I can't even remember how I came to learn of Gryphon Knight Epic but from watching the trailer I assumed it'd be a pretty decent game. This side-scrolling shoot-em doesn't try to reinvent the wheel but leaves it's own fun mark on the genre. This is a classic example of how we once imagined indie games, simple visuals, short run time, and made by just a couple people. While many may see those as negatives I'm glad I was able to get in and out of this game before the mechanics ever started to feel stale. This is a silly adventure that is powered by simple and engaging gameplay.
In this game you play as the Gryphon Knight who is one of a handful of legendary heroes that came together to save the world from a great evil. After one of your teams' most dangerous missions everyone got to take a legendary weapon as a small reward for their efforts. The problem, as you find out many years later, is that all these weapons were cursed and have lead your friends astray. Since you are the only one immune to the effects of the curse it is up to you to find and free your old adventure pals from the evil spirits that now embody them.
This game plays like a classic left-to-right shoot-em up where you must dodge enemy bullets while shooting your own back. What sets Gryphon Knight apart is how each of your enemies gives you their weapon after defeating them. This is clearly inspired by Mega Man as you may want certain weapons going into certain battles. While I found the normal difficulty to be a pretty decent challenge I never died enough times to where I had to completely restart a stage. It can be fun in each level is to keep an eye out for a hidden relic which you can upgrade after you get back to the shop.
I'm not sure what else their is to say about this game because I presents itself quite well just at face value. Either you like shoot-em ups or you don't and that should sway you on whether this game is worth purchasing. That said I think the colorful cartoony art-style is key to what makes this game so charming; as someone who usually doesn't play many games in this genre that helped inform my decision to give it a try. Also the Mega Man influence, with their addition of boss weapons, adds a fun twist to the game. So what say you to this silly little side-scroller?