Shady Knight

About

Shady Knight is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy, medieval, historical and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Alexey 'cptnsigh' and was released on October 9, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

This is the original Shady Knight prototype made for 7DFPS jam. Follow me on Twitter to get the latest news about the project and its development process @cptnsigh Sound effects obtained from zapsplat.com

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 785 reviews

gameplay58 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Extremely satisfying and fluid combat system with a high skill ceiling allowing creative combos and stylish gameplay.
Smooth and polished movement mechanics including parkour, grappling, sliding, and weapon dashing that create a great flow and sense of freedom.
High replayability due to a style ranking system, secret collectibles, and a variety of approaches to combat and level navigation.

Steep learning curve with poor in-game tutorials and unclear explanations of mechanics leading to player confusion and frustration.
Level design and hub navigation can be confusing and repetitive, with many visually similar environments and obtuse paths.
Late-game difficulty spikes and enemy design (e.g., shields, elites, teleporting enemies) can interrupt flow, feel unfair, and require tedious trial and error.

gameplay
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
60%
2%
The gameplay is widely praised for its fluid, stylish blend of fast-paced combat and parkour mechanics, offering deep, engaging, and skill-based mechanics reminiscent of games like Devil May Cry and Dishonored. While easy to learn and hard to master, it encourages player experimentation and creativity with a variety of unique tools and combo options, though some players note occasional unintuitive level design and a lack of guidance for complex mechanics. Overall, the gameplay delivers an intense, satisfying, and highly replayable experience that stands out for its mechanical depth and smooth execution.
- “The mechanics are taught in an understandable way, and the combat/parkour is so badass.”
- “The combat mechanics are super slick and very stylish, the movement is good, and there's a lot of tech for players to discover for themselves rather than being spoonfed it.”
- “Every level is a thrill, requiring skill and knowledge of the game and its mechanics to be able to slice, stab, throw, grapple and kick your way to victory.”
- “Instead of a convenient user experience, I get frustration every time the game introduces a new mechanic.”
- “The parkour in this game is terribly designed; it's so easy to fall off an edge because the game somehow expects you to know immediately where to go next. The new mechanics just made it feel even more unclear, annoying, and time-consuming, which is weird for a game I thought was supposed to be "fluid."”
- “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
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The game's music is generally praised for its atmospheric and fitting soundtrack that enhances immersion and complements the visuals, though some find it reserved or repetitive and less impactful during intense combat moments. While many appreciate the sound design and hope for an official soundtrack release, others prefer to play with their own music for a more energizing experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered good to great, adding significantly to the game's unique mood and style.
- “The immersion is also amazing, the OST is a banger and the visuals are so good.”
- “Everything is so polished, cozy visuals, nice sounds and great soundtrack that lingers in my memory rent-free.”
- “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. The better the score, the heavier the music plays, rewarding the butt-kicking you show your foes with a heavy grungy mix that makes you feel cool as hell.”
- “In my opinion, every combat game should have badass music playing all the time, and the music in this game is inconsistent.”
- “The single music track is repetitive too.”
- “The music is a weak point; it fails to capture the moment of the heated battle.”
story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
59%
9%
The story in this game is generally considered brief, vague, and somewhat obtuse, providing just enough context to understand the setting and characters but lacking depth and complexity. While some appreciate the thematic elements and world-building, many feel the narrative is the weakest aspect, overshadowed by intense gameplay and stylish combat. Overall, the story is enjoyable for those who focus on action, but players seeking a compelling or fleshed-out plot may find it lacking.
- “Overall, I had fun and the story while brief was an enjoyable experience.”
- “Really well polished, with a pretty intriguing story and world-building.”
- “Great game, and my only real criticism is that I'd like to see a more fleshed-out story.”
- “The story doesn't have much to it and what I experienced didn't do much for me.”
