Knight’s Night is a new budget platformer from indie developer NipoBox and retro publisher EastAsiaSoft. It’s out now on PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, priced at $4.99. We’ve had a go on Knight’s Night and give our first impressions on this delightful platformer. As with any retro platformer worth its weight, Knight’s Night includes a story about a lone hero on a journey to stop an evil wizard who has seized power over the kingdom. It’s up to our hero knight to save the day by reaching the wizard’s castle and bringing peace back to the land.
As you may expect, the story has little impact on the overall gameplay, but it’s a nice touch and is supplemented by other characters you meet here and there on the journey. You also discover extra abilities the more you progress through the ever-increasingly difficult levels. The final feature is the collectables that require a little exploration to find. Each level has its own secrets, and this adds some longevity to the overall game as finding them all is a tough challenge.
Playing through the first couple of levels should be a breeze for most players as they serve as more of an introduction to the precision platforming style that Knight’s Night is going for. This one does not require you to be hurtling forward constantly, but to take a step back and plan each new jump. That isn’t to say the game is slow, far from it, but the nature of the hit boxes on enemies and spikes requires accuracy to overcome. There are also plenty of difficult sections that require precise jumps in sequence, and this is where the difficulty of Knight’s Night shines through.
In terms of budget titles, this one provides real value as it will take some time to finish the 25 levels and find all the secret items. Much thought has been put into making this one a tough challenge, but not so hard that it becomes frustrating. Each level has one or two waypoints that become appreciated in the later levels, as many deaths will occur. You only have three hits before you’re dead, and the screen can be filled with dangers at times between the precision jumping sections. The balance is spot on, and veterans and newcomers will be able to get stuck in.
The control system in Knight’s Night is responsive, and any deaths feel like your own fault. There is also a simplicity to the controls that feels as though everything has been stripped away to provide a pure gameplay experience instead of adding unnecessary gimmicks. As the stages start to get harder, you’ll have to tackle working out the best approach as well as keeping your movements precise. It really does handle well in that regard, creating a challenging experience that never feels unfair.
Overall, Knight’s Night is a competent precision platformer that doesn’t do anything new but nails the important gameplay tropes associated with the genre. It’s also great value for money as finishing the game will take some time, given how difficult the stages become later on and the collectables to uncover throughout to completely finish it off. Those looking for a deep experience with story or fancy graphics won’t find it here, but those who love a classic platform that will challenge and offer a great retro experience will certainly enjoy this one.
