A Knight’s Quest Review (NSW)

Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong

Title: A Knight’s Quest
Developer: Sky9 Games
Publisher: Curve Digital
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG, Puzzle
Price: $24.99
Also Available On: Epic Store, PS4, XB1

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Developer Sky9 Games makes no pretenses in regard to the inspirations of its latest offering published by Curve Digital. A Knight’s Quest will remind gamers of a number of their old favorites, and not simply because it’s presented in a retro three-dimensional art style that reflects its lighthearted tone. As a puzzle platformer with exploration, direct-combat, and role-playing-game elements, it likewise aims to draw the best out of the usual reliables in the aforementioned genres. Thusly, an assessment of its characteristics as those of a mimic is erroneous at best.

When A Knight’s Quest works, it works extremely well. And, fortunately, it works often enough to forge ahead without even the most critical being reminded of its muses. To this end, it has both its humorous storyline and engrossing gameplay to thank. It hangs its tale on Rusty, who disrupts his otherwise-cozy life as the son of Mayor Munsch and adventurer on the side by accidentally unleashing an evil that threatens the fate of mankind. He is thereafter moved to combat the manifestations of malevolence through Spirit Powers obtained from — who else? — Spirit Knights.

Armed with trusty sword and shield, Rusty sets out to find Henry the Great, Rocky the Rockman, and Ivan the Icebro, His encounters with them subsequently allow him to harness the powers of Wind, Fire, and Ice. As he progresses in A Knight’s Quest, he gets to engage in battle, hurdle obstacles, jump into elevated surfaces, solve brain teasers, run on walls, and accumulate collectibles — in short, do just about everything in an open-world setting. Controls are responsive for the most part, and a decided plus in cases where proper timing is crucial to advancement.

Occasionally, Rusty will find himself deep inside dungeons, where A Knight’s Quest exposes what is perhaps its weakest point. “Strategy” in encounters with enemies consists of hacking, slashing, rolling, and little else. They simply lack variety and depth; for all the equipment gamers can use, button mashing gets the job done, and most efficiently. To offset the ease with which they are dispatched, difficulty is artificially ramped up by increasing their number over time. On the flipside, boss battles present far more worthy challenges, organically eliciting labors that require skills and engender satisfaction upon completion.

Visually, A Knight’s Quest is a mixed bag. It sports a rich color palette that defines the characters and backgrounds well, but statically; once there is any action, their pixelated origins become evident. Moreover, the frame rate dips when the screen is populated, particularly with the Switch in handheld mode. Meanwhile, the audio fares just a wee bit better; the music is engaging, but a voice track and a more consistent registry of effects would have gone a long way in propping up the sound design.

Nonetheless, A Knight’s Quest should prove its worth and worthiness. The technical missteps aside, it offers good value at its currently discounted $19.99 price point. It could have been tighter and more polished, but it’s still a solid puzzle platformer on the whole.

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THE GOOD

• Standout story and dialogue
• Sufficiently challenging puzzles and boss battles
• Platforming a decided plus

THE BAD

• Evident frame drops
• Visually a mixed bag
• Inconsistent sound design
• Grinding and backtracking required

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RATING: 7/10

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