I've never seen a game as committed to letting you do absolutely everything with a shield as this Zelda: Breath of the Wild-inspired open-world

In a duology packed with new innovations, nothing quite came close to the thrill of sledding downhill on your shield in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom - but one new open-worlder is looking to build an entire game with that shieldboarding adrenaline rush in mind.

Publisher Saber Interactive and indie developer Twirlbound have just announced The Knightling, a game that puts you in the boots of a humble squire since the fantasy world's actual main hero has mysteriously disappeared. That means you're not fitted with the strongest, sturdiest gear and swords in the land - you just have a blunt shield and some creative ways of using it.

See our lil' knight-in-training flop around behind his mentor in the trailer below, before you catch some glimpses of the game's shield-bashing combat and slick movement.

Sloping down hills in the two most recent Zelda games is definitely a blast, but if you're a serial hoarder like me, the threat of weapon degradation probably means you didn't use the shield as a makeshift sled as often as you'd like. The Knightling puts no such barriers in your way: your shield is here to stay. Throw some floaty high jumps into the mix and The Knightling is shaping up to have some decent platforming, too.

The Knightling's oversized shield isn't just a sled stand-in, though. Everything you can imagine a shield might be capable of is here. The shield is a weapon used to parry, bash, and block baddies. The shield is a boomerang that bounces right back to you after you throw it at puzzles or enemies. The shield is somehow a paraglider to slow your descent from up high. It's bonkers, but I'm totally here for it.

We'll see what else The Knightling and his shield are capable of when the game comes out sometime in 2025 for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.

My other favorite trend to come out of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is all the mini-open-world games that it inspired.