<s>
Panzer	B-Application
Paladin	I-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
action	B-Application
platforming	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Tribute	O
Games	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
through	O
Steam	B-Application
in	O
July	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
draws	O
inspiration	O
from	O
several	O
NES-era	O
titles	O
including	O
Zelda	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Adventure	I-Application
of	I-Application
Link	I-Application
,	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
and	O
Blaster	B-Application
Master	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combat	O
mechanics	O
include	O
a	O
high-versus-low	O
attacking	O
and	O
blocking	O
system	O
(	O
similar	O
to	O
Zelda	B-Application
II	I-Application
)	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
rock-paper-scissors	O
style	O
weapon	O
triangle	O
system	O
that	O
grants	O
your	O
weapons	O
damage	O
bonuses	O
or	O
reductions	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
weapon	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
enemy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
implements	O
a	O
weapon	O
durability	O
system	O
similar	O
to	O
Breath	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Wild	I-Application
where	O
weapons	O
degrade	O
and	O
eventually	O
break	O
after	O
enough	O
uses	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
weapons	O
being	O
more	O
durable	O
than	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Blaster	B-Application
Master	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
also	O
eject	O
from	O
Grit	O
at	O
any	O
time	O
to	O
play	O
as	O
Flame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
wields	O
a	O
Castlevania-style	O
laser	O
whip	O
that	O
allows	O
her	O
to	O
attack	O
enemies	O
at	O
a	O
distance	O
,	O
siphon	O
energy	O
from	O
power	O
tanks	O
to	O
replenish	O
Grit	O
's	O
health	O
and	O
swing	O
around	O
on	O
ring	O
hooks	O
to	O
reach	O
new	O
areas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Teleportation	B-General_Concept
pads	O
scattered	O
throughout	O
each	O
level	O
allow	O
for	O
Grit	O
to	O
be	O
teleported	O
to	O
Flame	O
's	O
location	O
should	O
the	O
two	O
get	O
separated	O
,	O
but	O
Flame	O
can	O
traverse	O
most	O
levels	O
completely	O
by	O
herself	O
if	O
need	O
be	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stage	O
progression	O
is	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
series	O
,	O
where	O
each	O
stage	O
's	O
boss	O
is	O
visible	O
beforehand	O
on	O
the	O
stage	O
select	O
screen	O
and	O
each	O
stage	O
can	O
be	O
selected	O
and	O
completed	O
in	O
any	O
order	O
you	O
wish	O
(	O
with	O
some	O
exceptions	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pair	O
work	O
as	O
operatives	O
for	O
Gauntlet	O
,	O
a	O
peacekeeping	O
organization	O
dedicated	O
to	O
defending	O
Earth	O
from	O
demonic	O
invaders	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
the	O
unnamed	O
but	O
reputable	O
Director	O
of	O
the	O
group	O
,	O
the	O
scientist	O
responsible	O
for	O
Paladin	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
Dr.	O
Bloom	O
and	O
the	O
group	O
's	O
timid	O
and	O
easily	O
frightened	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
member	O
Etch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
group	O
works	O
together	O
to	O
defend	O
against	O
the	O
dark	O
prince	O
Ravenous	O
(	O
a	O
tall	O
bird-like	O
creature	O
closely	O
resembling	O
a	O
griffon	O
)	O
along	O
with	O
his	O
army	O
of	O
demonic	O
creatures	O
led	O
by	O
the	O
powerful	O
Weapon	O
Keepers	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
which	O
bearing	O
a	O
resemblance	O
to	O
beings	O
from	O
myth	O
or	O
folklore	B-Application
such	O
as	O
the	O
Egyptian	O
god	O
Anubis	B-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
Russian	O
apparition	O
Baba	O
Yaga	O
and	O
the	O
Greek	O
monster	O
Medusa	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
explains	O
briefly	O
how	O
a	O
secret	O
religious	O
parchment	O
foretold	O
that	O
spirit	O
weapons	O
would	O
be	O
crafted	O
at	O
a	O
place	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Forge	B-Protocol
and	O
would	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
take	O
over	O
the	O
planet	O
