If there’s any quote from works of literature that has a straightforward yet effective delivery, I am sure many will cast their vote to “To dream the impossible dream! That is my quest”, which is the key takeaway from Miguel's timeless Don Quixote. For daydreamers who ponder what this high-octane, high-risk mediaeval sport is like in modern times, Knight Lancer fulfils that dream as you start out as a downtrodden knight. Having your land stripped, you embark on a quest of vengeance to reclaim what’s rightfully yours and restore chivalry through bloodshed.
Yearning for more retro games of knightly proportions? Gallop on!
Your knight in shining armour
After you skim through the terms and conditions, a menu will greet you to customise your appearance and gender. The true fun begins with the subsequent menu to deck out your heraldry, featuring three-point customizability that lets you tinker with the banner colour, pattern and symbol in 40000+ different permutations.
Your creative directorship doesn't end here, while the caparison follows the two-tone colour of your heraldry. You get three choices for gallant garniture as well as getting to decide what your horse's colour is going to be.
Joust till you drop
There are two points you need to drive your lance into - the helmet and torso, each with a fixed amount of defence points that you need to deplete to zero to dismount your foe. The tacky part lies in the physics of positioning your lance at an angle that tends to swivel out of control thanks to the forward momentum.
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Interestingly, your entire world slows down to a crawl during the decisive clash to heighten the suspense - similar to a Mortality showdown in Mortal Kombat. What comes after is the splendid sight of your foe falling down like a ragdoll on the opposite side of the tilt.
You can trust a game so fervent about knighthood to deliver you fair and faithfully replicated jousting matches. Apart from your trusty lance, from stage 2-1 onwards, you’ll be bestowed a shield you can adjust to your torso or helm for additional protection. The outcome hangs on the fate of the dice roll.
Sometimes you emerge unscathed or land a critical hit if you’re lucky enough. However, I find that a greater grip on the lance confers a higher likelihood to score a one-hit KO. Once you overthrow the big bad of a stage, you get a chance to upgrade your defence.
Thus begins thy unending adventure
Upon attaining mastery of your jousting skills, that’s when you’ll realise you’ve reached the endgame. For the rest of the 22 missions, online play will be carried out in this format with nary a deviation, with enemies spotting more defence points to bloat the gameplay. The same applies to its online PvP bout which functions as a good enough substitute for a rogue-lite mode. Though, it’d be cool to see the developer tinkering with other non-lethal ways to determine the victor of the sport, such as through the Ladies’ Court verdict.
What truly made this game such a rich experience is its commendable score of retro-inspired soundtrack. From the different stages leading up to the boss battle, the upbeat 8-bit tunes with mediaeval undertones make me reminisce about A Knight in Camelot occasionally halfway through matches, and that’s a good thing.
Not to say anything short of the ambiance and background. The overzealous crowd in the background is my absolute favourite detail that makes this ordeal much more enjoyable. The minimalistic user interface decorated with wooden icons is a boon.
Knight Lancer review - “Gallop on and sing the chivalry song”
For a game with a £2.99 price tag, Knight Lancer does stoke the flames of chivalry literally through its gameplay. It sticks close to the arcade formula and does a stellar job with it, all the while sporting a neat and vivid presentation. While it won’t blow you out of the water, it is a good addition to your digital retro collection.
Anderson Han
A globetrotter by calling who regards video games as an artful medium for creative storytelling. All aboard on my jubilant voyage as I set sail through this vast sea of video games. Also loves jamming to synthwave songs and anything related to retro futurism.