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Reviews

Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur PC Review

Picture this: you’re King Arthur, the guy with the famous sword that nobody else could pull out of a rock. You and your buddies, the Knights of the Round Table, just found the Holy Grail (yes, that gold cup everyone’s crazy about), but suddenly, a big nasty space giant shows up and messes everything up. Your trusty sword Excalibur breaks, and all your knight friends are toast. What a bummer, right?

Well, that’s pretty much where the game “Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur” begins. Just when you think all is lost, the wizard Merlin does his magic thing and sends you, the giant, and the whole kingdom of Camelot into some sort of starry place, and now you’re all stuck there. Bummer turns into a whole new level of trouble.

Being Arthur Isn’t Easy, But You Can Pet a Dog

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You may be thinking, “Arthur sounds like a grump,” and at first, he kind of is. But after a while, you get why he’s so mad, and to be honest, you’d probably be too if you were in his knight boots. The good news? There’s a dog in the game that you can pet, which, in my book, already makes this game pretty good.

Get Ready to Swing Your Sword A Lot

The game is all about fighting. You go from room to room, clearing out the baddies and trying not to die, but let’s be real, you’re probably going to bite the dust a few times. Each time you mess up, you get a bit stronger when you come back to life, thanks to Merlin. It never feels the same, though, because every time you jump back in, the rooms change up and keep you on your toes. It’s what folks call a “roguelike” game—you try, you fail, you get better.

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The controls are nice and simple: a button to hit, a button to roll away from danger, and a button to use some cool magic. Your thumbs will thank you because you can just hold the button down instead of tapping it like crazy, which is nice for long play sessions.

Here’s a twist: you can pick up different attacks and magic that are made from the spirits of your fallen knight friends. It’s a bit like picking a favorite superpower before you go into battle. Want to mix stuff up? Go for it. Find the combo that makes you feel unstoppable.

More Reasons to Keep Playing

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What’s cool is that the more you play, the more you can upgrade your stuff back at your home base, Camelot. It’s sort of like fixing up your own space with shiny things, except these shiny things help you not die.

One little snag, though: to make your knights’ powers stronger, you have to actually use them—no free rides here. This means you might get stuck using the same powers a lot just to level them up, which could cramp your style if you like switching things up. On the bright side, smashing crates for gold is easy-peasy—you just walk right into them.

Another nifty thing is enemies show you where they’re going to hit, so you can roll away like a boss… if you’re fast enough. And if you’ve to go back to a room you’ve already cleared, you can teleport instead of walking all the way back, which is a godsend.

But It Ain’t All Rose Petals and Rainbows

So, here’s the thing. The game could use a bit more stuff to do. There are only three places you go: a forest, a desert, and a lava-filled area. It feels like they could have tossed in a few more spots for variety. Also, at times the game makes you work pretty hard before you start feeling powerful, and unlocking new things takes a good chunk of patience. If you’re eating this kind of game up, you’ll be fine, but if you’re just giving it a try for kicks, it might feel like a slog.

Graphics and Music

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The game’s got this old-school 2D look that’s kind of charming. Arthur does look more ninja-warrior than noble knight, which is a bit off-beat but still cool. The big baddies, though, are super impressive and make each showdown feel massive.

The different places look like they’re straight out of a storybook, all bright and full of life. You can play on your TV or handheld, and everything works without a hiccup.

Verdict

“Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur” is a good time if you like games that keep you coming back for “just one more go.” If you’re into the legends of King Arthur and his knight crew, you’ll probably dig it even more.

Is it the best game out there that keeps you fighting and leveling up? Well, not really, but it’s got its own thing going that’s plenty fun. It asks you to stick with it through some tough spots before the real party starts, and for some, that might be asking too much. But if you’re a fan of games that make you work for your wins, you might find yourself feeling pretty noble after a few rounds.

So, if you think you’ve got what it takes to step into King Arthur’s shoes and fix up a broken Excalibur, charge ahead, my brave friends. Who knows—you might just fall in love with this quirky, sword-swinging saga.

About the author

Tom Henry

I worked as a PM in video games, now I'm trying some new things.