The Knightling Reviews
In a year already filled with sleeper hits, I truly believe The Knightling can be another one on this growing list. Not only does it pack everything you’d want from an RPG into a condensed package, but it borrows from other genres to make a game that will appeal to a massive audience if they’re willing to give it a chance.
I like this team's heart, and I am looking forward to seeing them grow from here. For me, The Knightling sadly just wasn't all the way there yet.
The Knightling is one of the most characterful adventures of the year, with Twirlbound crafting a large, bright, engaging fantasy world, and giving you the tools to truly enjoy it. You won't regret picking this one up.
It’s a fun, cheerful platformer with plenty of personality and ideas, but perhaps doesn’t achieve all its goals as intended. I’ve walked away thinking Knightling is a solid effort, one that could be iterated upon into something special in the future.
You can see the love poured into The Knightling. It has lovely visuals and a great family-friendly story, complete with Zelda-like vibes. The shield riding is a great touch, as are the other abilities you gain. The combat is fine too, and you’ll enjoy taking in the multitude of quests present.
As a whole, The Knightling is an enjoyable romp. The lighthearted storyline and tone complement an adventure that feels open and engaging at almost every opportunity. The use of a shield as your only weapon and pseudo multitool is novel but very enjoyable, and the presentation is good overall. It needs a little more polish and bug fixing for the game to be considered solid. For adventure fans who are looking for something that doesn't follow the Souls-like trend, The Knightling is worth checking out.
The parry-based combat style isn't going to be for everyone, but The Knightling has plenty more to offer to make up for it. This whimsical adventure has won me over thanks to its clever puzzles and its seriously enjoyable traversal — sledging down a big hill on the back of a big shield has no right being this much fun.
Knightling has some great ideas and its story is certainly the game's best element. But, the unresponsive combat is the game's biggest failing, and makes encounters more about survival than achieving victory. Twirlbound could convert this into a fantastic series with some improved combat and a more unique visual approach to give the game a stronger identity.
The Knightling offers a charming mix of exploration and combat that combines to create a very unique game, but technical hindrances, a lack of enemy variety, and some difficulty spikes prevent it from reaching its true potential.
The Knightling is the perfect end of summer action adventure romp, with great combat, a colourful world to explore, and shield surfing.
The Knightling is a game that fills me with nostalgia for the platforms and adventure games of the 1990s. It's got some rough edges here and there, but despite those issues, it's a really good time. The movement and combat feel nice and smooth, there's a decent amount of content, and the world is interesting. It's a game to check out if you enjoy platformers and feel nostalgia about the good ol' days. It's possibly the closest I've seen to a 3D Zelda game on PC. Steam Deck performance is a little disappointing; the inability to hold a constant 30 FPS is a shame, especially when it feels like the main reason you can't is because of non-essential background NPCs and their pathfinding. However, in most combat areas and away from the city, the game tends to hold at 30 FPS, making it a playable experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Twirlbound’s open world adventure, as its cute visuals, on point humor, infectious sympathy and solid gameplay loop kept me more than intrigued enough to keep pushing on, with the end credits rolling before the game’s relatively limited scope would start hurting. Keep an eye out for this one, as it’s a pretty fun ride.
The Knightling is a triumphant achievement for Twirlbound and Saber Interactive—a vibrant indie gem that blends stellar 3D platforming, emotional open-world exploration, and a joyful audiovisual experience into one crown-worthy adventure, with only minor flaws in combat and side quest variety barely dulling the shine of a game that inspires and delights from start to finish.
Review in Dutch | Read full review