Future Knight Review: Nostalgia Only Goes So Far

I love retro games. I collect them. And I play them quite often–not only to relive my childhood memories, but to also check out games I never got a chance to play as a kid. It’s fun checking out all of the different game systems, control styles, etc. Future Knight really spoke to me, purely on an aesthetic standpoint. And while it’s a decent run and gun, it feels like it’s a one (or two) trick pony.

Future Knight is a sidescrolling run and gun style game. The first thing anyone will notice is its Tiger electronic style graphics, or something from Nintendo’s Game and Watch, like those old LCD handhelds. Except, where those only allowed for a single “screen” with limited character placement, Future Knight doesn’t have such limitations. (That’s because those old games worked a bit like how old digital watches worked–there were predrawn graphics that only lit up when the proper controls were pressed, etc.) There are some flourishes that add a bunch of modern twists, like the screen breaking whenever you get a kill on an enemy. The sound design is also pretty great–except for that one song that seems to loop through most levels. The art and animation is all top notch, too. Character and enemy designs are retro futuristic–something you’d expect to see in the 80’s and 90’s.

So in other words: aesthetically, Future Knight is a triumph. But that doesn't mean the game is very much fun.

I play a lot of run and gun style arcade games, console games, etc. Future Knight is just mid–and as a modern game, that means it’s not very good. I think my biggest gripe is how the controls feel. I don’t know if the developer made the game feel sluggish intentionally due to its retro aesthetic, but playing Future Knight doesn’t feel very good. Controls are stiff, and movement just doesn’t feel satisfying.

It’s too bad that it doesn’t feel very fun to play, because it has a lot going for it. Enemy types are interesting, and there’s a good mix between encounters where you’ll be dodging bullets coming from every angle, and threats that require you to focus purely on them. 

Screenshot: Future Knight

And while Future Knight is the titular protagonist, the character is actually a futuristic suit that Two More, an agile amorphous blob with a face, drives around. Two More is fast, agile, and can get to places that Future Knight can’t. Future Knight is the muscle, handling most of the combat–but Two More can get in blows too, and lots at once. But with extremely limited ammo. Playing as one character restores resources/health for the other. 

While I enjoyed my time with Future Knight, it felt more like a one trick pony. It looks great, and has great sound design–though I wish it had more music variety. It just feels like clunky and not as fun to play as I would wish. And that was me giving it lots of leeway for its great aesthetic. Honestly, there are some Tiget handhelds and Game and Watch variations I’ve had more fun with. 

Future Knight is available now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S