Shady Knight
- October 9, 2024
- Alexey 'cptnsigh'
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreShady 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.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Incredibly fluid movement and combat mechanics that allow for creative combos and interactions with the environment.
- The game is well-polished with a unique art style and engaging world-building, making it visually appealing.
- Challenging gameplay that is easy to learn but hard to master, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy skill-based games.
- Some levels can be confusing and unintuitive, leading to frustration when trying to progress.
- Tanky enemies and certain mechanics, like fire shields, disrupt the flow of combat and can feel punishing.
- The game lacks multiplayer options and additional modes, which many players feel would enhance the overall experience.
- gameplay118 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fluid movement mechanics and dynamic combat that encourage experimentation and mastery, offering a unique blend of speed and complexity reminiscent of titles like "Ultrakill" and "Dishonored." While many players praise the innovative mechanics and satisfying combat, some express frustration with the lack of guidance on advanced mechanics and unintuitive level design, which can hinder progression. Overall, the game is seen as a rewarding experience for those willing to explore its depth, despite some initial learning curves.
“Amazing, fluid first-person movement mechanics and beautiful art style.”
“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.”
“I hate these types of mechanics; it's such a lazy and boring way to add 'complexity.'”
“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.”
“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/easily missable (I missed an entire tutorial world because of the lack of direction).”
- music36 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and integration into gameplay, particularly during intense moments, while others find it repetitive or lacking in capturing the excitement of battles. Some players express a desire for a soundtrack release, highlighting specific tracks as favorites, while a few suggest muting the game's ambient music in favor of personal playlists. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong element that enhances the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms.
“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.”
“Love it, epic soundtrack, atmospheric environment, and bonus points for having a story.”
“Fluid combat, stellar levels, excellent soundtrack.”
“The music is also a weak point; it fails to capture the moment of the heat battle.”
“My advice personally is to mute the ambient soundtrack the game offers and plug in your own flowstate music.”
“Visuals and music are serviceable.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which enhances the overall experience with fluid movement mechanics and charming visuals. Reviewers describe the aesthetics as cohesive and creative, contributing to a satisfying gameplay experience. While some mention minor gameplay issues, the visual quality and design consistently receive high marks, making it a standout aspect of the game.
“Amazing, fluid first-person movement mechanics and beautiful art style.”
“Deep game mechanics, fluid movement, beautiful colorful art style, very satisfying to play, and it's overall just fun.”
“The overall aesthetics and visuals are very good looking.”
“Visuals and music are serviceable.”
“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).”
“The art style, the combat, the sounds, the music, it all adds up into one cohesive, creative masterpiece of an indie game, but I can't see myself putting it down for a long time.”
- story26 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing yet vague, with some players appreciating the world-building while others find it simple and predictable. Although there are elements of lore that provide cohesion, many reviewers feel that the narrative is not essential to the gameplay experience, suggesting that it could be removed without significant impact. Overall, the story is seen as a minor aspect of the game, overshadowed by its polished combat and movement mechanics.
“Really well polished, with a pretty intriguing story and world-building.”
“The game feels incredible to play and the neat little story elements added to the full game here are excellent.”
“Love it, epic soundtrack, atmospheric environment, and bonus point for having a story.”
“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.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability through various goals such as speed runs, flawless completions, and high scores, alongside an engaging ranking system. While some players find the content a bit short, the challenge of achieving top ranks and the addition of an unlockable arena mode enhance the overall experience. Despite concerns about pricing, many feel the replay value justifies the cost, making it a fun and challenging choice for players.
“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.”
“This game is super fun and replayable, and if you're looking for a fun but also challenging game, this is the game for you!”
“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.”
“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.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its nostalgic level hubs reminiscent of classic PSX titles, complemented by a striking art direction and a limited color palette. Reviewers highlight the epic soundtrack and atmospheric environments, which together create a dark, immersive tone akin to an interactive metal album, further enhanced by the inclusion of a storyline.
“A main hub for selecting levels that remind me of the old PSX level hubs (Crash, Spyro...), great atmosphere and art direction.”
“Love it, epic soundtrack, atmospheric environment, and bonus points for having a story.”
“The limited color scheme with the atmospheric soundtrack set a dark tone like an interactive metal album.”
“The atmosphere feels repetitive due to the same textures being used throughout the game.”
“The lack of variety in textures contributes to a monotonous atmosphere.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be engaging and entertaining, with some expressing a desire to skip ahead to experience more of the comedic elements. The humor is described as "funny-adrenalinic-simple-smooth," indicating a lighthearted and enjoyable tone throughout the gameplay.
“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).”
“He just dropped a 'funny-adrenaline-fueled-simple-smooth' title.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, featuring stunning graphics and impressive performance that supports a fast-paced and stylish gameplay loop. Players can expect at least 20 hours of content, along with intricate speedrunning and combat mechanics that enhance the overall experience.
“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.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a strong emotional connection to the experience of flying, highlighting the exhilarating sensation of freedom and weightlessness that comes with it. This feeling of soaring through the air evokes joy and a sense of liberation, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game's pacing can be disrupted by poorly placed obstacles that obscure progress, leading to frustrating moments where advancement feels unnecessarily hindered.
“I periodically found the flow of the game grinding to a halt when progress was awkwardly hidden underneath planks or around an unassuming corner.”
