If thereās one thing thatās going to set a videogame up for some degree of financial success, itās appealing to playersā childhood nostalgia, and Knights and Bikes is a game that does just that. Taking inspiration from games like Earthbound and films like The Goonies, and coming from a team who have worked on games like Little Big Planet and Ratchet and Clank, it seems likely that Knights and Bikes will do a pretty good job of capturing the spirit of adventure in childhood.
The game is a local co-op or single player action adventure title where players join two young girls, Nessa and Demelza, on their quest to discover the truth behind the medieval legends their island home, Penfurzy, as it heads towards financial ruin and destruction. Alongside Demelzaās pet goose and the pickled severed head of a fallen-knight itās your job to save the adults of Penfurzy using items like frisbees, wellies, videogames, and some super cool upgradeable bikes.
Something that really helps the game stand out is its gorgeous art style which actually kind of reminded me of a more richly colourful Donāt Starve. The animated style really furthers the gameās aim to capture the spirit of our childhood and create a great atmosphere for the magical realist story the developers say theyāre going for.
Another thing is the not-so-small matter of the game starring two female protagonists. Two. On their own. Adventuring. And from what I can tell from the Kickstarter page and the gameās trailer, it seems pretty safe to bet that, despite their wonderfully different appearances and personalities, Nessa and Demelzaās friendship is going to be the heartwarming centre of the story. Although the game will offer a single player mode, it seems like playing the local co-op will be extremely enjoyable largely because of the friendship of the characters. Plus, weāre big fans of spending time with friends by playing local co-op games.
Knights and Bikes is seeking funding on Kickstarter just now, as well as looking for votes on its Steam Greenlight page. Developers Foam Sword Games are hoping to use Kickstarter to raise Ā£100,000 for their project, and also to give their fans a voice in the project. Considering theyāve already raised over Ā£29,000 with 29 days of the campaign still to go, Iād say fans are speaking loud and clear.
If youād like to contribute to the Kickstarter yourself, contributing just Ā£12 will secure you a digital copy of the game for PC, Mac, or Linux when itās (hopefully) released in April 2017. Even if you donāt want to contribute, itās worth checking the page out just to see a Kickstarter page that actually comes close to capturing the spirit of its project.
Images via Kickstarter