Shovel knight is somewhat of a tribute to the 8-bit classics of the 80's. It is easy to notice this because it borrows lots of elements from games like Castlevania and Megaman. But unlike other indie games that are just collections of references, and gameplay copied from the good ol' days of gaming, Shovel knight is it's own game. It stands on it's own instead of relying on the legacy of the games that give us nostalgia. There is enough gameplay here that is original that it doesn't live in the shadow of any other game.
That being said it also looks, and plays like one of those games. Granted it couldn't have some of the graphics that does if it was from that time. But if you sat someone down who had never heard of this game before they might mistake it for one of those games.
The gameplay is solid, I have loved every minute that I have played. I feel that I am in complete control of my character when I am playing. If my finger so much as lifts from one of the controls, Shovel knight will stop what he is doing. This makes dying in this game your fault. If you miscalculated a jump, or used the wrong move on an enemy, your death is all on you.
In each level of Shovel knight you jump, and fight your way to the end, where you will be able to fight one of the games many bosses. All of the levels are themed to the particular boss i.e. so Spector knight's stage is a giant graveyard. Each level also has it's own unique mechanics, and enemies that change up the gameplay. On Mole knight's stage you will bounce of a giant beetle as it makes its way across the screen. And on Propeller knight's stage you will have to deal with the way the wind flings you around.
Each boss is pretty tough, I died several times. The reason they are tough is they don't have attack patterns. In games like Megaman it was always about memorizing the pattern of how the boss attacked, and then exploiting that pattern. In Shovel knight however this is not the case. Each boss has several attacks, and uses them depending on what is happening in the battle, rather then just in a set order. This makes the battles WAY more challenging than in other games. Now you have to learn to recognize an attack, rather than a pattern.
Unlike the other games of it's kind Shovel knight relies a lot on loot. Money is everywhere, and you need it all! Everything costs money, boosts to your health and magic, upgrades, and the relics that are found in chests. But Shovel knight does have many ways of acquiring money on his journey. He can dig in dirt piles, defeat enemies, and find chests. There are secret areas EVERYWHERE in this game, these usually have the most loot. The other thing is that the upgrades you buy are more useful than just boosting your attack damage. One makes it easier to use magic, at the cost of you taking extra damage. And another lets you have a super swing after two successful downstabs.
One of my favorite parts of the game is the way the balanced the game for newbs, and experts alike. Each level has several checkpoints making the game easier for losers. But if you are pro, (or an idiot) you can destroy the checkpoint for money. If you do that checkpoint is gone for the rest of the time playing the level. And if you die you start back farther back in the level. You also lose money when you die, which you can get back as long as you don't die again. This adds this extra dilemma to the game: more money, or restart further back.
I haven't even finished playing the game and I already know what I am going to rate it. This game is by far the best game to come out this year. You guys can't stop me, I'm giving Shovel knight ten out of ten stars. Shovel knight is a "Masterpiece."
Shovel for Justice!
