Review: Kill Knight

Developer: PlaySide

Publisher: PlaySide

Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC

Reviewed on: PC (Steamdeck)

The twin-stick shooter is a genre that has been around for decades. Quick, easy to control and yet hard to master, the genre is best known for being widely enjoyable and innovative. Eugene Jarvis, and his work on Robotron 2084 in the 80s, paved the way for the future as many games use the twin-stick control format. Personal favorites Neurovoider and Futurecop L.A.P.D come to mind when I think of the genre. Some pivot to the present and the future with their worlds and gameplay, but some harken to a past age, a time of hi-score and white-knuckle difficulty. 

During the golden age of arcades, games were hard. Only the most patient and skilled could hope for a high score and bragging rights. Games like Berserk and Robotron 2084 challenged players immensely with their high-speed gameplay and numerous enemies. KILL KNIGHT is a surprise newcomer to the genre, one that harkens back to white-knuckle combat and innovates the genre through it. 

Stranger Things

Banished to a realm beyond time and space, there is eternal darkness. Players are the KILL KNIGHT. Trapped in this realm, they take an oath to drop further into the depths of the abyss and slaughter the enemies of Hell itself. Armed with a sword and heavy weapons, the knight takes off into 5 distinct zones to slaughter the enemy and relish in the destruction. The KILL KNIGHT deploys to the depths. 

KILL KNIGHT is a hardcore twin-stick shooter. Players battle the enemy through 5 distinct realms. Players use a multitude of weapons to fight. The game begins with basic sidearms, a sword, a heavy shotgun, and an obliterating cannon that destroys waths of enemies and generates health creatures. Considering the speed and difficulty of the game, it is strongly recommended to play the tutorial and learn the ropes. 

Demons, Demons Everywhere

KILL KNIGHT adopts what is described as a minimalist approach. There are arenas, and they are distinct from one another, but there are no grand designs here. The focus is on the gameplay, the enemies, and survival. The enemies vary, from grotesque spiders to strange tentacled creatures. Each enemy is dead set on destroying the player. As the arena shifts, new environmental challenges are created, from rotating lasers to tight spots where dashing is not enough. 

The gameplay in KILL KNIGHT is what one would expect. The right stick aims while the left stick moves around. The essential key to the gameplay is the reload mechanic. Reloading simply doesn’t reload weapons but can potentially augment the primary weapon or the special attack. Hitting the fire button during active reload temporarily augments the bullets, making them deadlier. Hitting the bumper during active reload charades the special attack. The key to survival and success is keeping an eye on the knight and mastering the active reload. A similar mechanic is applied to the heavy weapon. Slicing through enemies gives ammo for the heavy weapon while also charging the melee special attack. If successful, the melee special attack stuns all enemies within range, leaving them helpless to your attack. 

Lock it in

KILL KNIGHT is the definition of “Locked In.” I’ve played many twin-stick games before but nothing else goes to the lengths and polish of KILL KNIGHT. There is an infinitely euphoric sense of taking down hordes and hordes of demons while staying alive. The world becomes a blur and the gameplay experience boils down to squarely focusing on reloading and dishing out punishment. I could feel my hands turning into ice as I fine-tuned every movement and action. It’s a Zen-like experience. 

Accompanying the gameplay is the visual identity of KILL KNIGHT. The game feels like a haunted title, with a CRT VCR effect that makes the game feel like a found computer title from a demonic place. It works well with its fuzzy distortion. This can be adjusted in the settings. While the trailer features an insane amount of epileptic triggering effects, that isn’t the case during the gameplay. 

Rip and Scream

Pushing the gameplay are the challenges. While new weapons and armor can be unlocked through repeat gameplay, accomplishing objectives unlocks items faster. These challenges ar not easy, and players can expect to fight hard to complete them. Having said that, KILL KNIGHT is a very hard game. Even normal will punish players. It’s best to put it on the easy difficulty, known as regretful, and work up to the other difficulties. 

KILL KNIGHT absolutely nails its gameplay down to a perfect tee. I just wish it had more variety in its levels. The minimalist approach works extremely well but I can’t help but feel more could have been done with it. The game’s five levels make this a rather short experience, though it is specifically designed to be replayed over and over. Finally, there is a lack of boss fights. With all this demonic energy and the art direction, using these skills on multistage boss fights would have been incredible. There is at least one boss fight to satisfy those looking for a great challenge. 

Have a good KILL KNIGHT

KILL KNIGHT feels like an evolution of the twin-stick shooter. In short, the game nails the gameplay design to a fine polish. I simply cannot imagine how to make it better. KILL KNIGHT is an old-fashioned demonic game with a modern polish, and in an age of microtransactions, it’s a refreshing game. Gather your strength. You are going to need it in KILL KNIGHT.

KILL KNIGHT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED