In Tornado Alley, the deadly storms are worsening. In the face of constant danger, many turn to the sinister new gang in town: the Bahnsen Knights, a group of fanatical road warriors who ride their Ford Sierras in a cross formation to drive the tornadoes away. Boulder, an investigative agent, has gone undercover as a member of the Bahnsen Knights to learn more about their mission. His goal: find enough evidence to prove the Knights’ leader, Toni, is up to something bad – before it’s too late!
Bahnsen Knights is the third title in the Pixel Pulps series developed by LCB Game Studio and published by Chorus Worldwide. After previously playing and reviewing Mothmen 1966 and Varney Lake, I am an avid Pixel Pulps fan, and had been eagerly awaiting the launch of Bahnsen Knights. And let me say, it did not disappoint! This newest Pulp brings back everything great about the series – vintage pixel art, the clearly felt influence of classic horror media – while also telling a gripping story that effectively stands on its own as a solid visual novel even if you haven’t played the rest of the series.
Mothmen 1966 was creepy in that slow, sinister way where you ever-so-gradually start to realize something’s not right. Varney Lake centered the nostalgic and the heartwarming, with the horror coming less from its monsters and more from confrontations with bullies and explorations of loneliness. Meanwhile, Bahnsen Knights is frantic. Like the titular Knights and their reckless driving habits, the game jumps right into top gear and never eases back on the throttle even slightly. The terror and the thrills come one after another in a story that’s a little bit The Stand, a little bit Mad Max, a lot realistically brutal portrayal of the dark side of religious fanaticism, and all a grade-A horror experience.
After two unambiguously supernatural tales, the LCB team has decided to tackle the age-old adage: “humans are the real monsters.” And while it’s not exactly a new idea, I think the way Bahnsen Knights handles it is effective. Toni is a chilling villain, a used car salesman turned fanatical preacher after surviving a pair of deadly tornadoes that should have killed him. His sermons are fire and brimstone, blending real quotes and moments from the Bible with his own personal worship of all things vehicular. He’s every inch the fanatical cult leader, but, when protagonist Boulder gets to interact with him one-on-one, there’s still more than a little of that aw-shucks salesman charm left. He kills and tortures and inspires worship with an easy smile and a clever anecdote never far from his lips. I can say with confidence after finishing Bahnsen Knights that Toni’s face is one I’m going to be seeing in my nightmares in the near future.
As for Boulder himself, he’s not the deepest character – but, I’d argue, he doesn’t need to be. He’s separated from his wife and daughter, and has to pretend that they are dead in order to fit in with the Bahnsen Knights. The deep cover is getting to him, and it shows . He’s constantly worn down by the casual cruelty and brutality he experiences as part of the Knights, but admits to himself (and the player) a fascination with Toni and the respect and authority he commands. Visually, each Pixel Pulp has had a distinct color palette, and I applaud Bahnsen Knights’ choice of vivid reds and pinks – these typically “cheery” colors contrast so well with how Boulder grows more beaten down and exhausted with each day spent among the Knights.
One complaint I had with Varney Lake is that it wasn’t fully effective as a stand-alone story, bringing in plot elements and characters from Mothmen 1966 that could confuse players not familiar with the first Pulp. Bahnsen Knights fixed this issue by being perfectly functional as a stand-alone game, while still featuring a nod to other Pulps in the form of Lou, a paranormal investigator and writer who has been a recurring character throughout all three games. Lou works well as a way to establish a larger Pixel Pulps universe, because as a writer and chaser of the bizarre his presence in situations like this one makes sense, but his role in Bahnsen Knights is small enough that it doesn’t overshadow the main story while still being a fun treat for Pulps fans like myself.
Like the previous Pixel Pulps, the gameplay of Bahnsen Knights features a mix of story-rich, choice-based gameplay and mini-games. The choices are excellent – Boulder is in constant danger, so the frequency of “bad endings” and possible deaths feels realistic. Plus, some of the deaths are extremely shocking and effective. You can really feel how tenuous Boulder’s situation among the Bahnsen Knights is when the smallest mistake can wind up with you dead in a lake or under the wheels of a Ford Sierra.
The mini-games, on the other hand, are a bit more of a mixed bag than the previous Pixel Pulps. I liked “Via Crucis Solitaire,” the inevitable “odd card game that one of the characters made up.” It was addictive, and I played several rounds – I especially loved the option to play the game directly from the menu without needing to go into the game to do so. However, the other mini-games leaned heavily on the “quick time event” side of things. While I understand that it makes sense, especially as Bahnsen Knights focuses so heavily on reckless driving and surviving deadly tornadoes, it was frustrating to have so many speed- and reaction-time focused mini-games interrupting tense moments in the story. Having to try and retry these games (I…am not the best at QTEs) took a lot of the impact out of some of the otherwise tight, intense, well-written moments in the game.
Lastly, I’d like to give a quick shout-out to the music in this game. Unlike previous Pixel Pulps, Bahnsen Knights features a jukebox which lets players choose the music whenever Boulder visits the bar where the Knights hang out. The songs include tracks inspired by other indie games, such as Frank and Drake and Paradise Killer, which was a really cool addition and an unexpected treat (I will admit to not changing up the music as much as I should have, though – I got super into the “Lady Love Dies” track and never wanted to turn it off!).
Overall, Bahnsen Knights is a solid addition to the Pixel Pulps series, offering a fast-paced adventure where the fright is dialed up to max from the very first chapter and never slows down from there. The Pulps’ first approach to real-world non-supernatural horror is a triumph, a scathing exploration of religious fanaticism and the cult mindset. Just like I said when I reviewed Varney Lake, I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing what the Pixel Pulps team comes up with next (and yes, I still hold out hope for a full trilogy deluxe edition!). The festive season may be upon us, but the time is always right for a good scare. So strap into your Ford Sierra, find a tornado to chase down, put the pedal to the metal, and let Bahnsen Knights give you the ride – and the fright – of your life!
Kate played Bahnsen Knights on PC with a provided review code.
