Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment will debut on the Nintendo Switch, trading in the shovel for a scythe to play as the robed Specter Knight. Here are my impressions of playing as the Specter Knight as well as some specifics on what it’s like to play the game with its new expansion on the Switch.
Just like Plague Knight from the previous Plague of Shadows expansion, Specter Knight is a new playable boss with his own unique abilities, items, and levels. He wields a scythe capable of quick slashes to take down enemies and, yes, destroy piles of dirt. Jumping in the air towards an enemy will make a red reticle appear over it; tap the attack button midair and Specter Knight will automatically hone in and execute a diving slash attack. As if jumping and slashing through the air wasn’t ninja-like enough, Specter Knight can also perform a limited vertical wall-run and do a wall-jump on certain surfaces.
Specter Knight’s increased mobility and auto-targeting attack makes the gameplay feel a world apart from Shovel Knight. It has a nice fluid feel and allows you to make quick work of enemies. On my first playthrough of the demo, it took a fair bit of trial and error to get the honing mechanic just right. It’s primarily used as a way to cross over pits and obstacles, but you have to angle your slash-dive properly before tapping the attack button, otherwise you’ll fly off in the wrong direction, usually to your doom. But on my second playthrough, I was slicing and dicing my way through the entire level, doing more advanced slash-dives with ease. In fact, a room that requires you to perform two quick slash-dives while changing direction midair – one I died in three times on my first run – now felt easy as pie.
Meanwhile, the aesthetic of Specter of Torment is beautifully morose. Flaming red skulls are hidden throughout the levels that you can collect for a bonus. Instead of health pickups taking form as delicious turkeys and fruit, Specter Knight recovers by consuming decayed bones and rotten apples. Each level I played was dripping in Grim Reaper flavor befitting the Specter Knight, all to the sound of either new or remixed chiptune music.
You’ll fight the same bosses as in the original Shovel Knight (except for Specter Knight, natch) but with a twist on each encounter. Black Knight, for example, breaks the ground with his shovel, taking the battle underground where he now charges at you atop an armored rhino. Polar Knight now raises pillars of ice, and because his new attack tactics are more horizontally-oriented, his boss fight will mark the first time the screen is unfixed and will scroll from side-to-side during the encounter.
Yacht Club Games game designer Sean Velasco said that the game length of Specter of Torment is about the same as the original Shovel Knight. He also said Specter of Torment is to Shovel Knight as Majora’s Mask is to Ocarina of Time.
“A lot the elements are the same [as the original Shovel Knight], but it has a darker, scarier feel. NPCs you knew before may show up but in a different way,” he said. He also pointed out how they put in a lot of weird elements to connect the games together, like how in Shovel Knight there are bird statues that vomit rainbows, and now in Specter of Torment you have to battle living, breathing birds that vomit rainbows, so now you’re fighting the creature the statues were crafted after.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment will debut on the Nintendo Switch sometime in March or April after the Switch launches and then will be made available on the remaining platforms -- Wii U, 3DS, PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Vita, Amazon Fire -- in April.
This comes as part of a big update where all Shovel Knight campaigns will fall under the umbrella title Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. The original game will be renamed Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope as part of this update so it stands alone alongside Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment as separate campaigns.
Access to co-op mode for Shovel of Hope used to be restricted to the Wii U and could only be unlocked with the Shovel Knight amiibo, but now co-op will be available on all platforms (except 3DS and Vita), no amiibo required. However, amiibo functionality -- leveling up, gaining new items, etc. -- will remain the same on the Switch. The Switch comes with two Joy-Con controllers, so you’ll be able to play co-op without buying an additional controller. And unless enough fans ask for it, Velasco says, co-op won’t be added to Specter of Torment.
I played using the Joy-Con Grip configuration, which felt similar to playing with a standard controller. Shovel Knight is a two-button game, so it’s a nice fit for the smaller button setup of the Joy-Cons, but the lack of a true D-pad did take some getting used to.
We did a co-op runthrough on Shovel of Hope using the Joy-Cons turned sideways. They’re surprisingly comfortable despite being so small, but again, only needing to utilize two buttons essentially cuts out any problems that may have arisen if the game required us to use more buttons.
The best way to play will come down to what's the most comfortable for you, and the Swtich's multiple controller configurations will allow you to experiment until you find the right fit.
The new Spectre of Torment campaign is a blast to play so far, essentially transforming into a new ninja game while keeping the same elements that make Shovel Knight such great retro fun. Playing on the Switch took a bit of getting used to thanks to the new Joy-Con controllers, but the simplicity of Shovel Knight’s button inputs looks set to overcome any discomfort and allow the excellent gameplay to shine through.
Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
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