Platform: Playstation 2, PC

Developer: Lost Boys Games

Publisher: Swing! Entertainment

Genre: Platformer

ETA: Q4 2002

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Knights

We haven’t seen a whole lot of humor in the games to make it to the Playstation 2 thus far.  There have been a few that brought the funny, but unfortunately for a lot of games that had us laughing, it was for all the wrong reasons.  Well, the gang at Lost Boys Games must think that the PS2 world needs laughter of the intentional variety, as they have a new platformer in the works for the console that promises to give mirth, and merry medieval mayhem all smooshed together.

The main character in this little tale is Nik; he’s a knight.  Unfortunately he’s also not too bright, awkward, and coordination was never really his strong point, he’s not a total blundering oaf, but Ninja School is out of the question for the lad.  In fact, his bumbling ways are so bad that poor little Nik has been put on his own very isolated island, away from everyone where he won’t accidentally hurt anyone.  While Nik’s away, twiddling his thumbs in exile, his kingdom, Whyrule, winds up getting invaded by marauding orcs.  Now the clumsy cavalier has to leap into action and send these orcs on their way by getting off the island and gathering the pieces of the Holey Grail, the source of Grail Ale and key to freeing his homeland.

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Nik will go about fighting off the orcish hordes armed with nothing but some magic seeds and an enchanted scarecrow, helping fortify the more whimsical elements being thrown into the game.  Knights won’t be only about bouncing around and hucking seeds at people though, a good amount of puzzle solving will be thrown in too.  What is a little odd about these puzzles is that they are being described as physics based puzzles and mini games (running on “Havok Physics Technology”).  Maybe it’s all the spatial puzzles that have been put in so many platformers to this point, but it’s hard to fathom how physics would work in a puzzle of all things.  

Not only are the puzzles looking different though, the visual aesthetic is too.  There’s an unusual 3D, yet 2D vibe to the presentation in Knights that isn’t often seen.  It’s not quite like a world of paper cutouts, but the game is looking very surreally whimsical.

Expect to see this title make its debut in late 2002.  If you don’t have a PS2 though, there is also a PC version of the game in the work, and the other next generation consoles are also being considered for possible ports.

- Mr. Nash

(February 28, 2002)