Knight Lore - Gameplay

Gameplay

Again taking the role of Sabreman, the player must find the wizard Melkhior and scour Knight Lore castle to retrieve the objects successively requested by his cauldron. These objects are found at set locations within the castle, but which objects are at which locations varies from game to game. The player can carry up to three objects at a time. (This mechanic is similar to that of earlier Ultimate game Atic Atac, except that the objects do not affect the player while they are being carried.) Sometimes an extra life is found in place of one of these objects.

Once collected, the objects must be returned to Melkhior, and dropped into the waiting cauldron. Successfully following all of the cauldron's requests within a forty day period frees Sabreman from the curse of lycanthropy cast upon him by the Wulf encountered in Sabre Wulf.

The curse itself plays an important role in gameplay. While beginning the game as Sabreman, the player is periodically transformed into a werewulf as day turns into night (see the sun / moon dial in the bottom right of the screenshots below). At the point of transformation (either to, or from, the werewulf), Sabreman experiences a short, but humorously animated, seizure, and is vulnerable to enemies or hazards. Certain enemies (including Melkhior's cauldron itself) will attack Sabreman when a werewulf, making the timing of certain actions crucial.

In what was revolutionary for its time, the castle is presented as a series of isometric, flip-screen rooms. Negotiating many of these rooms requires good platform skills, especially since some platforms disappear or move when stepped on. In some rooms, objects such as tables, treasure chests or the objects collected for the cauldron need to be used to reach carefully positioned goals.

Aside from platform-hopping, Sabreman must avoid a series of enemies and hazards. Static beds of spikes and falling spiked metal balls are among the simplest hazards. Malevolent portcullis gates guard many thoroughfares, and are often accompanied by slow-moving, but lethal, guards. Faster moving enemies, such as ghosts and Melkhior's cauldron spirit, provide more dangerous company.