The game stars a paladin on a quest to stop the evil Doomknight and there are two main styles of exploration. There is an overhead-esque style of movement and a pure sidescroller style of movement that recalls Castlevania and Zelda II and the game has plenty of references to both series. Dungeons and Doomknights does not take itself too seriously and that helps it stand above many retro-inspired games that take themselves far too seriously, and contains some very funny dialogue.
Combat is simple and effective with most attacks being done with the axe, but there are various other items and abilities to find as well, such as an adorable dog who will aid you in your journey and must be used to solve certain puzzles. As you go on in the game, you will find yourself in a large open world with an 8-bit visual style and you will be able to figure out for yourself where you want to go next after a certain point has been reached. There are quests to do for people, enemies to fight and challenging bosses to defeat, and it all feels great for the most part.
The one thing that does get a little frustrating is that the controls in Dungeons and Doomknights can be a bit stiff at times. This is not too bad for the most part, but some areas will put you in a spot where enemies can hit you too easily due to said stiffness. Fortunately, you can adjust after a bit, but it does take some time for the adjustment to happen.
Visually, Dungeons and Doomknights is great, with 8-bit graphics that work perfectly for the game and create a lot of detail. The music is also great and easily stands with some of the best official NES games, especially some of the overworld themes. One neat thing is the unique sound effects which give the game a different feeling and considering the influences on the game, fit well.
In addition to the game, there is the extra content mentioned above as well, including a mode where your dog is the main character and a mode that replicates Pac-Man. Both of these modes are based on sections in the main game that stood out, and it is good to see that the developers saw the potential in these sections. Another mode is the black and white mode which resembles a black and white Game Boy Game and treats the story as a black and white classic movie where almost every line of dialogue is replaced with movie quotes. This was fun for a few minutes but gets old really fast.
Overall. Dungeons and Doomknights is great and a loving tribute to games of the past. The developers understood why we loved those games and what made them work so well, but did not go over the top in creating a game that paid homage, instead including jokes and remembering not to take itself too seriously all the time. This is an easy game to recommend and is a title that many will enjoy no doubt.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
