Return To Knytt
January 31, 2013 3:03 PM Subscribe
Knytt Underground is the latest indie platformer by developer Nifflas. If its anything like the other Knytt games, Knytt and Knytt Stories, its a gentle Metroidvania that emphasizes exploration and movement over combat. Knytt Underground is out for the PC and, unlike his other games, for the PS3 and Vita.
This is a really great game. There seem to be a ridiculous amount of secrets too - I finished the game, felt pretty smart, checked the achievement room, and discovered I had 1 out of 20. There's an entrance to a huge secret area in the (rot13) perqvgf, among others...
posted by xiw at 3:16 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by xiw at 3:16 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Welp, there goes going to bed early.
posted by en forme de poire at 3:37 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 3:37 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
And a Linux version! (!!!!)
posted by en forme de poire at 3:39 PM on January 31, 2013
posted by en forme de poire at 3:39 PM on January 31, 2013
Nifflas is one of the few things I really miss since moving to Chrome OS...
posted by jim in austin at 3:52 PM on January 31, 2013
posted by jim in austin at 3:52 PM on January 31, 2013
I bought the PC version last weekend. Still haven't completed it.
The premise is great. It canon welds two of his best known games into one world. You play as a Knytt (as in Knytt & Knytt Stories), who can shape-shift into a bouncing ball (as in Within a Deep Forest) at will. Both shapes have different powers, and you need to be able to use them both appropriately to conquer the game's tricky platform challenges.
(Those three games are free, by the way, so definitely check them out.)
It's also massive. Really, really massive. He posted in the Jay is Games thread that "in addition to the 1500 rooms, there's around 500 hidden rooms outside the world map". Unlike with Knytt Stories though, there's no level editor, which might limit the replay value. Also, the hidden levels are uber-brutal.
A note for parents: Knytt Underground does contain naughty swears so keep that in mind if you're buying it for kids.
posted by Nossidge at 4:20 PM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
The premise is great. It canon welds two of his best known games into one world. You play as a Knytt (as in Knytt & Knytt Stories), who can shape-shift into a bouncing ball (as in Within a Deep Forest) at will. Both shapes have different powers, and you need to be able to use them both appropriately to conquer the game's tricky platform challenges.
(Those three games are free, by the way, so definitely check them out.)
It's also massive. Really, really massive. He posted in the Jay is Games thread that "in addition to the 1500 rooms, there's around 500 hidden rooms outside the world map". Unlike with Knytt Stories though, there's no level editor, which might limit the replay value. Also, the hidden levels are uber-brutal.
A note for parents: Knytt Underground does contain naughty swears so keep that in mind if you're buying it for kids.
posted by Nossidge at 4:20 PM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
Knytt Underground is great and seemingly endless. There is a whole shadow world as well that I never finished the tasks for, although I did eventually beat the game proper and completed the map.
posted by Falconetti at 4:32 PM on January 31, 2013
posted by Falconetti at 4:32 PM on January 31, 2013
Yeah, the game dialogue is kind of interesting too - a silent protagonist, but with a couple of tagalongs that will talk for you - each time you meet someone you choose one of your buds to speak that time. You kind of need to play the game twice just to learn all about each of them, because they're quite interesting characters.
posted by xiw at 6:08 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by xiw at 6:08 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh god, it's gorgeous. Totally worth the 45 minutes I spent trying to get direct rendering enabled on my Linux box.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:24 PM on January 31, 2013
posted by en forme de poire at 9:24 PM on January 31, 2013
As a Mac user, is there any reason I should go to the trouble of trying to play through this game's predecessors before playing Underground, or does it stand alone pretty well?
posted by valrus at 9:51 PM on January 31, 2013
posted by valrus at 9:51 PM on January 31, 2013
valrus, from what I've played so far of the demo, I can't imagine you'd need to have played the others -- Knytt and Knytt Stories are themselves only related in feel, setting, and gameplay, not like, plot or anything. I'd just jump in here.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:58 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 9:58 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
The M rating really surprises me, but I loved Knytt Stories and Night Sky, so this is automatically something I want to play. I wish there were more of these sleepy, dreamy "relaxing at the end of the day" kinds of games. Nifflas is one of the only develops who even does that.
posted by byanyothername at 10:12 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by byanyothername at 10:12 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
His previous games are well worth playing, and there are definitely callbacks from this game, but its not required.
posted by xiw at 12:24 AM on February 1, 2013
posted by xiw at 12:24 AM on February 1, 2013
BTW, there seems to be a demo version available here.
posted by benito.strauss at 1:24 AM on February 1, 2013
posted by benito.strauss at 1:24 AM on February 1, 2013
The M rating is basically because the characters ingame has a tendency to use really foul language. Not sure why he decided to go with that, it clashes with the rest of the game.
I really disliked the fast travel mechanic though. Oh, you need to use limited-availability resources to enter the fast travel dimension, AND you have a time limit for finding and exit in there, AND it's dark as hell so you don't know where you're going? Two out of three of those would have been barely acceptable, when I played it just resulted in me trekking through the "normal" world instead.
posted by ymgve at 3:03 AM on February 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I really disliked the fast travel mechanic though. Oh, you need to use limited-availability resources to enter the fast travel dimension, AND you have a time limit for finding and exit in there, AND it's dark as hell so you don't know where you're going? Two out of three of those would have been barely acceptable, when I played it just resulted in me trekking through the "normal" world instead.
posted by ymgve at 3:03 AM on February 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
As a Mac user, is there any reason I should go to the trouble of trying to play through this game's predecessors before playing Underground, or does it stand alone pretty well?
You should play them because they're great games, but you don't specifically have to play them before Knytt Underground.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
You should play them because they're great games, but you don't specifically have to play them before Knytt Underground.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
« Older Holland's 9/11 happened sixty years ago today | I'm calling dibs on the top bunk Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Simon! at 3:11 PM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]