Kill Knight Review (PS5) – Kill Knight is the latest game from Australian developer, PlaySide Studios who you might recognize from the Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners or a whole host of mobile games. Kill Knight really snuck up on me, and despite being very much up my alley, I hadn’t heard about it until its launch.
In a year that’s packed with game of the year contenders, during the busiest period of said year, Kill Knight makes a strong case as to why you might want to drop some of those heavy hitters in favor for this belter of an arcade shooter.
Kill Knight Review (PS5) – Fight Like Hell
Isometric Doom-Like
I’m not trying to create new genre terminology when it comes to describing Kill Knight as a Doom-like, but if I could summarize it in as few words as possible then that would be it. Kill Knight is simple on the face of it, but meticulous when it comes to balance and mastery.
Super hero landing into the centre of a shifting arena, in the middle of Hell itself, is the Kill Knight, condemned to pay a penance of eternal suffering, battling the hordes of eldritch horrors that swarm. If you needed context for the highly responsive arcade shooter then that’s all you need, and all you’re getting, because what follows that is a pure and sublime gameplay loop.
As enemies constantly spawn and attempt to overrun you, as the Kill Knight you will select weaponry and armor that will best serve your approach to surviving the onslaught of each level. Much like Doom each facet of gameplay plays into the other, creating one of most satisfying gameplay loops of the year.
Your heavy weaponry has limited ammo, and the only way to restock on that is to get in close and melee enemies with your sword. To heal yourself you will need defeat enemies with the alternate fire on said heavy weaponry causing the demon-like horrors to drop health rather than heavy ammo, or orbs.
Holding R1 allows you to hoover up orbs from slain enemies, that build up that alternate fire meter, to decimate what’s in front of you, regaining the health you will undoubtedly lose. Every part of the Kill Knights arsenal working in tandem is directly comparable to the gameplay experience in Doom, and it is every bit as satisfying here.
Active Reload
Your primary weapon, unlike your heavy weapon, has unlimited ammo, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to reload. There is an active reload feature in the game, where you time a button press to hit a box in a sliding meter. There is no downside, like a weapon jamming for example, and hitting those active reloads will be the difference between victory and defeat.
Pressing square during the active reload will unleash a powerful swinging melee attack, hitting R1 will instantly absorb all of the orbs in the arena at that time, and timing R2 instead; will overload your primary for a brief increase in fire-rate and damage output. All of which can be clutch in the heat of battle. Knowing what to use and when to use them is absolutely key to success.
Of course there is an array of different enemy types to keep you on your toes, and utilize the entire kit at your disposal. Leaping bladed enemies will require a melee as they briefly flash red to instantly kill them with a parry, and some of the more armored beasts will require a heavy payload to put them down quickly in order to keep your combination chain alive, as well as yourself.
With a wide variety of enemy types; getting through the 5 levels is challenging in and of itself, which will likely be the primary goal for most players. However, this is an arcade shooter, and the heart of these games is score chasing and climbing the leaderboards.
Mastery of all the above mechanics will allow for very high scores, and the game is so expertly balanced it never feels unfair. You’ll often know exactly what you needed to do to keep going. Ending a level without dropping the combo meter at all was one of the most satisfying moments I’ve experienced in any game this year.
They’re Coming Out Of The Walls
In my time with Kill Knight I’ve come to the realization that what worked in one level, might not work in the next. Mixing things up with your build will be pivotal. An armor that allows for damage taken, might not as viable as another armor that makes you more squishy but does allow for 3 dashes.
In order to unlock different weapons and upgrades, you can complete side objectives, such as using your alternative fire on your heavy weapon 15 times in a single run through one layer. Some might prove to be more difficult, like hitting a parry when you’re above 500 on your combo meter.
However, you can also just save up coins to buy those upgrades, which is a really neat addition for those who might get stuck chasing these side objectives and feeling like they’re getting nowhere. Find your combination of weapons and armor is fun in itself, and when it clicks, its even more fun.
The arenas you fight the endless hordes of otherworldly horrors in do look all very similar, and they’re always shifting, which on top of everything else, is something you have to watch out for. Environmental hazards are often present; such as lasers, which will require a dash through to avoid, or spinning spiked pillars, or mine-like exploding objects which can be used to your advantage.
Hell Of A Ride
The retro aesthetics are a joy, and perfectly fit the tone and soundtrack of the game. They marry well to create a thrilling experience that you could well imagine yourself playing on a cabinet in a dimly lit, noisy arcade, stealing all of your change for just more one more run at it.
Isometric-arcade shooters are often amongst my favorite games, mostly thanks to Housemarque in recent years, but a hazard of the genre, which can’t always be helped is visual clutter and environmental obstruction due to the camera perspective can prove just as round ending-ly devastating as any formidable enemy.
PlaySide have Kill Knight running buttery smooth, with absolute no bugs to report from my time with the game so far. With multiple difficulty settings, plenty of unlockables, 5 gruelingly challenging levels, and the prospect of infinitely chasing that perfect round for that illustrious high score, there is so much bang for your buck at such a good price.
Its trial and error approach might take a toll on you after an extended play session, but it’s nothing a break or a rest can’t fix. If you’re like me then it’s insanely fun gameplay loop will be itching the back of your brain, tempting you to get back on it as soon as you can.
Kill Knight has been my favorite surprise this year. A lot of big games might be catching your eye right now, but this highly responsive, exhilarating, isometric, arcade shooter deserves every bit as much of your attention. Now, I’ve got scores to beat, so I better get back to it.
Kill Knight is now available on PS5.
Review code generously provided by the publisher.