- “There's also not much of it which is fine, but if the story were removed entirely, nothing would change.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The game's graphics feature a polished, colorful, and cohesive art style that many find visually striking and immersive, often compared to a piece of art or museum-quality visuals. While some appreciate its minimalist yet stylish design and smooth first-person movement, a few mention the aesthetic can feel repetitive or slightly unfinished, potentially causing discomfort during rapid camera movements. Overall, the visuals are praised for enhancing the fast-paced, stylish gameplay and creating a memorable atmosphere.
- “The graphics look good without going over the top with performance-pumping visuals.”
- “Minimalist yet effective art style that clearly sign posts when you've done something cool.”
- “I play with low graphics and it still looks like a museum painting.”
- “The art style looks unfinished rather than "simple".”
- “The aesthetic gets super boring as you go on, with only mild palette swaps for each world, so while it looks great, it desperately needs a change of scenery once in a while.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
25%
19%
Replayability in the game is generally praised due to its ranking system, challenge variety, and unlockable modes like the practice arena, making each short level engaging to revisit. However, some players find the overall content limited and the game too short, which slightly hampers long-term replay value. Despite this, the strong skill curve and multiple goals keep many players satisfied and engaged.
- “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 goof around to your heart's content.”
- “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.”
- “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 only major downside is that the game isn't that long and it doesn't feel as replayable as I originally thought it would.”
- “I got it as a gift, it's a decent game, but $20.00 in my opinion, it's not worth it due to having no replay value.”
- “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.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is generally described as a mix of fun and tedious, with some players finding later levels punishingly difficult and repetitive, while others appreciate its forgiving nature that prevents it from becoming too tedious. Progress can sometimes feel stalled due to hidden or awkwardly placed challenges, but overall, the grinding aspect remains enjoyable for those who embrace the game's difficulty.
- “I played the demo back in 2023, it was fun and I was looking forward to seeing the other levels... you'd think they'd start to differentiate but no, repetitive boring environments, tedious gameplay, and a predictable uninteresting story.”
- “I periodically found the flow of the game grinding to a halt when progress was awkwardly hidden underneath planks or around an unassuming corner.”
- “Fun and fast, a bit grindy to get good runs but very fun.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is highlighted through absurd and playful premises, such as a parkour knight and funny weapons, which add a lighthearted and entertaining tone. Players appreciate the game’s simple, smooth, and adrenaline-fueled style that keeps the comedic elements engaging throughout.
- “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
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game features impressive optimization, delivering smooth performance and great graphics without demanding excessive hardware power. Even resource-intensive parkour mechanics run seamlessly, ensuring a fluid and fast-paced gameplay experience suitable for a wide range of PC capabilities.
- “The game runs smoothly like my PC had around 600 fps, so even a potato would probably run it.”
- “The parkour mechanics in the game are many times more demanding than the combat itself, but at the same time everything works smoothly with amazing optimization.”
- “It's got great graphics and amazing performance, with a fast and stylish gameplay loop and complex yet concise speedrunning and combat mechanics.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The atmosphere is consistently praised for its cohesive and dark tone, enhanced by an epic and fitting soundtrack that complements the limited color scheme. Users appreciate the nostalgic and immersive environment, with well-crafted art direction and a compelling story adding depth. Overall, the atmosphere effectively creates an engaging and memorable experience.
- “Love it, epic soundtrack, atmospheric environment, and bonus point for having a story.”
- “The limited color scheme with the atmospheric soundtrack sets a dark tone like an interactive metal album.”
- “A main hub for selecting levels that remind me of the old PSX level hubs (Crash, Spyro...), great atmosphere and art direction.”
- “Same textures - same atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users experienced mixed emotions, feeling a sense of monotony and stagnation due to repetitive gameplay, but also enjoyed moments of exhilaration, particularly when experiencing the sensation of flying smoothly without interruption.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the game's polished and stable experience, valuing a well-finished shorter campaign over a longer but buggy and unstable one.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s monetization is not directly addressed, but users imply that increased advertising could boost player count and revenue, suggesting potential for better financial success with more mainstream exposure.