Shattered – Tale of the Forgotten King

Lore & Background

Shattered – Tale of the Forgotten King is set in a civilization that fell to ruin after the disappearance of its king. The game belongs to the Soulslike subgenre, emphasizing exploration, careful timing in combat, and boss fights, all viewed from a first-person perspective. It also includes platform game elements presented in 2.5D.

Redlock, a French game developer, crowdfunded the project on Kickstarter in 2016, raising €100,000 against an €80,000 goal. The game entered early access in June 2019 and was fully released for Windows on February 17, 2021. Forthright Entertainment published ports to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on April 22, 2022.

Reception was mixed on Metacritic. RPGFan described the game as frustrating, repetitive, and directionless despite the developer's care and hard work. Jeuxvideo.com and 4Players gave mostly positive reviews, though both criticized the combat.

Reader's Guide

Shattered – Tale of the Forgotten King stands as a notable example of a crowdfunded Soulslike that attempted to blend first-person combat with 2.5D platforming. Its development by the French studio Redlock and its successful Kickstarter campaign—exceeding its €80,000 goal by €20,000—demonstrate the viability of niche genre hybrids funded by community support. The game's mixed reception highlights the challenges of executing such a fusion: while some outlets praised its ambition, others found the execution frustrating and directionless. The critical consensus, even among positive reviews, pointed to flaws in the combat system. Its release on Windows in 2021 and subsequent console ports in 2022 expanded its reach, but the game did not achieve widespread acclaim. In the context of 2020s role-playing games, it serves as a case study in the risks and rewards of blending Soulslike mechanics with platforming and a first-person viewpoint, as well as the importance of polish in a genre known for demanding precision.