Future Knight Review

Future Knight is set in 1993 where The Lady of the Past, leader of the “Present” pyramid scheme cult, has accidentally wiped the brains of all humanity…by washing her underwear. It’s up to you, a robot built from remains of a 90s soap opera actor to stop her. You’re thrown back into the past and have 8 hours to prevent the end of the world.

Future Knight is a 2D action platformer where you’ll need to shoot your way through each level. The catch being you’ll need to conserve your ammo as it’s limited. Once you run out, you need to wait for it to be refilled. The protagonist can also jump, go prone, dodge and dash mid-air.

What makes it unique is that inside the robot is a tiny little man controlling it. Once the robot is temporarily disabled, you’ll have to defend yourself and dodge projectiles and enemies as when controlling the human, known as Two More, it’s one hit death. If you manage to survive, you can jump back in the robot and keep on going.

Additionally, some platforms can only be reached with the human, so you’ll need to jump out and platform your way to safety. Thankfully, you can teleport the robot to your position to keep going on your merry way. While all levels are straight forward, there are hidden areas you can access to collect special items.

The game definitely has a unique visual style. Some of you might recognize it as the LCD style from the Tiger Electronics portable console from the 1990s (and more recently; as they made a small comeback not too long ago). It’s very minimalistic and barebone. Black lines defining characters and simple lining defining buildings on a pale green backdrop. The soundtrack is entertaining and quirky; which kind of reminded me of games like Katamari Damacy or Brain Age; just not as memorable.

The first nuisance is the visuals. While I’m all for variety and trying new things, the LCD style doesn’t work so well on TV. On a portable Tiger device? Perfect, but on a large screen, it strains the eye. I had to stop playing after every 2 levels. Also the limited ammo which you often run out at the most inconvient time and it’s a pain the ass during boss fights.

Future Knight is a challenging, unique 2D action platformer You can either go straight from start to finish, or take time to find hidden areas in each level and test your platforming skills. Switching between Two More and Future Knight is fun, however the limited ammo is annoying and while the visuals aren’t common, it’s not the type of game you play for long sessions. Definitely worth your time and money due to the unique mechanics.