in and goof around to your heart's content.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its neat design and effective soundtrack, which, while lacking catchy hooks, complements the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the dark tone created by a limited color scheme and the art direction, likening it to an interactive metal album, and appreciate the nostalgic main hub reminiscent of classic PSX games. Overall, the combination of these elements contributes to a compelling and immersive environment.
- “Love it! Epic soundtrack, atmospheric environment, and bonus points for having a story.”
- “The limited color scheme with the atmospheric soundtrack sets a dark tone like an interactive metal album.”
- “The atmosphere is neat, and I think the soundtrack fits really nicely, even if it isn't filled with cool catchy hooks and beats.”
- “Same textures - same atmosphere.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurd premise of being a parkour knight, which is presented as completely normal among friends. Players enjoy the comedic elements, including quirky weapons and a lighthearted tone, making the experience feel fun and engaging. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal, encouraging players to explore further for more laughs.
- “The premise is hilarious: you're some sort of parkour knight, and that's totally normal because so are all your friends.”
- “Funny weapons go brrr.”
- “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 funny (and I would've skipped more hub areas if I could've).”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its exceptional optimization, delivering smooth performance and impressive graphics while offering a rich gameplay experience with over 20 hours of content. The parkour mechanics are notably demanding, yet they function seamlessly, contributing to a fast-paced and stylish gameplay loop that supports both casual play and competitive speedrunning.
- “The parkour mechanics in the game are many times more demanding than the combat itself (unless the player is chasing the best rating on each map), but at the same time everything works smoothly and with amazing optimization of the game.”
- “It's got great graphics, amazing performance, at least 20 hours of content, secrets, an amazingly fast and stylish gameplay loop, and a ton of speedrunning and combat tech that is both complex and concise.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the gameplay is generally fun and fast-paced, some users feel that progress can be hindered by poorly placed obstacles that disrupt the flow. Overall, the grind is seen as a necessary part of achieving better runs, but it can occasionally lead to frustrating moments.
- “I periodically found the flow of the game grinding to a halt when progress was awkwardly hidden underneath planks or around an unassuming corner.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the experience of soaring through the air, highlighting the joy and freedom it brings. This sense of exhilaration is a recurring theme, emphasizing the uplifting nature of the gameplay.