Developer: Friends of Safety
Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment, Game Source Entertainment
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Kingdom of Night – Review
We recently finished reading Garth Marenghi’s This Bursted Earth, a novel that made us hungry for ‘80s-style horror. (If you’re unfamiliar with Marenghi, we do urge you to check out Darkplace, his short-lived but ridiculously funny horror series.) When Kingdom of Night showed up, it was as if our prayers had been answered, as the game promised exactly the kind of vibe that we were looking for. The game may lack the comedy angle that Garth Marenghi so expertly tackles, but a straight-up horror story still had the potential to scratch our ‘80s itch. Did Kingdom of Night deliver what we hoped for?
Story
It’s impossible not to immediately think of Stranger Things when you look at what Kingdom of Night has to offer in terms of narrative. Equal parts ‘80s style TV show and tabletop horror RPG, the story of Kingdom of Night takes us back to a single night in 1987, in the small desert town of Miami, Arizona. It’s here that we meet John, a teenager whose ordinary life is suddenly disrupted when a strict curfew is imposed. Teenagers -especially girls- have started going missing recently, and their disappearances are seemingly tied to the actions of a satanic cult. A ritual carried out by this cult goes wrong, and demons and other cosmic horrors are unleashed across the town. As the night unfolds, the town becomes overrun with these nightmarish creatures, as well as cultists and corrupted townsfolk. Guided by Gramps, a mysterious old man, John ventures through the streets, schools, homes, sewers and even demon lairs in order to stop the demonic forces threatening to consume his once peaceful hometown. The story that unfolds is engaging, suspenseful and atmospheric, although character depth is occasionally limited and there is definitely some railroading going on at times. It’s when you’re allowed off the beaten path of the main quest, and take on optional quests and find hidden lore that the world is significantly expanded and the story equally deepened.
Graphics
Leaning heavily into 1980s horror and D&D-inspired visuals, Kingdom of Night uses a pixel-art aesthetic that fits its setting and tone to a tee. Banking heavily on nostalgia, Kingdom of Night doesn’t try to impress with its graphics, but instead focuses on mood and tension, and it succeeds. Lighting and special effects, in particular, work in evoking both an eerie atmosphere and grounding the game in the era the story takes place. Environments feel rich and detailed, from small town streets to unsettling interiors and even demonic spaces. The game runs smoothly as well, with only minor frame dips in the most chaotic of scenes, and our only real gripe with the visuals was that sometimes enemies or interactive objects would blend into the background.
Sound
Most of Kingdom of Night’s dialogue is voiced, which does a lot for the game’s overall feeling of immersion. The performances of the voice cast are generally solid and fitting for the characters. Unsurprisingly, the music is synth-heavy, fully embracing the ‘80s aesthetic, and while it’s not quite up there with Turbo Kid’s soundtrack, it’s still effective, mood-enhancing and thematically cohesive. Sound effects and ambience are a major strength here too, whether it’s creaking floors and distant whispers that make areas feel alive and unnerving or the crisp and satisfying noises of combat hits and spell effects.
Gameplay
Blending isometric RPG action with Dark Souls-like combat sensibilities and set in an open, exploration-driven small-town horror world, Kingdom of Night is the kind of game that feels a bit like a jack of all trades but a master of none. It may look like a classic ARPG, but it does not play like one -there is no button-mashing hack-and-slash combat here. Combat is fought in real-time and centers around stamina. Dodging, parrying, positioning and timing matter, and enemies can overwhelm careless players. Combat is perhaps the central pillar of gameplay here, and there is a satisfying tension to the way the game approaches high-risk, high-reward situations. Mistakes are costly, but clever play feels rewarding. Throughout the game’s runtime, combat also doesn’t become stale, mostly because of sheer enemy variety. Whether it’s possessed townsfolk, cultists or demons, there are tons of different monsters to deal with, in different ways.
There is a constant sense of progress in how John evolves throughout the game. New abilities and gear can be unlocked and upgraded as you go. The game encourages you to investigate different areas in its semi-open world, and exploration does pay off. Lore, quests, hidden pathways and extra gear can be found as you visit different parts of town. The game’s pacing is definitely a strength here. As tension builds throughout the night, there is a sense of increasing danger and stakes rising as dawn grows closer. Combat and story interweave as well, with encounters feeling like natural parts of John’s journey, rather than interruptions. Occasional difficulty spikes do occur, but there are plenty of checkpoints, and resource balancing helps to keep things feeling fair.
The length of your playthrough is going to depend on how much time you’re going to spend exploring side content. By our estimate, the main story is going to run you around 11 hours, but if you’re going to engage with the world, you can easily double that. There is some decision-making involved throughout Kingdom of Night’s story too, which does add to the game’s replay value. We’d recommend playing through the game at least twice, not just for the story content you may have missed, but also because it does take a while before the gameplay truly “clicks”. If there’s one area where Kingdom of Night falls a bit short, it’s that it doesn’t quite nail its tutorial, and we really had to get to grips with some of its more intricate systems to fully understand it. During our second run, we were more familiar with the mechanics, which made the game much more enjoyable.
Conclusion
We’re not going to deny that Kingdom of Night is angling for the Stranger Things crowd, but in all fairness, once you get past that initial impression, this is a solid retro-RPG that can stand on its own legs. Oddly enough, the game doesn’t come completely into its own until the second playthrough, but once you get to that point, everything clicks into place. From its retro aesthetic to the tactical combat and even the soundscape, Kingdom of Night delivers a fantastic experience to anyone who wants to spend just one more night in the ‘80s.
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