Vanguard Knights

About

Vanguard Knights is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Royal Skies LLC and was released on January 9, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Vanguard Knights is a high octane, 3D, arcade-style shooter. Engage waves of enemy squadrons, massive robotic bosses, and weave through obstacles in order to destroy the enemy and keep your squad alive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 33 reviews

story5 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Vanguard Knights offers a charming blend of Star Fox and Ikaruga gameplay, featuring engaging mechanics like color swapping that adds depth to combat.
The game is praised for its fun and challenging boss fights, as well as its nostalgic appeal to fans of classic arcade shooters.
Despite being an indie project, the game showcases impressive dedication from the developer, with a unique visual style and a humorous tone that resonates with players.

The controls can be clunky and take time to get used to, leading to frustration during fast-paced gameplay, especially in free-roaming sections.
Many players noted issues with clarity in the game's visuals and HUD, making it difficult to track enemies and manage health during chaotic moments.
The story and character development are considered weak, lacking depth and clarity, which detracts from the overall experience.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
79%
8%
The game's story, while featuring an intriguing premise of a conflict between humans and an AI-led faction, is often criticized for being hard to follow and lacking depth, with many players feeling it takes a backseat to gameplay. Despite some charm and potential for development, the narrative is described as thin and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more context and backstory to enhance their experience. Overall, while the action may hold attention, the story is seen as the weakest aspect of the game.
- “The overall plot is pretty cool, nothing super unique, but still very charming with the story being that an AI grew so knowledgeable that humans feared it and it sent itself into space to start its own colonies under the name of the Union, whereas the humans formed the Alliance and the two oppose each other, you as the main character fight for the Union as a war between the two factions breaks out.”
- “My exposure to the story element of the game has been limited considering how far I am in the game, but you can tell that the developer put a lot of effort into it.”
- “This was like British vs Germans WWI Christmas levels of 'made me wonder if I was the good guy.' Unfortunately, I wish that went somewhere in the story.”
- “Flesh out the story; I saw some hints of intrigue that could have been further developed. Better graphics and voice acting/sound work would also help.”
- “Story: definitely the weakest area.”
- “We don't know anything about what set this conflict off, the build-up to said conflict, or the overall goal of the enemies other than 'destroy the good guys!' I understand that this game is following the same blueprint as Lylat Wars, but despite that game being 22 years old this year, it still managed a brief backstory to show what was at stake.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
10%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its fun mechanics and engaging color-switching system reminiscent of classic titles like Star Fox, while others criticize its janky controls and lack of polish. The game features a blend of on-rails shooting and dogfighting styles, but issues such as unclear tutorials and a cumbersome targeting reticle detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, many find the gameplay enjoyable and rewarding once familiar with its mechanics.
- “Pretty nice bullet hell game— the mechanics are pretty straightforward, some dialogues made me laugh a bit here and there, and the music was a blast.”
- “Vanguard Knights is a short game, maybe 2 and a half, 3 hours, but in those 3 hours are a ton of really great gameplay ideas.”
- “Despite how I bash certain aspects of the gameplay, perhaps being a little nitpicky at points, I do honestly love the gameplay; it is very fun when things go the way they should go and you know that any mistakes are your own.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “During gameplay, your targeting reticle (crosshairs) do not move with the player’s ship movement.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising its unique art style and overall visual appeal, especially for an indie project, while others criticize it for lacking the polish and depth found in more established titles. Although the visuals are generally enjoyable, they can become overwhelming during intense gameplay moments, leading to difficulties in tracking the action. Overall, the graphics are considered decent, with a score around 6.5/10, reflecting a balance between simplicity and effectiveness.
- “Enjoy the fantastic art style for a one-man project.”
- “Really cool game, nice graphics, and the guy who made this also makes the best Blender and Unity tutorials.”
- “Graphically, the game is quite superb.”
- “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunkier than needed control scheme to the less than cutting edge graphics.”
- “There's not that much wrong with the on-rails sections apart from when the screen becomes really busy with bullets and lasers; you can very easily lose your reticle and sometimes even yourself when the visuals get a little overwhelming.”
- “As for the graphics settings, the settings are controlled by giving each category a number value of 1 through 10.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
67%
20%
The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the energetic soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. While some enjoyed the unique and engaging tracks, others felt that the limited number of songs detracted from the overall experience, suggesting that additional music would have been beneficial. Overall, the audio complements the game's fast-paced action, though improvements in volume balance and variety are recommended.
- “Pretty nice bullet hell game—the mechanics are pretty straightforward, some dialogues made me laugh a bit here and there, and the music was a blast.”
- “On a lighter note, I personally loved the soundtrack; it included tracks with a nice beat that really got you pumped for the action and sounded pretty cool.”
- “The music's alright.”
- “I think there were only 3 tracks playing; more music would have improved the game.”
- “Soft electro music definitely fits the aesthetic of this fast-paced space shooter, but I feel they could've done with maybe one or two more songs.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the occasional funny dialogue and amusing voice acting, despite some inconsistencies. Overall, the comedic elements add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- “Pretty nice bullet hell game—the mechanics are pretty straightforward, some dialogues made me laugh a bit here and there, and the music was a blast.”
- “The humor in it is just right for me.”
- “Voice acting here is a little wonky, but at times the dialogue sounded funny!”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Vanguard Knights is criticized for its $5 price tag, which many users feel is unjustified due to the game's defects and shortcomings, especially when compared to the abundance of free, higher-quality games available on Steam.
- “Vanguard Knights has a cash grab price of around $5 USD. It's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings of the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it pushes players to spend money on features that should be included in the base game.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many essential items are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the controls to be responsive and fair, with no significant game-breaking bugs reported. However, some users have noted issues with the camera, describing it as occasionally buggy and erratic.
- “The camera is a little buggy and all over the place.”
- “Controls feel responsive enough, so nothing really feels unfair, but I haven't encountered any game-breaking bugs or glitches so far.”