Shovel Knight Reviews
Shovel Knight lacks the courage to dare, but, despite this, achieves his goal and pays homage to the 8-bit era.
Review in Italian | Read full review
One of the best retro homages of recent years, that cleverly combines the best elements of older 2D games with plenty of new ideas of its own.
Shovel Knight is one of the best platformers I've ever played, period. As I sit here with the theme song stuck in my head, I'm realizing that Yacht Club Games has created something truly special, and it was absolutely worth the risk to start their own studio. In addition to a potential Shovel Knight 2, I can't wait to see what they have in store for us down the road.
Play Shovel Knight. It is a damn delight.
Shovel Knight is everything good about a bygone era, acting as a reminder of why classic platformers were so loved... and hated.
Shovel Knight works well because it knows exactly what it wants to be. The people behind it have a clear love of retro games, and that collective passion has created something great. So often we play games that try to prey on nostalgia in the cheapest ways possible, whether it's half-hearted HD remakes or blatant ripoffs. Shovel Knight is one of the few games that not only honors the past, but something we may be reminiscing about for years to come.
Capturing the spirit of the past, Shovel Knight once again shines on PlayStation platforms with one of the best platformers in recent years, made even better with the inclusion of cross-buy.
In a sea of throwback, nostalgia driven pixel-art platformers, Shovel Knight is a fantastic modern take on the genre, and worthy of play even for those who never owned Nintendo's grey and black box
Shovel Knight is a true masterpiece of retro platforming. If you ever enjoyed an NES title and wanted to relive those days then this game was tailor-made for you.
Shovel Knight is just what any veteran gamer's inner child needs. Between the tight platforming, nostalgia-inducing graphics, and pitch-perfect sound design, old-school gamers need look no further for their fix. Younger gamers will appreciate the modern additions of checkpoints and Cross-save functionality, while hardcore gamers can simply smash those checkpoints and reap the rewards. It's incredible to see a game that doesn't just imitate the 8-bit era, but perfectly embodies it.
It can be challenging, frustrating and cause unwanted headaches, but despite all that you'll keep wanting to come back for more. Not everyone will be drawn in by an 8-bit, side-scrolling death fest in this day and age of gaming that seems overwhelmed by retro aesthetic titles, however, Shovel Knight rightly deserves a place among modern games. The amazing soundtrack and rewarding gameplay will spur you on right to the end, and even then you'll probably want to go back for another round of smacking things in the face with a shovel. The inspiration from 8-bit games of the past has caused a great feeling of nostalgia for many, and Shovel Knight is well worth the money and trip down memory lane if you prefer to be challenged on a regular basis. The game is proof that, although 8-bit side-scrollers look old, they certainly aren't outdated.
If you played these classic NES games back in the day and are looking for that feeling again, you just found it. Shovel Knight is one game pretty much any gamer should not miss out on.
While paying tribute to the classics, Shovel Knight still feels unique with fantastic level designs that are extremely challenging and rewarding to complete. Add to that the beautiful visuals, a fantastic chiptune soundtrack, and memorable boss battles, it all adds up to Yacht Club Games love letter to 8-bit being an experience that one should not pass by.
I would say it's a must play for anyone old enough to remember blowing on a cartridge, but that would be selling it short. Nostalgia certainly enhances the experience, but this is a great game for anyone.
Everything Shovel Knight does, it does incredibly well. It's balanced enough so that both old-timers and newcomers can find something to enjoy, and never once does it falter in its mission of paying tribute to classics.
All in all Shovel Knight is delightful, amusing, and oftentimes challenging. It’s surprisingly deep, with enough secrets and charm to warrant at least one more run through on New Game+. The game controls like a dream, is simple enough to pick up immediately, and knows just when to up the ante to make you a more skillful player over the course of its six to eight hour campaign.
Shovel Knight is a fantastic game, which deserves all of the praise that it's received since launching last year. Now available on the Xbox One with iconic bonus content, it's even better than before and is a no-brainer of a purchase.
Shovel Knight is yet another indie not to be missed at all. The metroidvania genre reaches its peak with a game that is not a simple ready-made, but a title with its own identity. If you haven't experienced the 8-bit era on your skin, maybe you'll struggle to fully appreciate the game of the small Californian team; the excellent control system and a wide variety of enemies and settings will satisfy even the youngest and most demanding gamers, who will nevertheless have to deal with punitive gameplay and a not indifferent difficulty curve.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It is surprising that, so many years after the birth of 2D platformers, we can still design a title that bases at least half of its charisma on level design, especially without upsetting the fundamental canons of a long-lived and probably immortal genre. Shovel Knight shows that studying the past can be the first step in reinterpreting the great classics in a modern way, even going so far as to lap the quality of the milestones of game design.
Review in Italian | Read full review