Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows / Specter of Torment / King of Cards

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JaySevenZero
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Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows / Specter of Torment / King of Cards

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your memories and opinions of any and all of the Shovel Knight DLC for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

Friendly reminder to all that where feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but self-editing (brevity) is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mainly reading. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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DaMonth
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by DaMonth »

I don't think many people'll think this, so I'll go ahead and shoulder it: Plague of Shadows was the most fun I had with Shovel Knight. Everything else was good and even great, but the amount of experimentation you could do with the different blends of catalysts and fuses for any situation made it a blast. Ha. Of course the best objective jump was the float jump so maybe that's not the best thing, but who cares, the love story element was just really sweet. Took me a while before I wanted to click off that "The End" dance.
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Heavener
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by Heavener »

I played Shovel Knight a few months ago for the first time. When I finished the main game, I thought the DLC couldn't possibly be as good. I played Plague Knight and thought it was just OK.

Specter Knight, however, turned out to be my favorite campaign. I love his fighting style. Unlike Shovel Knight, Specter Knight is capable of rushing in all directions mid-air, and this continuously. It gave me a rush to be able to keep moving in the air this quickly - Specter Knight's fighting style really has something ghost-like about it. In addition, seeing how all of the other Knights were recruited for the Enchantress gave them an interesting background. It's quite rare that a DLC turns out to be better than the main game, but to me Specter Knight is a perfect example of this.
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Superuser
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by Superuser »

Shovel Knight is my all-time favourite game and the reason I signed up to this forum - though I never got to leave my review!

SK is a straight 10/10. I'd grade Plague a solid 8.5/10. But Spectre - that honestly gets an 11/10. These are all close to being standalone games and I wouldn't mind them being offered in that way. However, I think it's important to see them as one cohesive package and play in release order to get the most out of them.

Plague gives a poor first impression coming in straight from the main game, as I did. The titular character feels much more sluggish than Shovel Knight and lacks his charisma and heart, though you grow fonder of him as the game goes on. It also never gets old to bully your minions.

The bomb system is poorly explained and I didn't experiment almost at all till the end, where, as usual, I grinded early levels for money to buy all the upgrades. It took me very long to get used to his control scheme and equipment. I now see the genius of the controls, but I must hold this against the expansion - I wish I was encouraged further in some way to try out more of Plague Knight's equipment instead of playing him like a more sluggish Shovel Knight.

The way Plague Knight speaks is initially off-putting, as he's just so awkward and strange, but the introduction to your secret lab is a brilliant experience and interacting with your brain-dead minions is often hilarious. I saw the twist near the end coming, but it was still heartwarming and very welcome. It wrapped up beautifully and left a smile on my face. I just wish the game explained itself better and gave me more time to get to grips with controling Plague Knight.

----------------

Spectre Knight is pure awesomeness. While the character is introspective and brooding, his controls make him the ninja of Shovel Knight and one of the best-controlling characters of any platformer. The level design has been changed up a lot this time around and there are many surprises, in the end going into what I can only describe as Spectre Knight's Pro Skater.

Spectre Knight brings a sense of speed to the franchise. The better you are, the faster you move, and you don't need to be a speedrunner either (I'm actually pretty bad at all these games). I put this down mainly to Spectre's attack styles and power, meaning you can make quick work of a lot of enemies once you figure them out. As a whole, levels are designed with speedy platforming in mind. Yacht Club again demonstrates superb game feel in the ever-potent mid-air slash that lets you jump from item to item. It's notable how you have to have some momentum for most manoeuvres, which were more straightforward in the first two chapters.

The story is played more seriously and unfolds handsomely, though I feel the relationship between you and Reize could have been better established. To my amazement, Yacht Club still pulled it off with their ever-sharp writing. Because of Spectre's dull character, it's the side cast that does most of the heavy lifting this time. I want to give special mention to the brilliant new artwork, particularly the gloomy castle that serves as your base of operations.

With these two expansions, Shovel Knight is my all-time favourite game. It's interesting to discuss how we'd feel if these were instead standalone spin-offs and how that would affect our perception, but speaking for myself, I'd still buy each one at full price. It is the perfect platformer. Bring on King of Cards (and please do an episode on it when it comes out)!


Three word review (Plague): A LOVE STORY
There word review (Spectre): SKATING NINJA REAPER

Three word review (joint): GET TREASURE TROVE!
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by ratsoalbion »

We’re postponing the second Shovel Knight show due to the delay of release to the final piece of dlc. We’ll resurrect this thread nearer the time, next year.
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by Simonsloth »

ratsoalbion wrote: June 23rd, 2019, 4:54 pm We’re postponing the second Shovel Knight show due to the delay of release to the final piece of dlc. We’ll resurrect this thread nearer the time, next year.
That’s a good idea. Are you subbing in a show planned for next year?

Surely Donkey Konga would make a perfect replacement.
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by Alex79 »

That game was so awesome. Also the platform one you controlled with the bongos - Jungle Run maybe? I can't remember. I know I got them one Christmas along with the Bongos and had a great time!
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by ratsoalbion »

Simonsloth wrote: June 24th, 2019, 8:06 pm
ratsoalbion wrote: June 23rd, 2019, 4:54 pm We’re postponing the second Shovel Knight show due to the delay of release to the final piece of dlc. We’ll resurrect this thread nearer the time, next year.
That’s a good idea. Are you subbing in a show planned for next year?

