Before we get too far into this, we should let you know that Panzer Paladin is a “Switch hopeful” game—in other words, the team at the booth said they were hoping and planning for a Switch release, but the PC release is first priority. Because of their enthusiasm to get the game on Switch, we’re bringing our notes to you.
At first glance, Panzer Paladin has a familiar art style and gameplay aesthetic—pixel-art graphics, platforming—as it looks very reminiscent of a classic Nintendo game. That’s not a bad thing, though it’s hard to deny that the market for retro-aesthetic games is becoming rather crowded. To stand out, it’s critical to have a strong hook or concept.
Running around in a mech with a giant sword is a pretty strong concept.
Tribute’s newest title has players traversing levels and slicing up enemies from the safety of your personal mech, all the while collecting new weapons with special abilities that help solve specific areas and components of each level.
The Squire, the character controlling the Panzer Paladin, also doesn’t stay inside the mech suit the whole time. She’ll need to exit at times to reach items or defeat certain enemies with a handy whip that doubles as a grapple for traversing overhead hooks as well as making use of health recharge stations.
One really interesting element was the need to sometimes leave the mech suit behind and then recall it at a teleport pad. These puzzles were fun to solve since it requires a bit of strategic maneuvering to figure out.
According to Tribute, the full version of the game will have around 100 different weapons, making your selection process in-game a critical component of how to progress—especially since every time you reach a save point, you must sacrifice one of your weapons to complete the save. Clever!
Fans of classic pixel art, retro platforming, and mechs should keep an eye out for Panzer Paladin in 2020.
