Knight George Preview: Good Knight!

Coming soon to PC jousts Knight George, developed and published by Funky Rhino Games. I’ll be honest, this is the kind of game I’ve wanted to play and preview for a while. As Knight George is a 2D action-adventure title that is very much inspired by the Game Boy era Legend Of Zelda games, as well as similar titles of that era.

Here, you must lead a knight called George in a quest to save the kingdom of Earlyne from a host of villainous monsters. And there was another title that grabbed my attention from the SAGE 25 event last year.

As hinted at, I’ve been a big fan of the 2D Zelda titles since I first started playing them back in the 90s. So getting what is as close to a new one, all be it legally different, is something I’ve been gasping for for a very long time. And thus far, the game shows promise. With a preview build that offers a fistful of different challenges and environments to test your skills. All with a very on-brand aesthetic and sound design. But with that said, let’s get to the preview.

Knight George is set to release in 2026 and can be wishlisted on Steam.

Story – Knight’s Quest

Unsurprisingly, with a game titled “Knight George”, you play, you guessed it, a knight called George. His quest is to save the kingdom of Earlyne from a plague of monsters that are appearing all over the place. Using his skills and treasures he can acquire to help him save the day. As well as enter a knightly pentathlon. Because he is just so talented, he has the time to spend on such things. Or at least this is the case in this preview build of Knight George.

Knight George is decently written, with clear-to-read text.

Despite the story at present being rather light (as one would expect at this point), it still has personality. The few named cast members are fun and have character to their dialogue. And the text as a whole is well presented. And easy to read.

I do feel that the text boxes might be a little too small. But everything that you need to know, be that for story, character interactions, or gameplay, is easy to understand. And it is nice to at least get a little hint at the final story in a preview to get some context for things. So I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Gameplay – Squire Not Included

As mentioned at the start of this preview, Knight George is a 2D action-adventure title that is very much inspired by the Game Boy era Legend of Zelda titles. You must guide George from screen to screen, defeating baddies, solving puzzles, and rounding things off with a well-thought-out boss fight. The demo I played is very self-contained. With what can best be described as a hub world, which branches off to the two main areas of the build. Though more on them in just a moment.

Each screen you appear on is relatively small. Oh yes, there are some that are larger. But puzzles rarely (if ever) extend to other screens. The monsters are a decent challenge to face off against. And the items you get to use are neat.

In addition to the usual sword, shield, bow, and bombs you usually get, you are given an Axe and a catapult. The Axe is a slow-moving weapon that, even though this is a preview, feels like it might be incredibly situational in the final build. And the catapult, which isn’t the official name, doesn’t fire bullets or pebbles. No, you use it to launch yourself over gaps. Which, whilst fun, can be annoying to use at times.

Game On!

There are two main levels in the demo (excluding the tutorial section). These are a Temple where you must fight giant insects to save a fairy. And a mini-game coliseum. The Coliseum is something of a take on the idea of Jousting and the events that knights would perform to prove their skills.

Only in Knight George there is a twist, as the events extend beyond what you might expect. Yes, there is archery, and a test with your sword. But you’ll also find yourself driving a steam-powered chariot. And taking part in an obstacle course. These are all decently fun. And are a fine introduction to the controls of the game. Even if the chariot race did start to make me feel a tad motion sick towards the end of it.

As fun as this sequence is, I needed a rest after it.

The Temple is where the strongest Legend Of Zelda vibes come to the fore. And if you have ever played one of the 2D titles, especially the ones on the GB/GBC, then you know what to expect. And even if you don’t, it offers a nice preview of what to expect from the final build of Knight George.

You travel from room to room, solving puzzles and/or defeating monsters. All before defeating the boss at the end. The big twist is that rather than having a boss key, you need to find the right combination to open the lock. Which is a neat way of spicing things up. Even if it opens the door to some backtracking.

Familiar Frolics

Everything about the controls of Knight George feels as it should. And honestly, there wasn’t anything about the preview that struck me as odd or out of place. It is a great look at what to expect from a final game. The controls are simple but effective.

And whilst the game is retro-inspired, it does have a few modern touches to help things; you can cycle through A and B weapons with the shoulder buttons. The only issues I had were not getting a grasp on the nuances of the gameplay at hand here. But that is more of a ‘me’ issue than a developer issue.

Crowns are worth their weight in rupees.

In other words, I was expecting certain things to happen, like in a 2D Zelda game. When you fall down a pit, you don’t start at the door to the room you entered; you start where you fell. The invincibility frames aren’t as long as in those games either. But these are minor issues that, again, are more a fault of me than the developer.

As someone who has been looking for a 2D adventure title in the style of the GameBoy Legend Of Zelda games, this is honestly right up my alley. And I eagerly await what’s coming later.

Graphics & Audio – Pixels & Pixies

I’ll be blunt, dear reader, I feel like a wally for writing this (but hey, this is a preview after all). Knight George has a distinct GameBoy-inspired visual and audio flair to it. It is a title that wears its inspirations on its sleeves rather proudly. And the game as a whole looks like you are playing an emulated version of a GameBoy game. Well, a GB game, either playing on a GameBoy Colour or a Super Gameboy given the flourishes of colour there are. These are all done in a way that feels authentic.

And whilst you can choose which colour scheme you’ll have for the entire thing. You can choose to have it so that each level has its own palette. And that helps set the mood for where you’ll be going.

The soundtrack and sound effects are likewise era-appropriate. And whilst they too tip their cap to their inspirations, they still can create their own identity. Though, to be fair, the artstyle does as well. Whilst this is a clearly well-made and well-intentioned tribute, it still has its own personality. Something we see flares of in the designs of some characters and the music that we hear.

Knight George was previewed on PC.