Frantic, rogue-like, shmup, dungeon crawler. Sounds amazing, but did ChillyRoom bite more than they could chew with Soul Knight?
Game Name: Soul Knight
Platform(s): iOS, Android
Publisher(s): ChillyRoom
Developer(s): ChillyRoom
Release Date: 24th Feb
Price: Free (Microtransactions)
I really like it when games combine guns magic and swordplay. Taking down melee fighters with a well timed spray of bullets before switching to a sword and surprising a sniper can be nice and satisfying. Mixing genres also shakes up your expectations, you have no idea what’s around the corner.
Your game begins with a brief cutscene explaining that demons have stolen the crystals that protect the world and that only a hero is required to reclaim them, you are then shown a living room full of them. With only one who will fight without premium currency.
The actual dungeon crawling can be interesting, with varied buffs, weapons and traps to mix up each room and the weapon selection is massive for what I was expecting. Each weapon type plays differently, a polearm, beam weapon, gas gun and broom launcher will all make you rethink your strategies.
Yet despite the competency with which it was all made and all the good design decisions, it never really comes together as a useful whole. I never really found myself invested, in either the crawl or the stat boosting achievements or even the grind to collect all the heroes.
The balance is a bit of a mess, I once had a legendary weapon drop on the first level, the guns stats seem to make no difference and this is made even worse by the fact that nothing is explained to you. I want to know if I should swap my longbow for a toilet plunger, or at least make an informed decision.
The graphics are 8-bit, with a lot of details differentiating the characters. The medieval fantasy and modern technology all seem to be part of the same world.
The music is chip-tone and retro, especially the dungeon music, a rocking 8-bit beat that takes a full 5 minutes to start grating on the nerves.
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Summary
Pros
– Fast-paced actions
– Varied weapon and hero types
– Cool aesthetic
Cons
– A little too random
– No instructions
– Only one free