Late last year I caught a post by solo developer Wabbaboy about how they “got quirky with the tutorial messages” in their upcoming game about a fly with a sword. It wasn’t just the tutorial messages that intrigued me, though. It was, well, everything about FlyKnight, a dreamy retro Soulslike about fighting bugs.
FlyKnight, which was released on Steam last week, is a mix of RPGs I’m not quite old enough to appreciate and Soulslike elements ripped right out of one of my favorite games of all time, Dark Souls. It has the lethargic, melee-based combat of King’s Field and the trials of a Dark Souls level full of enemies waiting to ambush you. And you play as a fly who can swing a sword, cast magic, and equip fish for the passive buffs.
Like in any good Soulslike, your first quest is simply to see what lies ahead. Your journey begins in the middle of a camp of dead bugs and nothing but the tutorials to guide you. I found a mace, a shield, and a four-armed enemy ant who knocked me off my feet. Every swing and block eats into your stamina, effectively making combat turn-based and punishing you if you’re impatient. Enemies are slow, too, and give you space to find your rhythm.
Image: Wabbaboy
There’s nothing particularly scary about the opening area as you get your bearings. It’s where you learn to wield each weapon type and how to chop limbs off of your foes that things ramp up. Where I started getting squashed was the first dungeon, a dark maze with poisonous plants hidden underneath the grass. FlyKnight pulls the same tricks as FromSoftware does in its games: As you charge toward an enemy, there’s always something waiting around the corner or underneath your feet to shatter your confidence. If it’s not plants trying to kill you, it’s an ant in golden armor who has apparently studied the blade.
What you equip in the inventory screen matters a lot in FlyKnight. Weapons add weight and make your swings drain more stamina, and fish you catch on the dock give you bonuses like poison resistance. I picked up a magic bolt I could fire at enemies to lure them out of their hiding spots and a trinket that restored a little bit of mana after every kill. None of this saved me from myself when I swung too many times at a plant at the end of the dungeon, tanking my stamina and opening me up for a wallop straight back to the bonfire.
In other games that reset might’ve stung, but in FlyKnight it’s an excuse to explore the rudimentary caves for secrets again, to peer at the sparks of a bonfire in the distance and let the vintage synths wash over you. Maybe on this run I’ll find out what’s underneath the bridge or hidden behind that door. Few games in this genre pull off a kind of emptiness that is both foreboding and alluring. FlyKnight does it without hyper-realistic graphics, quest logs, or sparkling loot.
Image: Wabbaboy
Because of that emptiness, I think I’d prefer to play it solo, but FlyKnight also lets you hunt bugs with friends. You can initiate jolly cooperation at bonfires and see how far you can get. Developer Wabbaboy has also promised to release a new game plus mode with remixed levels and enemy placements, as well as a randomizer mode that dumps everything into a blender each time you play. There’s even some buzz about a sequel already.
I’m not ready to even think about all that yet, though. I’ve got a plant to fight and a bonfire to find.
FlyKnight is available now on Steam.
FlyKnight was released on Jan. 31 on Steam. The game was reviewed on Windows PC using the Polygon Steam press account. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.
