Ever since the olden days of DOOM in 1993, the dark, brooding landscape of shooters has often captivated players. Greats like DUSK and Devil Daggers have brought the depths of Hell to the forefront, and the most recent case of this comes in KILL KNIGHT, a twin-stick shooter from PlaySide, a developer who is new to the genre. Bereft of Rogue mechanics, KILL KNIGHT is a title where the main focus is skill to succeed – and the game’s lengthy tutorial is a must for newcomers and veterans alike. Does KILL KNIGHT slay, or is it best left forgotten?

It’s not often a game’s tutorial gets revisited after it’s initially completed; the introduction almost always covers every base and trains the player for the challenges to come.

In the case of KILL KNIGHT, you might as well consider its lengthy tutorial as a practice chamber, because damn, KILL KNIGHT is hard. There are three initial difficulty levels, but in all three, you will go down in a few hits, as these modifiers only change how aggressive enemies are. This is where you’ll be revisiting tutorials on a frequent basis to memorize what moves do what, how to avoid danger, generate health, and basically survive the onslaught of eldritch enemies that quickly populate the screen.

Despite its extremely high difficulty level, it is not insurmountable. In a mechanics-heavy game such as this, there’s always a way to overcome the challenges presented. You’ll just need to master dodging/kiting, balancing light and heavy ranged attacks with melee kills, and preserving the screen-clearing blasts that can save a run. Better yet, you can memorize the enemy spawns, because there isn’t a snowball’s chance in Hell that you’re going to clear a stage of KILL KNIGHT in just one run. Repetition is key and you’ll find yourself getting better in each go.

I brought up Devil Daggers earlier because runs in that game last mere seconds. KILL KNIGHT isn’t exactly as short, but it’s an exercise in going into the game, failing, and picking up new things each time. Whether it’s using resources at a different juncture or learning when to use melee to refill the heavy shot, trial and error is part of the process. Even those who struggle in the first dozen runs will be significantly more apt in run 12 than they were in run 1, and it’s for that reason that KILL KNIGHT has a lasting effect on the player and an incentive to keep on plugging away.

Sitting just 1 percent away from the coveted “Overwhelmingly Positive” review threshold on Steam, it’s clear that players keep coming back to KILL KNIGHT. It’s PlaySide’s best effort yet, and reinforces my excitement for the TLC they’re extending as a publisher for one of my most anticipated titles in MOUSE: P.I. For Hire. This one is certainly worth a go if you’re willing to face a difficulty curve and laugh in the face of impossibility as the “just one more run” bug will surely take over your brain after each defeat.

A PC review copy of KILL KNIGHT was provided by PlaySide for the purposes of this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

KILL KNIGHT

$14.99

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Tight as Hell Gameplay
• Excellent Aesthetic
• Rewarding for Persistent Players

Cons

• Only for Diehards/Masochists
• Not Much Content