Skautfold: Moonless Knight
- March 4, 2020
- Steve Gal
Get on Steam"Skautfold: Moonless Knight" is a Metroidvania game set in a single, interconnected world, where you explore the Imperial Palace to uncover its history and dark secrets. With a semi-open design, you can choose your path and battles, discover numerous secrets, and return to past areas with newfound relics to grow in power. The game features a variety of elements to find, from familiars to aid you in combat to eldritch horrors and even ninja-like pugs.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Moonless Knight features a polished combat system that combines elements from previous games in the Skautfold series, offering a satisfying and engaging gameplay experience.
- The game presents a unique and imaginative setting, blending Lovecraftian themes with a Japanese aesthetic, which enhances the overall atmosphere and storytelling.
- Exploration is rewarding, with various relics and collectibles that encourage backtracking and provide new abilities, making the gameplay feel dynamic and engaging.
- The game suffers from a lack of proper guidance and tutorials, leaving players to figure out mechanics and controls on their own, which can lead to confusion and frustration.
- Some players find the enemy variety lacking, with many areas reusing similar enemy types, which can make exploration feel repetitive over time.
- The leveling system and character progression can feel underwhelming, as it doesn't provide significant impact or motivation to experiment with different weapons and abilities.
- story30 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in the latest Skautfold game is engaging and well-crafted, particularly for fans of Lovecraftian themes, though some reviewers noted it may not be as strong as other aspects of the game. While it's possible to enjoy this installment without prior knowledge of the series, playing earlier entries is highly recommended for a richer understanding of the plot and lore. Overall, the narrative is complemented by unique bosses and impressive pixel art, making it a worthwhile experience for those invested in the series.
“Finally, a game series that gets a Lovecraftian story right.”
“Additionally, the Skautfold series is an extremely earnest attempt at telling a compelling story via a medium that lends itself to storytelling unlike any other.”
“At this point, I'm too deep into the story to back off from playing through each game in the series, and I don't regret a minute of it.”
“Overall, the story, combat, and writing are possibly the weaker aspects of the game, but they are still very much enjoyable if you love the series in general.”
“Edit: I heavily recommend that the other entries in the series, or at the very least the first two, are played first, as this game's plot and lore call back a lot to those and spoil some of their plot twists; you can go in blind, but you will be rather lost and miss out on a lot of cool callbacks and details.”
“For some reason, this doesn't play when starting a new game, but it is essentially the opening cutscene describing everything you're about to do and your character's mission.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its depth and engaging mechanics, offering a smooth experience once players grasp the initial learning curve. The combat system emphasizes a risk vs. reward dynamic, allowing for strategic play through feints, dodges, and a unique guard mechanic. While the game retains some rough edges, it is considered the best in the Skautfold series, featuring a metroidvania-style exploration and a variety of weapons that enhance combat diversity.
“The combat system is easy to learn but packs quite a bit of depth with its mechanics: your attacks are really slow, even the faster weapons have a long wind-up, but you can 'feint', cancelling it just before it hits and either dodge or block. If you feint at the exact time the opponent attacks, then you parry it and turn the damage back at him. It has a 'guard' system that makes it so your stamina also works as a kind of shield, which you can instantly regenerate by dodging or blocking at just the right time.”
“All this makes it so the game has a big focus on risk vs reward gameplay, but it all feels extremely good to learn and master. It also allows you to adapt your playstyle to the situation as you see fit.”
“Base gameplay here is at the high point of all the Skautfold games, hands down my favorite combat system of the four.”
“Edit: managed to beat a few bosses but I admit the game's mechanics should've been spread out a little better.”
“The gameplay is still rough around the edges, but more visceral than in the earlier games.”
“This time around we're back to a metroidvania-ish gameplay style, which reminds of the 2nd game in the series, Usurper (except it's sort of top-down instead of side-scrolling).”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often unenjoyable, with some noting that while there are shortcuts and fast travel options, backtracking can become monotonous. However, a few users appreciate that the game does not feel excessively grindy, which is seen as a positive feature.
“In short, this is a game that is tedious and just not a fun thing to play.”
“Needlessly tedious.”
“There are shortcuts to open and fast travel points to unlock, although sometimes the backtracking can get a little tedious when you’ve killed everything and hit a dead end.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is notably diminished due to its single ending, which contrasts with other titles in the series that offered multiple outcomes. This limitation has been highlighted as a significant drawback by users.
“The only major negative, I feel, is that unlike other games in the series, this one only has a single ending, which robs it of some replayability.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are not particularly impressive, but this can be overlooked given that it was developed by a single individual in about a year, with a stronger emphasis placed on gameplay quality.
“While the graphics may not be the most stunning in the gaming world, it's impressive to consider that the entire game was developed by a single person in about a year. The focus on great gameplay makes it easy to overlook any graphical shortcomings.”
“The graphics may not be top-tier, but given that this game was created by one individual in just a year, it's commendable. The emphasis on gameplay is what truly stands out.”
“Although the visuals aren't the most breathtaking, the fact that a single developer accomplished this in a year is remarkable. The gameplay experience is what really takes center stage.”
