How many of you grew up with a Game & Watch or a Tiger Electronics game in your hands? They were a huge part of my childhood, little handhelds with those static backgrounds where you could see every element of the game already, just waiting for specific elements to light up to keep the action going.
Imagine what it would feel like to have that kind of game back again, but with fast-paced combat and a storyline that moved like a modern game. Wouldn't that be a blast from the past that made you feel like your old handhelds have evolved at the same time?
Future Knight does exactly that, a 2D shoot-em-up with a bizarre storyline and frantic combat that will make your old Power Rangers Tiger Electronics game feel like a brick (and if you're wondering why I've gone for such a specific example, it's because that was my favourite handheld growing up).
We have created an unsettling aesthetic that blends the adorable with the grotesque, inspired by the works of Satoshi Kon and Japanese weirdness. Everything you see is ink blots moving... but we assure you, you've never seen ink move like this.
So what happens in Future Knight? Well, it's set in 1993, May 23rd to be exact. I'm going to copy and paste the premise of thof the game for you below because it's brilliant and the exact kind of humour I want to get from the narrative of new titles:
'It is May 23rd, 1993. The Lady of the Past, leader of the "Present" pyramid scheme cult, has just washed her underwear and, incidentally, wiped the brains of all humanity. Only you, a robot built over 30 years from the remains of a 90s soap opera actor, can stop her. But you are not alone. You have Two More, a benign tumor—inexplicably powerful and with a life of its own—living inside you.'
Amazing, right? Players travel 8 hours before the end of the world and play through different biomes for each hour of the lady's schedule in the run-up to her, causing all of our memories to disappear. It's effectively your job to sabotage her day, Angry Goose Game-style, thwarting her at every turn and ruining everything she tries to do.
I love the fact that we've got quite a complex game happening within the constraints of a simple LCD display. The fact that you can take out two characters and fire wild weapons while running up walls is incredible, especially when you think back to the days where you had three positions for one character to stand in as they dodged enemies.
Future Knight is joined by his companion 'Two More', which as you read earlier is, in fact, a benign tumour. And you'll need to shoot and dance (yes, dance) your way through the day as you make your way towards the final boss. Honestly, it's like the plot of Majora's Mask if the devs took some seriously strong hallucinogens, and I can't wait to play it!
Future Knight will be available to download on Steam, PS5, Xbox, and Switch. Head to the game's official page on Steam to wishlist it now!