,	O
inciting	O
a	O
cosmic	O
war	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
asks	O
Flame	O
and	O
Grit	O
to	O
go	O
to	O
the	O
Spirit	O
Forge	B-Protocol
within	O
the	O
tower	O
and	O
stop	O
Ravenous	O
,	O
giving	O
a	O
cryptic	O
warning	O
to	O
the	O
pair	O
not	O
to	O
follow	O
in	O
the	O
footsteps	O
of	O
their	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
duo	O
contacts	O
the	O
Director	O
,	O
who	O
explains	O
that	O
the	O
woman	O
controlling	O
the	O
Paladin	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
Squire	O
pilot	O
Blaze	O
who	O
Gauntlet	O
had	O
lost	O
contact	O
with	O
following	O
a	O
sabotage	B-Device
mission	O
against	O
Ravenous	O
 '	O
forces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Undeterred	O
,	O
Flame	O
and	O
Grit	O
continue	O
on	O
to	O
the	O
Spirit	O
Forge	B-Protocol
to	O
confront	O
Ravenous	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
duo	O
make	O
their	O
way	O
through	O
the	O
Inverted	O
Tower	O
,	O
eventually	O
reaching	O
Ravenous	O
 '	O
lair	O
within	O
the	O
Spirit	O
Forge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Spirit	O
Forge	B-Protocol
then	O
begins	O
to	O
crumble	O
as	O
the	O
three	O
make	O
their	O
escape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concerning	O
early	O
development	O
,	O
game	O
designer	O
and	O
art	O
director	O
Jonathan	O
Lavigne	O
stated	O
in	O
a	O
press	O
release	O
:	O
"	O
For	O
a	O
long	O
time	O
I	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
NES-style	O
game	O
with	O
swordplay	O
mechanics	O
like	O
the	O
ones	O
from	O
Zelda	B-Application
II	I-Application
on	O
NES	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Panzer	B-Application
Paladin	I-Application
is	O
the	O
culmination	O
of	O
two	O
subjects	O
I	O
wanted	O
to	O
address	O
in	O
a	O
traditional	O
platformer	O
:	O
swordplay	O
and	O
mechas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
little	O
bit	O
like	O
in	O
our	O
previous	O
title	O
Mercenary	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
prototype	O
demo	O
of	O
Panzer	B-Application
Paladin	I-Application
was	O
showcased	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
at	O
PAX	O
East	O
in	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
25	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
studio	O
announced	O
that	O
Panzer	B-Application
Paladin	I-Application
will	O
be	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
both	O
Steam	B-Application
(	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
)	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Challenge	O
Core	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
first	O
major	O
content	O
update	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
both	O
Switch	O
and	O
Steam	B-Application
users	O
on	O
November	O
23	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
visual	O
design	O
and	O
presentation	O
of	O
Panzer	B-Application
Paladin	I-Application
received	O
significant	O
praise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stuart	O
Gipp	O
from	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
was	O
impressed	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
visuals	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
Panzer	B-Application
Paladins	I-Application
vivid	O
,	O
beautifully-drawn	O
graphics	O
are	O
somewhere	O
between	O
the	O
familiar	O
8-bit	O
aesthetic	O
and	O
the	O
smooth	O
fidelity	O
of	O
contemporary	O
ops	O
...	O
From	O
the	O
backgrounds	O
to	O
the	O
enemy	O
sprites	O
to	O
the	O
perfectly-done	O
animation	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
look	O
flawlessly	O
complements	O
its	O
feel.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Screen	O
Rants	O
Alex	O
Santa	O
Maria	O
was	O
particularly	O
critical	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
Outside	O
of	O
those	O
who	O
've	O
mastered	O
every	O
masochistic	O
NES	O
classic	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
just	O
not	O
clear	O
who	O
Panzer	B-Application
Paladin	I-Application
is	O
going	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
-	O
and	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
only	O
hardcore	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
genre	O
should	O
even	O
attempt	O
to	O
give	O
this	O
one	O
a	O
spin.	O
"	O
</s>
