Try to Survive in a Dark Version of 1900 Japan in Skautfold: Moonless Knight
The time has come, once again, to reenter the Skautold series’ horrific Lovecraftian universe. Red Art Games is pleased to announce that Skautfold: Moonless Knight will release digitally on April 9 on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation®4.
Developed by Pugware and ported to consoles by Red Art Studios, Skautfold: Moonless Knight is an open-ended Metroidvania set in an alternate and extremely dark version of 1900 Japan.
In addition to its digital release, Skautfold: Moonless Knight will also get a couple of physical editions on PS5 in Europe on April 9. While its Standard Edition will be available from various retailers upon release, the limited Deluxe Edition (500 copies only) will be exclusive to Red Art Games’ official online store. Pre-orders for both versions of Skautfold: Moonless Knight are live on Red Art Games’ official online store.
About the Skautfold: Moonless Knight physical editions:
The Skautfold: Moonless Knight Standard Edition (Switch, PS5) contains:
The Skautfold: Moonless Knight Deluxe Edition (500 copies, RedArtGames.com exclusive) contains:
Copy of the game
Sleeve
Double-sided poster
Keychain
About Skautfold: Moonless Knight:
Skautfold: Moonless Knight is an open-ended Metroidvania with a totally unique battle system. Set in an alternate history Japan in 1900, Lovecraftian horrors have plagued the world, as our very Moon opens up and becomes the very cause of our doom.
Exploration:
Forge your own path in a single, deeply interconnected Metroidvania world. Shortcuts, loops, and a tightly-woven world await as you explore the Imperial Palace; an ominous place with its intimate surroundings and the Eldritch secrets that lie below. Uncover the history of the Palace through environmental storytelling, and piece together the dark secrets of the first God Emperor Oda Nobunaga.
Pick your path and your battles; the world features a semi-open design with multiple paths to your objective, as well as tons of secrets to uncover. Take on bosses in any order you please, and find shortcuts and safe-havens in the castle under siege to solidify your foothold and turn the situation in your favour.
Return to past areas with your newfound Relics and find treasure, and grow further in power.
Find familiars to aid you in combat, dying soldiers in need of a healing injection, Yth stones, hidden stashes of money, ninja-like pugs hiding in plain sight, and Eldritch horrors posing as things you would love to get your hands on. ..
Combat:
Fight for your life using the significantly improved Guard System returning from Skautfold: Usurper; with a much deeper and more versatile system than its predecessor’s. Use your perfectly timed block to reflect enemy attacks, or a well-timed dodge to create an opening that bypasses the enemy's guard so that you can hit their Health directly!
Careless actions in combat will have a snowball effect; any health damage taken will result in a loss of maximum guard; and this applies to both sides. Simply put: punish enemies, or get punished yourself! Employ Waltham Industry's Vitae Injections to recover your health, or alternatively, use them at full health to overcharge your health for a short while to buff your damage output or tank damage you have trouble avoiding.
The system now rewards wise weapon selection; heavy weapon users will be more rewarded for mastering defence and breaking enemy guard by sheer force, while players using faster weapons will need to employ evasive manoeuvres to follow up on openings. Use any one of 9 combat/exploration relics to compliment your combat ability, and bypass barriers in the world. Relics include grappling hooks, a bow with infinite arrows, and the ability to summon a fire vampire, or teleport instantaneously. All balanced to provide further tactical and movement options to maximize your combat potential.
Turn the environment against your enemies! Kick them into their own traps, pits, and spikes to flip fortune in your favour.
Feint out of almost all actions! Are you about to get hit because you have swung your slow weapon too late? Feint, and initiate a defensive move instead! Has an enemy started swinging at you after you had grappled it from afar? Feint, and enjoy not getting slapped by their attack! You can also potentially double your damage output with a fast hand by feinting out of the wind-down animation of your attacks.
Level your stats through use. Instead of general XP, each of your 9 stats will increase naturally through use in battle; taking a lot of hard knocks and direct hits will make you tougher. Avoiding attacks consistently? Then your evasion stats will level up. And if you swing your favourite weapon type around enough, you will become more efficient at it and cause more damage all the while costing less guard.
Story
In this Lovecraftian story, you will take on the role of Gray, the 2nd Knight of the Angelic Empire of Britannia, sent as an envoy on a diplomatic mission to the Dawn Empire of Japan. The mission quickly goes horribly wrong, and Gray has to take matters into his own hands as he finds himself in the midst of a religious coup instigated by the Lunatics; a faction worshipping the Eldritch Moon God.
Soon enough, you will find yourself exploring the Oda Imperial Palace, where you will learn about the dark secret that lies below. It is there that you will attempt to fulfil your mission and recover a very special item the very survival of the entire Empire hinges on. Prepare for an insane ride; as the moon shall open to reveal the fate of humanity and the unavoidable realisation of our insignificance.