Bucket Knight

Developed by PigeonDev Games, Bucket Knight is a classic run-and-gun where you play as the nameless title character as he tries to find the Holy Grail in order to pay off his debts. 

The game has you work through 25 dungeons, gathering loot and destroying enemies as you go. It’s a fairly simple premise, and one that the developers have done really well here. The pixel art style is gorgeous and the chiptune music in the background really complements the old-school feel. If you want to go even further with the retro-ness, there’s a filter to give the old CRT effect – making things feel even more genuinely retro.

We’ve seen a lot of retro games over the years, and while there has been many we have enjoyed there has been a considerable number that just haven’t pushed our buttons. Bucket Knight, thankfully, is one of the former. Levels are quick and straightforward enough to keep us going, and not give up out of frustration. Plenty of games that have went for this classic style have utilised the severe difficulty of years gone by, and whilst that is definitely right up some players’ streets – it’s not for me. I can certainly appreciate the challenge of a difficult game, but sometimes it becomes too much of a hindrance to enjoy the game fully so I quite like it when I get a game that is as relatively simple and relaxing to a degree.

Controls are decent and we didn’t have too much trouble getting to grips with them. You jump and you shoot. Understandable enough, I suppose. Learning the different attack styles of enemies, and how best to defeat them is where you’ll sometimes fail. We got stuck in the walls a couple of times, and whilst this wasn’t the end of the world, it was definitely frustrating to happen when halfway (or more!) through a level. Luckily, if you find yourself in a bind – one you got yourself into, or not – you can just tap the Y button to restart the level. This became a slight issue also, in that an accidental button press can negate your attempt, however with most levels only taking a minute or two to complete it’s not too much of a setback.

Achievements wise, there are a total of 34 achievements to gain on Xbox which are all nice and easy to get. Simply completing each level, and doing standard tasks such as purchasing weapons will net you all of the achievements available, so it’s a fast 1000 Gamerscore for those that are so inclined.

Bucket Knight is a fun game, and a very speedy one to get through. And at just £4.19 on Xbox One, it’s a bargain despite the short playtime that you’ll get out of it.

In the end, we decided to give Bucket Knight the Collecting Asylum rating of 6/10.

Have you played Bucket Knight yet? What did you think of it?

Let us know in the comments below!

- V x

Thanks to PigeonDev for the Bucket Knight Xbox One review code!