So if you’re looking for a stress-free adventure with a retro feel, then Bucket Knight is the one for you.Calling all pixel-loving platformer fans! Join the adventures of a valiant knight who's not only out to find the Holy Grail but also has some bills to pay. Plus there’s a set of easy achievements that should lure in any serious achievement hunter. The controls are tight, the gameplay is simple and the graphics are beautifully rendered. It’s a game that wholly succeeds at providing players with a laid-back experience that never outstays its welcome. At its core, Bucket Knight on Xbox Oneis a short but sweet homage to the classic run-and-gun platformer. Still, even with its issues, this is a game that is well worth checking out. In Bucket Knight, the balance is way off. In a run-and-gun platformer, it is essential that both parts are equally good. And whether due to a glitch or design choice, every weapon reverts back to single shot after a few bursts anyway, which completely negates the point of buying them in the first place. The same goes for the AK-47 and the shotgun. But it takes multiple shots to kill even the most lowly goblin. The weapons are reasonably priced and you’ll unlock them at sensible points, but they don’t feel powerful enough or fun to use. Why not have something protecting it that you have to defeat?Īnd the one unique element – the fact that you can use guns – isn’t executed well at all. The last level is underwhelming, with the Holy Grail just sitting there for you to take.

It would have also been nice to have seen a boss fight. One level may have multiple paths with keys, locked doors and chests, only for the next to be a few simple jumps that takes ten seconds to finish. At present, levels are thrown together without any rhyme or reason. That difficulty may provide for a stress-free experience, but it isn’t particularly coherent there should be a smooth difficulty curve.

Still, there are a few design choices that seem puzzling. Bucket Knight’s short run-time prevents that, ending at just the right time. You wouldn’t think so, considering it only takes an hour to beat (who knew finding the Holy Grail would be so easy?!), but because the game starts easy, and stays that way for the duration, it’s imperative it doesn’t end up becoming a chore to get through. In fact, it was refreshing to play a platformer that offered a stress-free experience for once, rather than one that simply tried to be prohibitively difficult.īucket Knight’s length is spot-on as well. Personally, I found this difficulty to be just right.

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