The soundtrack also sees a refresh with detailed re-envisioning of familiar anthems, be it the bombast of “Strike the Earth!” (now made more regal) or the double-time feel that’s been playfully grafted onto the once backbeat-heavy tunes of the Lich Yard. Though primarily rehashes of Shovel Knight’s original locales, each stage is custom-fit for Specter’s capability, with new challenges, secrets, layouts, and clever head-scratchers despite similar environments and pacing. Regardless of whether your prefer Specter’s style to that of the series’ eponymous spade-wielder (the original stands tall for me), functional core mechanics parlay nicely into what has always been Yacht Club’s strength in the first place: daring, smart level design. Keep that in mind and you should be able to convincingly blame yourself for death and not the game. Be warned that air-dash trajectory is determined not by the direction you press on the D-pad, but the location from which you attack relative to the lantern, object, or enemy in question. With that said, like many platformers taking traversal beyond running and jumping, it will feel cheap if you don’t understand how it works. The mechanic works, and it’s clear Yacht Club tweaked and tested it enough to ensure it doesn’t ever feel cheap or broken. This is first and often expressed via lanterns, red glowing (often moving or swinging) bundles that activate Specter Knight’s ability to dash through the air.
A main component of level traversal is physically attacking, utilizing enemies or environmental objects to fling yourself toward platforms or objectives in varying directions. Where I’m less unabashedly ecstatic is with Specter’s platforming arsenal. In that regard, the game excels where others often don’t. To say it's worse or better than Shovel Knight’s moveset is not the point the feel here differentiates itself and immediately settles any supposition that Shovel Knight releases are mere skins or body swaps. Magnetically drawn toward enemies when attacking, he can strike, ricochet off foes, and repeat in a floaty, satisfying action-game style. Wielding a sickle rather than spade, Specter Knight controls almost like a Smash Bros.
Though basic controls for running, jumping, and attacking remain the same, capabilities and feel are revamped and do take some getting used. The main gameplay difference here is Specter himself.
#Wii u shovel knight spectre of torment series
This series is carried by gameplay first and foremost, but those who felt the Plague of Shadows expansion lacked narrative heft will find Specter of Torment plenty satisfactory. The results vary, ranging from affective nuggets of impressive writing to comical gags where things don’t quite go as planned. Essentially, Specter Knight traverses the world recruiting the bosses from Shovel Knight one by one, attempting to sway them to the cause. Acting as a prequel, the game chronicles how the first title’s wicked Enchantress and her sinister Order of No Quarter came to be, and why so many baddies the world over willingly pledged to her pernicious, periwinkle ways. The premise for Specter is a bit more robust than the Plague Knight expansion before it, in that it holds weight and relevance to the original Shovel Knight’s narrative.