Knightfall: A Daring Journey Review (Ampjet)
Disclaimer: I come back to reviews to edit them from time to time and I decided to check on this game again. In 2022 the game only has an average player base of 6.3 with a peak player base of 34. This game is dead. Move along unless you get this one for free somehow. However, I will be keeping up my positive review for "historical" purposes.
TL:DR - This game may have been made as an April fools joke, but it is still better than many modern shooters. The game just runs smooth with good hit reg, solid server performance and pure and simple gunplay mechanics. The game is easy to learn and fun to play with friends. 100% worth it for the price.
If you've read other Knightfall reviews, you've heard of drifting horses and the funny setting of knights in armor using firearms. Instead of talking about that, for this review, I am going to focus purely on the game play because that is what stands out here:
I am a boomer by gaming standards, and I come from the era of Quake, when arena shooters were on top. Knightfall is not an arena shooter, but it brings back a similar vibe. There are no fancy mechanics here, no inventory, no perks, no attachments... You just pick up a gun and let skill decide the winner. That is what made games like Quake and Unreal Tourney so fun back in the day... They were simple to pickup but difficult to master Knightfall is like that. The game is fast paced with simple mechanics, but with enough variety that the game is engaging and keeps you guessing.
The game play loop is basically that during the day you go to a town and fight and loot. At night you die if you are not in town. The days and nights cycle very fast and it pushes the players to play quickly, or die. You will be looting and fighting all at once and getting ready for morning to race to the next location.
This makes fights pretty frantic and in some some cases you will be down ammo and meds, so the next battle is even harder. This adds depth to a game that on the surface looks like a joke. By the end, it feels like a very gratifying win because you had to fight several teams as well as be one of the quickest teams to get to the end.
I 100% recommend people pick this game up. Such a fun time with friends!
A few things I wish they could improve on:
- Adding title screen music
- Fixing the collision of the castle
- Showing your kills at the end screen
- Let you heal teammates
*Edited 12/4/22 - Edited for type-o's and clarity and to add the disclaimer at the top about the low player population.