We must admit that we are very pleasantly surprised because, despite the fact that not much is said about it, it is one of the most solid beat 'em ups we have played recently.
In the game, we play as one of four elite warriors chosen by the king himself to stop the invasion of the hordes of the Barganian Empire.
The plot is simple and rather unambitious, but it serves its purpose of introducing the atmosphere of the game. There aren't many games in this genre whose storylines are really very engaging... so there's not much to complain about here.
Graphically, hmmm... King's Blade reminds me a little of the style of 3D books from the 90s and early 2000s. Dark colors, neat and sparse background details. At least that's how I remember it :P The characters look really decent, the animation is a little wonky but smooth, and the maps, while pleasing to the eye, are rather lacking in variety and, as I mentioned above, rather devoid of detail. Fortunately, there are quite a few types of enemies throughout the game, so constantly chopping up cannon fodder shouldn't bore us too quickly.
The sound effects are very satisfying. From the sounds of blows to the explosion effects themselves, everything is really good here. The soundtrack features typical rhythms associated with the fantasy world.
There is nothing groundbreaking here in this regard, and nothing will surprise us in this respect, but we must admit that a few tracks are really enjoyable.
In terms of gameplay, it's basically standard for the genre, but with a few enhancements.
As usual, we have one combo that can be transformed into a launcher at the right moment, where we knock the opponent into the air and can continue to beat them up. Each character has their own special and defensive abilities.
Miralda, for example, shoots a bow and uses a jump attack.
The special ability can also be used during a jump, but in Miralda's case, for example, it is not a bow shot, but a quick kick with a jump towards the enemy. There is also a grab where we can beat up the enemy and then throw them. However, depending on the character, this looks a little different, as Miralda cannot move with a grabbed enemy, while a warrior like Ervin can.
There is also a limited area attack, which is very destructive and can only be renewed by finding the appropriate power-ups.
We will often find weapons lying on the ground that we can use, scrolls that buff our abilities, or destructive spells. Each of these items has a limited number of uses.
Each character is significantly different, and their gameplay varies greatly, so the game does not reveal all its cards at once.
In addition, the game has its own system of secrets, and unlocking them during gameplay reveals new improved moves or two characters to unlock. To unlock a character, it is not enough to find the secret associated with them; you also have to complete the level dedicated to them. This is really refreshing, as I don't remember many such motifs except for hidden fights with retro bosses in Streets of Rage 4.
Overall, the boss fights are really well thought out and very diverse in terms of mechanics. Of course, this cannot be said about all bosses, but for example, the fight with the shaman, the giant dinosaur, or the Emperor himself made a really good impression, and the developer should be commended for not taking shortcuts and deciding to present something more.
Our criticism is the lack of detail and rather repetitive landscapes, as well as the bizarre jump mechanics, as it feels a bit like we're jumping on the moon. The gravity changes during the jump when attacking... so when we mash attack, we can cover almost the entire screen in one jump XD, which makes it rather difficult to perform combos in the air.... What's even stranger is that when you start the game, there's no title or logo anywhere of what you're currently playing :P I think this is the only case like this so far.
There is no option to change the graphics or resolution. It is also annoying that there is no option to turn off the markers and health bars above the characters.
Fortunately, these are minor issues that can be overlooked.
Considering its price (currently around $10), we believe it is one of the best titles in its genre, as it offers at least 2-3 hours of gameplay to discover everything, but completing the game with all characters takes over 8 hours. Long, highly playable, neat, co-op mode for up to 4 players locally, 6 different characters, secrets to unlock, satisfying boss fights, and a low price make this a game impossible to ignore. Every fan of the genre should be satisfied.
