the knightling is what i would affectionately describe as a gamecube or ps2 game. vibrant with colors, restrained in its scope but fantastic in its execution and gameplay, with a ton of heart to back it up.

don't be too fooled by the open-world tag or how people discuss this game : at its core, the knightling offers a map with the usual suspects (towers, sidequests, collectibles) but it's all very restrained. you aren't going to do 200 sided quests. you aren't going to collect 500 artifacts. you aren't going to activate 75 towers. it offers a concise experience, with a focused narrative and a strong layer of charm to tie it all together, with some fantastic movement and fun platforming.

as a weaker point i would highlight the combat - though i had no personal issue with it and found it serviceable (and even enjoyable) - but the average person will expect some epic combat, especially based off the trailers. while you can pull some cool moves, your arsenal is limited even with upgrades, and you are not about to pull combo clips to put in a youtube compilation. it has more in common with something like zelda than devil may cry.

with all that said, playing it on steam deck wasn't too great - performance isn't too hot on that front.

a strong recommendation if you can temper your expectations and aren't expecting a 200 hours game. a shame it did not seem to get more visiblity than it seemed to...!

the knightling is what i would affectionately describe as a gamecube or ps2 game. vibrant with colors, restrained in its scope but fantastic in its execution and gameplay, with a ton of heart to back it up. don't be too fooled by the open-world tag or how people discuss this game : at its core, the knightling offers a map with the usual suspects (towers, sidequests, collectibles) but it's all very restrained. you aren't going to do 200 sided quests. you aren't going to collect 500 artifacts. you aren't going to activate 75 towers. it offers a concise experience, with a focused narrative and a strong layer of charm to tie it all together, with some fantastic movement and fun platforming. as a weaker point i would highlight the combat - though i had no personal issue with it and found it serviceable (and even enjoyable) - but the average person will expect some epic combat, especially based off the trailers. while you can pull some cool moves, your arsenal is limited even with upgrades, and you are not about to pull combo clips to put in a youtube compilation. it has more in common with something like zelda than devil may cry. with all that said, playing it on steam deck wasn't too great - performance isn't too hot on that front. a strong recommendation if you can temper your expectations and aren't expecting a 200 hours game. a shame it did not seem to get more visiblity than it seemed to...!