Knight Runner: Blade and Bolt

Knight Runner: Blade and Bolt is a very simple game, but I think that is part of its appeal. I am running through an endless forest as a knight, fighting monsters, avoiding traps and trying to get as far as possible before I eventually die. There is no big story getting in the way and no complicated campaign to work through. It is basically an arcade game built around seeing how long I can survive and how high I can push my score. I like that I can understand what I am supposed to do almost immediately. The combat is probably the part I enjoy most. I can move around the forest while timing my sword attacks, and getting the timing right becomes more important once there are several enemies around me. I also have to deal with traps, so I cannot just focus entirely on whatever monster is closest. There are thirteen types of monsters, which gives the runs some variety, and I can pick up powerups and upgrades from chests as I go. I like the fact that the game encourages me to keep moving rather than standing in one place and attacking everything. The scoring system gives the game most of its replay value. I can chain kills together to build a multiplier, so playing safely is not always the best way to get a good score. I have to decide when it is worth taking a risk to keep the chain going, especially when the forest starts getting more crowded. There are also Steam leaderboards and nine achievements, so I have some clear goals beyond simply surviving. That works well for a game like this because I am not expecting a long campaign. I am expecting to keep trying to beat what I did last time. The biggest problem is that there is no meta progression at all. Everything I collect during a run is temporary, and when the run ends I start again from the beginning. I understand why the developer went with this approach because the game is clearly designed around pure arcade competition, but it does limit how much there is to come back for. I do not unlock a stronger knight or permanent abilities that change the next run. Once I have learned the basic enemies and mechanics, improving my score is basically the whole reason to continue. I also think the game is a little too basic to keep me interested for really long sessions. The procedural forest gives me some variation, but the core actions stay the same throughout every run. I am running, attacking, dodging and collecting powerups, and there are only so many ways that formula can change. The pixel art style looks nice enough and fits the simple arcade design, but there is not much visual variety either. I enjoy it more when I play in short bursts instead of expecting a game that I can spend hours progressing through. What helps is that the game is completely free to play and supports both keyboard and mouse and controller. It also takes very little storage space, so there is almost no barrier to trying it. I like that the developer has kept the idea focused instead of adding a pile of systems that do not really belong. For me, the best part is simply getting into a good run where I am chaining kills, dodging traps and moving through the forest without losing momentum. When everything is going well, the simple design works really well. Overall, Knight Runner: Blade and Bolt is a decent little arcade game that knows exactly what it wants to be. I like the simple combat, endless forest, monster variety, powerups and score chasing, and the short runs make it easy for me to pick up whenever I want something quick. The lack of permanent progression and limited variety are the main reasons I cannot put it much higher, because once I have seen the basic systems there is not a lot left apart from improving my score. Still, it is free, easy to understand and enjoyable in short bursts, which makes it a solid small game rather than something I would expect to sink dozens of hours into. Rating: 7.2/10

this is pretty darn good, but it would be really great if it had permanent upgrades/unlocks, and was a slightly slower pace (like a constant but somewhat slowly scrolling screen where you can dodge and fight only having to focus on the center because the enemies are a bit too fast and aggressive right off the bat. good job though