Shield Up and Chill: My dive into The Knightling

XPN Network
Oct 3
5 min read

Imagine trading your sword for a gleaming tower shield and discovering it’s more versatile than your trusty Swiss Army knife. That’s the heart of The Knightling. Crafted by the indie-minded wizards at Twirlbound and brought to market by Saber Interactive, this Xbox Series XS game (also available on other platforms) dropped you into Clesseia’s sun-drenched meadows on August 28, 2025. You’re no seasoned knight but a green squire unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight when your mentor vanishes mid-duel. Armed only with Sir Lionstone’s Magnus shield, you’ll bash, block, and boomerang your way through puzzles, platforming gauntlets, and cheeky dialogue that never takes itself too seriously.

From the first awkward moments in the Knight Academy where you learn that shields double as makeshift bridges and medieval frisbees, to the finale’s epic clash against a thorn-covered demon, every encounter flexes your newfound shieldmanship. Twirlbound’s knack for playful physics marries perfectly with production polish, delivering a world that feels handcrafted yet sturdy as steel. Whether you’re polishing your parry timing or discovering secret vaults hidden behind ornate arches, The Knightling promises a laid-back adventure that’s as rewarding as it is disarmingly delightful.

The moment you heft that oversized shield in The Knightling, you know you’re in for something different. You play as a plucky squire whose one and only weapon is Sir Lionstone’s legendary tower shield. When your mentor poofs out of existence mid-battle, you’re left holding the heavy metal, stepping into his boots. It’s goofy, charming and just loose enough that you won’t mind the occasional stumble.

The story kicks off in the Knight Academy, a tutorial masquerading as a medieval boarding school. You warm up by blocking wooden arrows, practicing boomerang throws, and learning that your shield works as a makeshift stepping stone over chasms. The dialogue does that perfect “winking at the camera” thing, with instructors lecturing like BBC announcers who’ve forgotten they’re narrating a bouncy cartoon. By the time you’re ready to leave campus, Clesseia’s pastel-tinted fields and crumbling ruins feel like home.

Combat in The Knightling is stripped down to shield fundamentals with no swords, axes or lasers here, just block, bash, throw and catch. Timing a parry perfectly slows down time, giving you that brief God-mode rush when you smack a skeleton soldier back into its coffin. Heavy bash sends armoured knights sprawling, while light bashes let you juggle slimes for maximum comedic effect. Midway through the game you unlock shield spinning, which is basically a medieval hoverboard, letting you zip past clusters of enemies in a single, dizzying move.

Exploration marries platforming with puzzles that revolve around your one-tool arsenal. Need to cross a chasm? Angle your shield into a ramp. Want to open a secret door? Toss it at hidden switches. Some dungeons chain these concepts into multi-room conundrums where you’ll be shield-surfing down ice slopes, ricocheting off targets and backtracking to unearth hidden treasure chests. It isn’t brain-meltingly hard, but every new room reminds you that this shield isn’t just for defence, it’s your Swiss Army knife in shiny metal.

Boss battles sprinkle in mechanics that keep you on your toes. The thorn demon makes you parry toxic spines, a giant lily monster has you deflect raindrop projectiles, and an ice golem will test your shield’s grip on slippery surfaces. There are moments when you’ll wonder if your shield’s durability meter is secretly judging your life choices.

Visually, The Knightling feels like an interactive storybook painted by someone who loves sunsets. The kingdom is awash in warm hues, with flags fluttering against soft clouds and embers drifting from smoldering ruins. Frame rates stay rock solid on Xbox, even when half a dozen enemies and your spinning shield are all on screen. It’s polished without being pretentious, like a hand-knitted jumper that looks better than it has any right to.

Audio design leans into whimsical gargles and heroic trumpet blasts. NPCs chatter in made-up tongues that somehow sound like Shakespeare sprinkled with Smurfs. Background music pivots from jaunty lute tunes when you’re roaming villages to thunderous percussion when you plunge into dungeons. I caught myself grinning when a hidden chest popped open with an “oh!” that felt genuinely delighted.

If you’re craving endless weapon upgrades or immersion, The Knightling might feel a bit shallow. There’s no weapon-swapping, no skill trees dripping with branching choices. Tutorials drag on longer than necessary, and a few late-game puzzles lean heavily on trial and error. But if you treat it as a breezy afternoon retreat with your shield raised high these quibbles melt away.

By the end, you’ll have a toolkit of shield tricks that actually feel rewarding to master. The Knightling won’t rewrite action-adventure history, but it’s one of those rare titles where every mechanic ties back to your trusty piece of armor. Hand it to a younger sibling or boot it up after a long day; it’s cozy, it’s goofy and it’s got enough sparkle to brighten any backlog.

Pros

Shield-centric gameplay that feels delightfully novel
Every bash, block, and boomerang throw leans into your trusty tower shield, turning one-weapon combat into its own tiny revolution.
Playful physics and mobility tricks
From shield-surfing down icy ramps to juggling slimes with light bashes, Twirlbound’s toybox of moves keeps exploration and combat feeling bouncy.
Whimsical art direction and world design
Clesseia’s pastel banners, storybook textures, and glowing sunsets make every screen look like a cozy medieval postcard.
Accessible learning curve
The Knight Academy tutorial may drag on, but it teaches you shield fundamentals so thoroughly that even casual players can pull off perfect parries.
Family-friendly humour and charm
Cheeky NPC banter, made-up tongues that flirt with Shakespeare give the game an upbeat personality.

Cons

Limited weapon variety
If you were secretly dreaming of dual swords or magic spells, you’ll be stuck in a one-shield wonderland—no weapon-swapping here.
Combat can feel repetitive
After mastering the core shield moves, encounters sometimes loop the same block–bash–throw cycles without fresh twists.
Pacing of early tutorials
The Knight Academy’s extended boot camp can outstay its welcome before the real adventure unfolds.
Shallow progression systems
No branching skill trees or gear upgrades means you won’t feel that addictive “one more level” pull common in deeper RPGs.
Mild puzzle repetition
Most conundrums lean heavily on shield ramps and switch throws, so veterans of Zelda-like dungeons might spot patterns early.

The Knightling is a charming reminder that you don’t need a dozen weapons to have a blast, just one gloriously versatile tower shield and a sprinkle of imagination. Twirlbound and Saber Interactive have crafted a cozy medieval romp that trades complexity for delightfully tactile shield mechanics, lighthearted humor, and a world that feels as warm as its pastel sunsets. Sure, it won’t replace your deep-dive action-RPGs, but it’s the perfect palette cleanser for when you want something breezy and upbeat.

Its simplicity is both its greatest strength and most obvious limitation. You’ll master block, bash, and boomerang throws faster than you can say “Sir Lionstone,” and the game rewards that mastery with playful puzzles, slick shield-surfing, and villainous bosses that test your timing. Conversely, if you crave weapon swaps, sprawling skill trees, or narrative twists that upend every dungeon run, you might find yourself longing for more. But for a laid-back afternoon The Knightling’s grin-inducing encounters hit the sweet spot between goofy and gratifying.

XPN Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (GOLD)