Quick Review: Panzer Paladin

Ooh, a throwback platformer with modern concepts! And it’s made in Quebec?? I got stars in my eyes here!

A creation of Tribute Games Inc. released on July 21st, 2020, Panzer Paladin is a throwback to the super-tough retro platformers of yore. In this futuristic world, we control Flame, a rescue android who pilots her friendly Paladin mech Grit. Things get strange when monsters from multiple mythologies descend onto Earth from an alien ship, carrying Spirit Weapons built from their Forge, forcing this duo into the battle of their synthetized lives.

Can't come close? Toss your weapon!

Flame pilots Grit most of the time, but she can jump out of or back into the mech whenever necessary, when you press E. You use the arrows to move, Z to jump, X to attack; you can also attack upwards (which grants a jump boost in midair) or downwards. When you press S, Grit backsteps, a move that also grants invincibility while it's being done. Grit also carries a shield that can deflect enemy attacks, when it stands or crouches.

Every level has a section where Grit is too large to pass, forcing Flame to go. She’s not defenseless; she carries a laser whip, a (weak) weapon that also lets her grab and swing on hooks. On her way, Flame can refill her mech’s HP by draining containers of orange liquid, always found in her segments, using the whip. Lastly, teleporters are used to bring Grit's body to her so she can climb back in.

Why yes, it IS an existing self-imposed challenge to beat
the game using only Flame, why do you ask?

And a dragon, too? Hell yeah, I'll slay this thing.

When an enemy is destroyed, it may drop a weapon that Grit can use. Weapons have a durability level, so they’ll break after a certain amount of hits on enemies. You’ll need new weapons regularly. All weapons also have a spell on them – you don’t get to use that spell (which can be an attack or defense boost, an HP heal, or stuff like gaining wings temporarily) unless you break the weapon yourself by holding down D. You can also lose a weapon by tossing it at an opponent for extra damage with A. You can only have four weapons on hand at a time, but you can access your inventory with Esc and change your loadout at any moment; after which, you can cycle between the four weapons with Q and W.

"Spirit Burden" is the total amount of Spirits in the weapons
you collected. At "Normal", you have empty screens at the
halfway point of each level; at "High", you fight a
mini-boss, always the same.

This game takes inspiration from many classics. I sense a Mega Man homage in there; past the tutorial stage (set in Canada), we can play the next 10 stages in any order. However, once they’re all beaten, we unlock the enemy base, a sequence of six stages in a specific order, very “Wily’s Fortress”-esque. Every boss beaten drops a special weapon with extra durability and a good spell. Bosses represent the location where they’re fought; Greece has Medusa, Russia has Baba Yaga, Egypt has Anubis, and so on.

Considering this is Greece, I wouldn't be surprised if that
floating blade was referencing the Sword of Damocles.

If there's a literal virus among these aliens, I'm ready.

The Story Mode is available in Classic and Remixed flavors, with the latter unlocked after beating the game once. The main menu includes a Speedrunning option, a Challenge section, and there’s a Tournament mode to compare your prowess to other players’. The best addition is the Blacksmith, where you can design your own weapons, drawing them with pixels and selecting their stats afterwards. Even better – the weapons created by other players may pop up as rewards after a mini-boss. I fought using a cow-shaped sword, another one had a Mario sprite on a stick. Yes, really.

Look on the left. I wasn't kidding when I said "a Mario
sprite on a stick". It's right there.

See, I did tell you that some weapons, when broken,
gave Grit wings!

Oh, I loved this one. The music is great, and the pixel art is gorgeous. That includes the sprite work during gameplay, but also the ultra-detailed backgrounds, cutscenes and portraits. The characters and scenes have that “80’s anime” vibe to them, very on-point. The game is tough, but overall fair; it’s hard while learning the ropes, but it gets easier once you’ve got all the mechanics down. As an example, once you learn that you can heal by breaking weapons, you keep a few in inventory just in case. And then, once you have the mechanics down, the Inverted Tower comes in with its six stages of intense platforming. It’s got the difficulty alright.

Trust me, 50 units really isn't much. But it does help.

A lot of people who say that the platforming in this game is cheap haven’t played a game that such a critique applies to. It’s tough, but not “the game is actively trying to piss the player off” tough. I’ve seen those, I’ve tried some, and Panzer Paladin is nowhere near that level. However, this game with so many interesting mechanics underutilizes one: The Laboratory, where you can increase Grit’s max HP by destroying many Spirit weapons. This stops at five upgrades; it would have been even better if this feature had allowed the player to sacrifice more weapons for additional upgrades, maybe to Grit’s base attack or speed (as the mech is rather slow), or maybe some very slight upgrades to Flame at a very high cost?

Very small issues aside, I fell in love with this one, I think it’s safely going to find its way among my Favorites at the end of the year. You should try it out if you like retro throwbacks! Panzer Paladin is available on Steam for 19.99$ USD.