Portal Knights

Portal Knights is a cooperative action role-playing game with a freely customisable 3D sandbox. The game world consists of numerous islands connected by portals. Players explore the landscapes, collect resources, craft equipment and defeat enemies. The story revolves around a world torn apart by what is known as the Fracture. Alongside travelling between the islands, you can build your own houses and elaborate structures.

Portal Knights launched on PC on Feb 25, 2016 in Steam Early Access and came out as a full release in May 2017. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions followed in 2017. Two official 505 Games pages give different details about the exact console launch: the product page gives May 23, 2017, a support page for Europe gives April 28, and one for North America gives May 2. The console launch is therefore not listed as a single worldwide calendar date.

The Nintendo Switch version was released digitally on Nov 23, 2017; according to the publisher, iOS and Android followed on Dec 6. The Legendary Edition bundles the base game and additional content. It is not a standalone native version for PS5, Xbox Series or Switch 2.

Native versions are documented for Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. The PS4 and Xbox One releases are standalone console versions. Playing an Xbox One title on Xbox Series X|S, by contrast, is not a new native Series version. For Switch 2, no standalone native version can be derived from the 2017 Switch release either.

On the islands, characters encounter residents, quests, caves and dungeons. Gathering materials is not only for building: weapons, armour and tools must also be crafted and upgraded. Talent progression and your choice of character class determine how you fight different enemies. Role-playing and sandbox thus interlock, without the game prescribing a single activity.

Two major add-on packs expand the core role-playing game. Elves, Rogues, and Rifts introduces the rogue class, playable elves and time-limited Rift dungeons. Druids, Furfolk, and Relic Defense adds druids with shapeshifting, the Furfolk and a defence mode for Star Stones. Both expansions require the base game. There are also smaller cosmetic add-on packs, as well as the Legendary Edition, which bundles several pieces of content.

For Windows, Steam lists at minimum an AMD Phenom 8450 or Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, 4 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 470 or Radeon HD 6870, each with 1 GB video memory. DirectX 11, a broadband connection and 8 GB of free storage are also listed. Recommended are, among others, an Intel Core i5-8400, 12 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970. Older Windows details in the game requirements should be distinguished from the minimum requirements of the Steam client, which have since changed.

The individual sandbox islands of Portal Knights are generated randomly and show different environments. While exploring, players find resources, NPCs and quests, as well as further access to caves and dungeons. Transitions to other areas run through portals. The fragmented world is not just scenery; it also shapes how progress works: instead of one single open landmass, you gradually open up further separate islands.

The base game has three classes: warriors fight mainly in melee, mages use spells and rangers rely on ranged attacks. As levels rise, more talents and better equipment become available. The class therefore shapes how you approach fights and which weapons you can craft. Additional classes such as the rogue and druid belong to the later paid expansions and are not part of the original selection.

Combat is in real time, from a perspective behind your character. Enemies have different attack patterns, so dodging and choosing the right weapons or spells matter. Particularly large battles lead to the portal guardians, the game's bosses. If you don't want to fight, you can spend long periods exploring, crafting equipment and working on building projects instead; the combat systems nevertheless remain a central pillar of the adventure.

Ore, plants and other raw materials can be gathered on various islands. At workbenches and other crafting stations, they are turned into weapons, armour, tools or furniture. Expanding the stations unlocks additional recipes. Crafting is therefore tied to the role-playing: for better equipment, players need new materials and must explore further areas.

Portal Knights lets you build your own houses and larger structures from numerous materials and furniture. Unlocked private islands can serve as permanent building sites. The Xbox product description also mentions a creative mode for quickly designing your own structures. This gives the game a broad building and decorating side that does not depend on hunting enemies.

In co-op multiplayer, up to four people can travel together through the island world, explore dungeons, fight enemies and build structures. Local co-op on split screen for two players is also planned. The online services or subscriptions needed for this differ by platform, so the requirements of the console version you choose are decisive. The game can also be played solo.

The first of the two major expansions moves part of the adventure to Faynore, the moon of Elysia. Players can create an elf and choose the rogue as a new class. Its combat style relies, among other things, on stealth and ambushes. In the so-called Rifts, randomly assembled passages full of puzzles, traps and valuable loot await. These dungeons are on a timer: if you don't reach the goal in time, you lose the treasure collected during the attempt. The DLC came out on PC in June 2019 and on Nintendo Switch in July.

The second major DLC introduces a druid class whose special ability is transforming into animal forms. The Furfolk expand character customization. In Relic Defense mode, players must defend holy star stones against waves of attackers. Between waves they can build traps and earn extra rewards, including special mounts. The PC content came out on Feb 20, 2020, and the Switch version on Feb 25.

For the PC version, Steam lists a German user interface along with other languages. On PC it is played with suitable input devices, on consoles with controllers. If you want to play local co-op on one screen, you need two usable controllers for split-screen. Which languages and accessibility features are offered in detail should be checked on the respective platform version.