King’s Blade is a deliberately old-school brawler that is influenced by Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Although there have been several recent releases that follow suit, this has a unique edge. With hidden levels, secret characters, and 6 heroes to select, there is plenty of replay value and varied approaches.
Alexey Suslin has developed this side-scrolling Conan-style title, and Sometimes You have published it. It is a single-player or up to 4-player couch cooperative affair. If you have no friends, do not fear. You can select some AI teammates to run through the world and save the day. This was great, even if they weren’t the most clever fighters to have by your side.
Protect the kingdom in King’s Blade!
You control the elite warriors of an ancient land. The fighters are part of the King’s Blade, and they must stop the invading Barganian Empire from reaching the capital and overthrowing your leader. This isn’t an easy task, as the Barganians are fierce fighters who wield swords, axes, and deadly magic.
The story has a nice fantasy touch, but it doesn’t dominate proceedings. Instead, you get the odd snippet of lore to enjoy as you start a new chapter. This didn’t bother me as I enjoyed the fighting and the occasionally fast-paced madness. There are 10 main levels and 2 hidden levels to enjoy. Additionally, there are big bosses and minor creatures to destroy. On top of this, you can find 2 secret levels with unlockable characters to increase your roster of heroes and add depth to the game.
Fighting and magic.
King’s Blade is all about the hectic fighting. You’ll face endless waves of foes as you move through each land. These monsters and fighters wish to rip your head off, but you can’t let them. Armed with your weapon and magic, you must tackle everything you face. Each hero has a unique array of tools at their disposal. They also navigate obstacles and enemies in their own way.
This was great, as picking the right hero was a meaningful task. You can go all-out rage with the berserker or keep your distance with some punishing magic. Either way, the goal is the same. En route, there are boxes and boulders that must be destroyed. These hide scrolls, food, and weapons to keep you ahead of your foes. None of these ideas is particularly original, but it has a nice dated edge.
King’s Blade has a clean, retro style.
Unlike other titles, King’s Blade hasn’t pushed a low-scale, pixelated design. Instead, it has clean visuals, earthy backdrops, and rudimentary animation. This offers a dated appearance without hurting your eyes. Furthermore, it runs particularly well. It supports 60+ FPS, and there were no visual tears or bugs to report.
The audio is aggressive, simple, and as loud as you’d expect. There is a blend of melancholy, sombre, and dramatic tunes. Furthermore, there is a nice use of silence to break up the non-stop fighting. The sound effects are good, but they lack originality. Each melee weapon is loud, and the magic is shrill and uncomfortable to hear. Subsequently, it has a familiar vibe.
Loose controls.
The distinct old-school style impacts the control system. Sadly, the controls are loose, and hitboxes are sloppy. Some are huge, and you’ll annihilate those foes. However, the ones that cause frustration will deliver deadly results when you up the difficulty. Although practice overcomes many of the problems, I would have liked some consistency.
King’s Blade offers some replay value and longevity. With 2 extra characters to unlock, a scaling difficulty setting, a unique playstyle for each hero, and an arsenal of weapons to master, you can find the right approach for you. Alongside this, it is fun to play this with family or friends or great to tackle with your AI teammates.
King’s Blade is a repetitive but fun time.
King’s Blade is a little repetitive, but I didn’t mind. Most elements worked well, and the combat was interesting if not a little hectic. With combos to master, different tools at your disposal, and a large side-scrolling world, this dated title should be on your radar. Accordingly, I think it’s great, and I recommend buying it here! Can you push back the evil empire? Band together, fight as a team, and protect the capital.
