The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight
- November 6, 2014
- alpha six productions
Get on SteamThe Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight is a fast-paced, action-packed platformer game. Players control Joylancer, a motor knight with a powerful drill lance, battling enemies and bosses across various stages. With a vibrant art style and intense combat, players must strategize and upgrade their abilities to save the kingdom.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has vibrant and colorful graphics, showcasing great sprite work and animations.
- The combat mechanics are fast-paced and enjoyable, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
- There is potential for the game to improve significantly if the developers address the current issues.
- The game appears to be abandoned, with no significant updates since 2015 and unfulfilled promises from the developers.
- The user interface and menu navigation are confusing and unintuitive, making it difficult to start playing.
- The soundtrack is widely criticized as grating and distracting, detracting from the overall experience.
- music27 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players describing it as grating, disjointed, and distracting, to the point of deterring them from playing. While there is an option to replace the soundtrack with personal music, this workaround is seen as insufficient to address the poor quality of the original tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is viewed as a significant flaw that detracts from the overall gaming experience.
“Music in a game is very important to me. It helps set the pace, setting, etc., and it seems this music was going for a sort of fast pace by using a repetitive jumble of notes in all cases.”
“The music is interesting, but I personally have heard better songs. However, you can choose your own music in the menus, which is always a plus.”
“I really like the art style and the customization of colors, backgrounds, and even music is a really nice touch.”
“Can't really comment on the gameplay, as the horrendous music prevented me from continuing to play.”
“This is some of the most grating chiptune music I have ever heard.”
“I have never before been deterred by a game's music before, but this time I honestly cannot bring myself to try the game again because of the music.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their well-executed retro aesthetic, particularly the Game Boy and 8-bit styles, which stand out in a saturated market. However, some players express a desire for more graphical options and improvements, such as higher definition graphics or additional retro styles. While the visuals are generally well-received, issues like poor hitbox alignment and control can detract from the overall experience.
“Aesthetics - while the gaming market is saturated with titles that attempt to capture the retro game art style (most done poorly), Joylancer manages to pull off the style well.”
“The 2D graphics and retro aesthetic look great.”
“I really like the art style and the customization of colors, backgrounds, and even music is a really nice touch.”
“The style and graphics have tons of potential and are well made, but at the same time can often be not comprehensible.”
“Bad controls, poor hitbox/graphics alignment, and so on.”
“The only thing that really bothers me, and I believe most will disagree with me, is the choice of retro 8-bit graphics.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, chaotic combat and functional platforming mechanics, drawing comparisons to classic titles while incorporating a unique drill mechanic. While many players appreciate the intuitive controls and satisfying combat, some express frustration with distracting music and a confusing UI. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable but could benefit from further refinement and polish.
“The platforming is functional, the rev mechanic is fun, and the sprite work is the highlight of the game.”
“Speaking of combat mechanics, they are very fluid; brawls are chaotic in the best kind of way, and beating up on enemies is so satisfying.”
“While the menu might seem confusing the first time you try it, the gameplay itself is very intuitive and easy to learn, providing a lot of speed in combat and platforming.”
“Can't really comment on the gameplay, as the horrendous music prevented me from continuing to play.”
“Gameplay - as I mentioned before, a lot of games are now trying to use the retro aesthetic and most of those games, in my experience, are pretty awful gameplay-wise.”
“An additional note, the music can be really good but one track in particular I do not enjoy as it is disjointed and distracting from the gameplay, at least for me.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Despite being in early access and experiencing some bugs and clunkiness, the story and lore are captivating, particularly the intriguing character of King Rosell and the suspense surrounding his plans after 256 years of peace.
“For something in early access and still in beta, there are bound to be many bugs, frustrating parts, and clunkiness all around, but aside from that, the story, lore, and main character are engrossing. It makes you wonder what King Rosell of the Roselian army has up his sleeve this time around, after 256 years of peace.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged with the plot.”
“Character development is shallow, leaving me feeling disconnected from their motivations and actions.”
“The pacing of the narrative is uneven, with long stretches of dull exposition that detract from the overall experience.”
