 |
| Diggin' It. |
Shovel Knight is an NES-inspired game by indie developer Yacht Club Games released back in 2014. We follow our titular hero, Shovel Knight, as he must stop the evil Enchantress and rescue his fellow partner, Shield Knight. Shovel Knight was a result of a successful crowdfunding campaign started in 2013, with over $300,000 in funds amassed. Upon release, it was widely praised and was the talk of the year. It wasn't until recently that I found out that the game was on sale and I thought it was about time that I joined on fun. So without further delay let's get diggin' into what Shovel Knight has to offer.
STORY- Shovel Knight and Shield were two close companions who took on many adventures until one day the pair journey to the Tower of Fate, where Shield Knight is imprisoned. Grieving for his loss, Shovel Knight goes into a hiatus. During his absence, the evil Enchantress spreads her evil across the land and has managed to unseal the Tower of Fate, luring Shovel Knight into adventuring once again. Along his journey, he must fight the forces of the Enchantress including the eight members of the "Order of No Quarter", who also serve as the game's bosses. The plot is pretty straightforward with lively and interesting characters such as Shovel Knight and the members of the Order of No Quarter.
 |
| Join Shovel Knight's quest for adventure. |
GAMEPLAY- Shovel Knight is a 2D side-scrolling game that pays homage games of old such as Zelda II: Adventure of Link, Mega Man, and Castlevania. The game's levels has you collecting treasure, reaching checkpoints, and defeating enemies all with the use of Shovel Knight's trusty shovel. Shovel Knight can also use the shovel as a pogo stick to damage enemies as well, feature reminiscent of DuckTales. When you die during a level, you have the chance to go back to the place where you died and reclaim your fallen treasure, albeit similar to Dark Souls. You can also destroy checkpoints to gain more treasure at the cost of having take a long trip to reach the point where you died.
 |
| The gameplay is fun and engaging. |
Throughout the levels, Shovel Knight will come across various sub-weapons such as throw-able fire orbs, invisibility amulet, and gloves that dig through dirt. These sub-weapons cost magic to cast and can be refilled when an enemy drops magic potions. Shovel Knight's overall magic gauge can be increased by spend treasure at the local town's alchemist. The bosses are one of the best aspects to the gameplay. Each level has its own respective boss that you have to take down. The battles can range from intense to manageable once you get down their patterns.
 |
| You'll be doing a lot of exploring in the world-map. |
 |
| The boss are fun and challenging. |
The game has a new game plus feature that serves as an incentive to keep you playing. Enemies are more stronger and take in more damage, there are fewer checkpoints in levels though you retain all your gear from the previous play-through. Shovel Knight has a password system just like Metroid's in which you input various letters to unlock certain abilities and perks that can be fun to use.
PRESENTATION- Shovel Knight is presented in a 8-bit old-school manner akin to NES games of old. It may look primitive but one has to love the colorful and well-detailed backgrounds as well as the neat character sprites. The soundtrack imitates old NES games with its limited yet upbeat and catchy tracks. It's by far one of the game's shining aspects.
 |
| Shovel Knight has a lot of eye-catching backgrounds. |
OVERALL- Shovel Knight is a great indie game and does a terrific job of paying tribute to the games that inspired it. With an interesting story, tight gameplay, and an 8-bit styled aesthetic, it's easily recommended for those looking for a neat platformer with an old-school style to it. It's easily one of my favorite indie games.
Comments
Post a Comment