If you’ve been following Doom: The Dark Ages, you probably know that the FPS prequel will see players tearing through hell’s hordes from behind a massive shield equipped with a spinning blade that disembowels enemies. And while all the hype surrounding this deadly mage seems justified, this sought-after weapon may lose some of its thunder thanks to The Knightlings’ Magnus Buckler, a defensive device with some neat tricks.
But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves.
Knightling is an upcoming fantasy action-adventure game focused on fast-paced combat and imaginative platforming. And it’s nothing like Doom: The Dark Ages. Well, except for the shield we mentioned a moment ago. You see, the story-driven, semi-open-world game puts players in the role of the titular squire, a newborn, eager apprentice eager for the kind of adventures usually undertaken by his master, the sturdy, dignified Sir Lionstone.
The comparatively diminutive protagonist has little in common with his long-haired mentor, but he does have access to his powerful shield. And that brings us back to Magnus. Also affectionately known as Magnus or Maggie, we had the opportunity to test out this full-powered device during our recent hands-on demo with The Knightling.
As our preview begins, our masked hero raises a enormous, ornate shield before looking out at the lands that stretch out around him. Dubbed the Outskirts, the medieval-inspired fantasy setting boasts a colorful, homely look that’s more reminiscent of Breath of the Wild’s cordial outdoor environments than, say, the moody, foreboding lands that grace the Dark Souls map.
Marked by lush, rolling hills, lively, lush valleys, stunning cliff faces, and majestic waterfalls cascading into crystal-clear lakes and streams, the enchanting universe offers plenty of visual delights. A closer look at the moving objects—such as the spinning blades of a windmill casting shadows on the ground below—also reveals some captivating lighting effects.
The most impressive visual achievement in the world, however, is the organic combination of natural beauty and a platforming paradise that begs to be played. At first glance, The Knightling’s sprawling landscapes look similar to the high-fantasy-inspired settings you’d traverse in any number of open-world action RPGs. But the emphasis on fast-paced platforming and brisk traversal begets a secret—your defense device doubles as a makeshift mode of transportation, letting you quickly surf around the Outskirts and beyond.
Sliding across a shield isn’t necessarily a up-to-date gameplay mechanic, but The Knightling manages to expand on it and elevate it to a higher level by not only making it your primary means of transportation, but also by tailoring the world to encourage its operate. So all of those stunning landscapes glimpsed at the beginning of the demo also serve as a playground of sorts. Sloping rooftops are actually steep ramps, curvy wall surfaces act as paths, and shallow, winding streams are basically rails waiting to be grinded at top speed. Of course, you can also traverse more obvious hills, trails, and other natural formations as you pilot your up-to-date friend Magnus.
Using this unique method of transportation for quick travel is fun, but using it to cover greater distances—by chaining together interactions—is an absolute blast. And that’s before you factor in additional agility-fueled tricks like double jumps or the ability to catch even more air by bouncing off giant mushroom caps.
While we love treating the Outskirts like our own personal skate park, we quickly discover there’s a lot more to it than just adrenaline. The stressed-out villagers need aid, and unsurprisingly, their concerns soon turn into tasks for the knight-in-training to accept. Before we know it, we’re settling land disputes and herding farm animals.
These types of missions may sound like uninteresting chores, but Maggie – or Magnus – has a way of making even the most mundane tasks more enjoyable. For example, a real estate argument is solved by measuring the distance between two points in a quick race-style challenge, while animal combat introduces a dash of puzzles and shield-based combat.
The puzzles mainly involve throwing a tool – Captain America style – at targets to trigger certain actions. This is very similar to pulling levers and pressing buttons in other games, but the shield acts as a sort of intermediary. There’s also a lively day and night cycle that can be sped up to aid you find solutions. The puzzles are a bit uncomplicated, but these examples are also the first puzzles in the game, so hopefully they’ll get more imaginative and sophisticated as the adventure progresses.
The combat behind the shield feels more refined, as the protagonist can unleash basic bash attacks, as well as block, parry, and deal pain from above with aerial strikes. Throwing weapons while jumping also slows the action down, allowing for additional strategy and cinematic flair. Much like platformers, combat is much more satisfying when you mix and match the different options in your arsenal.
And it looks like there’s a lot of potential there, as The Knightling offers a deep combat-focused skill tree full of upgrades for the protagonist. Our demo doesn’t delve too deeply into the progression paths, but we can invest some of the shiny, collected currency in a powerful move called “Velocity Attack.” Using the momentum of the slide shield, we maneuver to knock back targets with a series of lightning-fast spinning attacks.
Despite some nitpicking, we’re able to combine our default abilities with this newfound ability to easily dispatch low-level minions. That said, we’re quickly sent to the scrapheap as we encounter more aggressive threats toward the end of our hands-on time. While being reduced to a pulp is never fun, our unceremonious defeats confirm that the button-mashing that served us so well before didn’t reflect the depth of combat. After respawning for the third time, we start adopting additional strategies and tactics to take down larger sword-wielding foes.
Unfortunately, even our more deliberate approach to combat won’t save us from the first armored attacker we encounter. Swinging a respectable blade and wearing a sturdy helmet, the villain must have his armor removed before we can defeat him. Unfortunately, our earlier investment in “Velocity Attack” doesn’t leave us with enough coins to earn the upgrade necessary to strip the enemy of their defenses.
This depressing realization soon ends our preview, but it also hypes us up for our inevitable return to Outskirts. In addition to revisiting the skill tree with hindsight—and demanding a rematch—we can’t wait to tackle some other unfinished business.
For starters, our time has come as the story has gotten better and the gameplay has evolved. Sir Lionstone has seemingly embarked on a very unsafe quest, and his brave apprentice is determined to join him. However, to do so requires the Gift of Flight, a Magnus mod that seems to be next on our to-do list. What’s more, the secondary, shield-focused skill tree suggests that the device will not only let us glide, but will eventually gain enough upgrades to put a Swiss Army knife to shame.
Of course, The Knightling’s proposed 15-hour campaign also promises collectibles, side quests, and other activities that will no doubt become more engaging when undertaken with Magnus’ multi-tool. We can’t wait to find out and discover everything The Knightling has to offer when it lands—likely before Doom: The Dark Ages—next year.
