Today is the day of spooks so we are reviewing this terrifying Nintendo Switch indie title known as Knight Terrors. We want to thank Nicalis for sending us a review copy of this game.
Runner games were the norm on mobile devices for a very long time and I think this has garnered a negative view on them. They are often very simple and designed to be played over with a simple high score being the main goal. Essentially they are the new arcade games of years past. In order to stand-out in this genre, some try to add a specific gimmick to make it more individual whether it be Flappy Birds awkward physics, Bit.Trip Runner’s use of rhythm or Sonic Runners uh… use of Sonic? Knight Terrors is a new title on the Switch that is an NES themed runner game published by Nicalis who were nice enough to send us a review copy. The question is, does this game do a lot to stand-out from the crowd or will it join Temple Run in games that people won’t remember?
Gameplay
There is no story here. The player plays as a Knight and he runs forward slaying bad guys. The game is a two button game where the players only actions are the ability to swing a sword and the ability to infinitely jump. It’s very simple to pick up and play and at first is not that hard, especially when power-ups are thrown into the mix. These are unlocked by reaching specific score thresholds and as long as players don’t get hit and have max health they can use them whenever to attack. These help to clear the screen of enemies and make things easier.
Unlike most runners, Knight Terror actually has a view different game types, although they are mostly variations on one another. The standard Knight Terror mode has you running and killing enemies to increase a meter. Once full you will jump to the next stage and everything will get a little bit harder. Players can only miss 3 enemies per-level before it is game over but this is basically just the practice mode of the game.
Next is Flight Terror mode which gives you an endless runner with the gimmick that the floor is spiked so you must always be jumping. This is the only mode where you can let enemies go past you and is basically just another easy mode for the game’s flight sections.
Endless mode is exactly what it sounds like. It is the Knight Terror mode, however, there are no levels meaning the game gets progressively harder and you can only miss three enemies in total before a game over.
K-Type combines the levels of Knight Terror with the always flying parts of Flight Terror for a true challenge. The name is a pun on the space shooter R-Type and gives you access to infinite daggers to act as a projectile. To combat this though, the levels become an absolute cluster and are really there for a proper challenge.
Doing all of these modes unlocks Knightmare mode, the hardest mode in the game.
I liked that this game had extra modes and it allows the player to pick which game-type and difficulty they prefer to play which is nice. However, it does not take very long to see everything this game has to offer which really does make it feel like an early NES game. Although at 2 dollars 75 you certainly get what you pay for.
Presentation
The game does it’s best to look retro and terrifying, but also a bit cartoonish and I think it pulls it off well. Everything uses the right color palettes and the enemies are well designed, from standard zombies to flaming skulls to aliens. They all look and act distinct which makes them easy to tell apart. There is not a lot of music in this game and it is all chiptune, sticking with the theme. Overall the presentation sets out on what it aims to do and that is a good thing, although the sprites might be a little too big for my liking. It can really fill up the screen at points.
Verdict
Knight Terror is a short but fun little indie runner game that motivated me to keep playing it, at least for a few hours. It is not very long so it certainly won’t fill your gaming needs, but it is one of the better runner games out there. The modes are all very similar which tricks you into thinking there is more here than there actually is, although the choice is nice. Overall, it is a solid but short title that’s worth spending some loose change on if you enjoy these types of games.
4.25/5
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