Genre:Action-AdventureDeveloper:TwirlboundPlatforms:PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PCRelease:2025
OverI probably wouldn't have stumbled before this FYNG. Finally, I did too, the debut title from Dutch developer Twirlbound, not played.
But when I got the chance to see gameplay footage of the game and talk to Creative Director Matthijs van de Laar, the title became more and more interesting. And has now earned a place on my “I definitely want to play in 2025” list.
Why is that?Although the comic visuals haven't blown me away so far, the gameplay approach and the direction of the game immediately made me hungry for more. But the game caught me more with its gameplay approach and focus. Because, as mentioned in the title, it mixes Zelda elements with ones that appeal to meremember.
What it's about - and what's special about The Knightling
Basically, in The Knightling you take on the role of the eponymous "knight", as he is called in the German version. He is looking for his missing mentor Sir Lionstone and has to search the entire fantasy kingdom of Clessaia and complete various main and side missions.
Clessaia is an open game world with different regions. In the material provided to me, the knight explores a region with many rocks and windmills. According to Matthijs van de Laar, the world is not completely accessible from the start. Instead, we can only reach some regions if the knight unlocks new skills over the course of the game.
And they are closely linked to a big special feature of the game: the knight only received a large shield from Sir Lionstone, which is used for almost all activities throughout the adventure - there are no "real" weapons.
In fights, you throw the thing at enemies, for high jumps it acts as a paraglider, and later we can also unlock a move that allows the knight in the shield to slide across the ground.
Chances are good that The Knightling will "flow"
Since several movements can be combined and linked together, it seems to me in the game scenes as if a really good "flow" could be created. In such a way that just getting around could be really fun.
In any case, this exact element is clearly emphasized much more than, for example, in the two Zelda open world gamesand. And it also gives me the aforementioned Tony Hawk's Pro Skater vibes - even if it won't be possible to grind on objects on the shield, as Matthijs van de Laar explained to me in an interview. There will also be no mounts.
There are, however, fast travel points, as well as a number of other upgrades and improvements, which are divided into a total of two talent trees.
- In the Knight Academy we can unlock new combat maneuvers. The currency for this is “Knightling Praise”, which we get, for example, for winning battles or completing missions.
- You can have upgrades for the shield made at the blacksmith, for example to stun enemies for longer after an attack. You collect the currencies for this (e.g. metal parts) in the game world.
A shield as a companion
By the way, the shield not only takes on the role of an all-purpose utensil, but is also a kind of companion that occasionally comments on what is happening with a robot-like voice. However, I cannot yet judge how pronounced the interaction between the two is, nor the quality of the main and secondary tasks.
The first game scenes indicate that the combat system has potential. Here too, the knight combines various punches, blocks and evasive maneuvers to take down helmeted warriors or giant wild boars; an energy bar above their heads shows the health of the enemies.
The fights bother me a littleis reminiscent, as is the basic style of the game, which, however, is a bit more colorful and colorful than the THQ hit at the time.
Of course, whether The Knightling can rise to these spheres still remains to be seen. However, if you like games to have a good flow and also enjoy exploring game worlds, you should definitely have the knight and his all-purpose shield on your list.
The release is planned for 2025, there is no specific date yet.
Editorial assessment
Tobias Veltin
@FrischerVeltin
The Knightling is a perfect FYNG game for me. It's a title that I didn't necessarily have on my mind before, but I became more and more fond of it the longer I worked with it. As a fan of the open world Zeldas, I really like the general orientation; I just like exploring open game worlds. However, if that were the only thing The Knightling had to offer, that would be a problem.
So it's all the better that there are two elements, the shield and the focus on movement through the game world, that noticeably set the game apart from similar titles for me. So I'm already itching to try out these elements. I'll definitely keep an eye on the game!
