Fight Knight – Is it worth it?

Some games get attention through taking a game type and mixing it with something you wouldn’t expect, resulting in crazy combinations. Battle Knight same thing, albeit with an even wilder mix than most others. Simply put, the game is basically what you would get if you took the grid-based dungeon crawler, removed the turn-based battles and RPG mechanics, and replaced them with Punch Out. The result is an incredibly unique, incredibly fun game. It launched yesterday on Steam and retails for just $20 USD, but the question is: Battle Knight the cost?

Battle Knight puts you in the sights of the main character. You are cursed and cannot wield a sword. Attempting to do so will see it fall apart in your hands. But there’s a tower of bad guys nearby to climb, so go in and give it a try. Because you can’t wield any weapons, that naturally means you’ll fend off enemies with your armored fists. The game’s presentation is built entirely from pixels into a 2.5D world. The graphics are captivating and each group of enemies you come across has a pretty interesting name. For example, you will encounter a group of skeletons known as the infamous RIB

Going around wasn’t quite what I expected based on the screenshots I’ve seen over the past few years that I’ve been following Battle Knightof development. When I say the game is like a grid-based dungeon crawler, I really mean it. Motion is literally mesh-based. If you need a specific game for me to compare it to, it reminds me a lot of Etrian Odyssey series. The areas are puzzle dungeons where you can find switches to find and set traps. You will also find side quests with characters that will pop up later. The first part has a knight that you can free from the cage and you will meet him afterwards.

Punch, punch, it’s all in the punch

As Battle Knight is a grid based dungeon crawler, all battles are random, which I also unexpected. As you explore, a versus screen showing you what you’re doing will pop up. At first, you’ll only be fighting one enemy at a time, but that number quickly adds up. Before leaving the first part, you will confront half a dozen enemies at once. The mechanics aren’t overly complicated, but it’s a highly responsive action game despite how it looks.

You can throw regular punches, charged punches, plus punches that change based on how you move immediately before throwing them. Moving backwards and then punching will release an upper cut. Enemies attack in two lanes, so you need to watch carefully. Thankfully, you can block and block your opponent’s attacks, which makes them momentarily open. There are even bullet-based enemies that stay behind melee attackers and tear you apart while you fight for your life. However, you can return their bullets with a knife, which is very effective. I find the gameplay very engaging, although the random battles annoy me a bit.

Speaking of annoyances, if you die, you’ll return to your last save. This means you often have to stop what you’re doing and go back to bed to rest and save before battling tougher enemies. Healing isn’t the easiest thing in the world either, so you might as well die in random encounters. I really don’t like having to go back and save all the time, but the half hour of progress definitely got me hooked. I personally think Battle Knight very valuable. It’s a very unique, fun and exciting game with a lot to offer for a reasonable price, so I recommend it to anyone intrigued by its premise. Just don’t be too surprised if you start gritting your teeth as random battles and need to save keep getting in the way of your adventure.