Surely Donkey Konga would make a perfect replacement.
No, we're splitting the MGSV show into two.

Hoping to do Konga series and Jungle Beat next year.
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Re: 393: Shovel Knight DLC

Post by Simonsloth »

ratsoalbion wrote: June 24th, 2019, 10:46 pm
Simonsloth wrote: June 24th, 2019, 8:06 pm
ratsoalbion wrote: June 23rd, 2019, 4:54 pm We’re postponing the second Shovel Knight show due to the delay of release to the final piece of dlc. We’ll resurrect this thread nearer the time, next year.
That’s a good idea. Are you subbing in a show planned for next year?

Surely Donkey Konga would make a perfect replacement.
No, we're splitting the MGSV show into two.

Hoping to do Konga series and Jungle Beat next year.
An even better idea!
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Re: 424: Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope / Plague of Shadows / Specter of Torment / King of Cards

Post by Toon Scottoon »

The Shovel Knight DLC is a lot like the sack of candy I remember bringing home on Halloween night as a kid, a package of sizable heft with some treats you reach in and scarf down instantly because they’re your favorites, a coconut job you pass to your pops because he’s into that sort of thing but you aren’t, and an apple you chuck into the woods, not because you don’t appreciate the value of fruit, but because it’s Mothershoveling Halloween. (That’s the fighting game by the way. I respect the effort, but yikes I didn’t enjoy it.)

As for the goodies Specter of Torment and King of Cards set my sweet tooth ringing. The way Specter Knight slips, slides, and slices his way through the home world and the levels gave me felt electric, even surpassing for me the Pogo hops from the first game. Simultaneously the melancholy story and setting were a fine counterbalance to the jubilant traversal system.

King of Cards was just as delectable with the lighthearted action of the pirouetting title character and his cast of colorful compatriots elevating the oddball political intrigue. I even enjoyed Joustus, although I never really felt like I got particularly good at it. That was sort of the beauty of the design of those sections. In my opinion players were given enough opportunities to play the parlor game where they might have learned to master it, but my deck felt over-powered enough that mastery wasn’t necessary.

As for Plague Knight’s campaign, I didn’t finish it. The Gothic vibe worked for me and I played through a few bosses, but the bombing and floating mechanics weren’t nippy enough for my taste.

Every morsel of Shovel Knight Treasure Trove might not have been as delicious as I hoped, but there were certainly moments of satisfaction that made it not only worth the effort to play, but whet my appetite further for whatever confection Yacht Club games cook’s up next.
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Re: Our next recording (20.6) - 424: Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope / Plague of Shadows / Specter of Torment / King of Ca

Post by Mr Ixolite »

The essence of a good 2D platformers giving the player an avatar with a simple, fun control scheme, and then filling the game to the brim with unique and varied challenges all tailored to said controls. And as fair as I’m concerned, Yacht Club has knocked it out of the park no less than 4 times in a row.

King and Specter knight were both instantly approachable, but Plague Knight- though the most complex- was also surprising joy to play. If a game allows customization I usually pick a loadout and stick with it, but here I found myself constantly switching things up. I think the secret is that this customization is in the context on an expertly crafted platformer, with tonnes of unique hazards encouraging experimentation. There is something immensely satisfying about building the perfect bomb to take an enemy out safely from across the screen. A lot of the level design may repeat from the first game, but this is alleviated by Plague Knight being able to feel like a whole new character with the switch of a bomb casing. Though yeah, I did end up using a lot of Compound Powder.

Each new game felt meatier than the one before, with King of Cards as the sumptuous final course, probably eclipsing the original itself in terms of platforming content. They even fit in a cardgame, which I can’t say I engaged much with; my skill is in jumping over pits and bashing bosses, not planning three card placements ahead, and the game kept adding so many wrinkles to the system that I never felt I could keep up. A such, it’s a bummer that the game takes a leaf from the JRPG playbook and locks the ultimate secret boss behind this minigame. I could probably take on this boss, but I can’t take on the cards.

The games’ stories were all still charming, with Plague Knights being my favorite because I’m a romantic sap at heart. Ultimately my only major gripe was with the ending of King Knights story; not because of the conclusion itself, but rather because the prequel nature of the game precludes closure to King Knights supporting cast. What I’m saying is, I still want to see King Knights mom smack some sense into her jerk son.

This is an expertly crafted portfolio of platformers, where even the many delays ended up working to their advantage. Taken all at once the asset reuse might’ve become grating, but spaced out the games instead invoke a cozy familiarity, akin to new seasons of a beloved TV show. And the fact that I got them all for free just for buying the original at a sale years ago is the icing on the cake. The value prospect is so big I almost feel guilty.

3 word review(s)

Plague of Shadows: Blast! Bounce! Blast!

Specter of Torment: Slash! Dash! Slash!

King of Cards: Bash, Bounce…cards?

Or for the whole package: Treasure Trove Indeed
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