Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
#4 --- 2022
PC - Steam
Beaten February 4th, 2022
Man I don't even like Megaman but this game is great
Pros:
This is going to be a long list...
Graphics are beautiful and the animations are terrifically expressive for all the characters.
Music is 10/10. Seriously, Strike The Earth tho
The bosses are amazing - design, the fights, the story with them and Shovel Knight
Story in general is simple but DAMN good - legit teared up twice. Shovel dreaming of Shield perpetually falling, unable to catch her... Gets me man.
World design and the upgrades found there. Getting to see the levels you are going to and how they fit into where you've been + being rewarded for doing extra shit. Though it has plenty of backups for those of us who were not so hardcore back in the day to help fix mistakes or if you missed anything you can just go back!
Cons:
Level design drops off a bit in the second half of the game, and while the difficulty curve is nice it does feel a BIT too frustrating near the end. Dying is a pretty light punishment by that point though.
Spikes and deep pits being 1-Hit KOs. I don't think I actually DIED properly once in the whole campaign - just missing a jump or a few pixels here and there and getting bounced into oblivion. Let me jump back up dangit!!!
Meh:
Some wild balancing on the relics. One that heals you up to full HP... and another that bounces a coin around randomly??
Hmmm:
Perhaps a biiiit too long? Or short? Something about the pacing is off.
Final Grade: A-
#4 --- 2022
PC - Steam
Beaten February 4th, 2022
Man I don't even like Megaman but this game is great
Pros:
This is going to be a long list...
Graphics are beautiful and the animations are terrifically expressive for all the characters.
Music is 10/10. Seriously, Strike The Earth tho
The bosses are amazing - design, the fights, the story with them and Shovel Knight
Story in general is simple but DAMN good - legit teared up twice. Shovel dreaming of Shield perpetually falling, unable to catch her... Gets me man.
World design and the upgrades found there. Getting to see the levels you are going to and how they fit into where you've been + being rewarded for doing extra shit. Though it has plenty of backups for those of us who were not so hardcore back in the day to help fix mistakes or if you missed anything you can just go back!
Cons:
Level design drops off a bit in the second half of the game, and while the difficulty curve is nice it does feel a BIT too frustrating near the end. Dying is a pretty light punishment by that point though.
Spikes and deep pits being 1-Hit KOs. I don't think I actually DIED properly once in the whole campaign - just missing a jump or a few pixels here and there and getting bounced into oblivion. Let me jump back up dangit!!!
Meh:
Some wild balancing on the relics. One that heals you up to full HP... and another that bounces a coin around randomly??
Hmmm:
Perhaps a biiiit too long? Or short? Something about the pacing is off.
Final Grade: A-