It’s disappointing that unlocking each one effectively renders Shovel Knight more and more obsolete and that some characters clearly had more love put into them than others, but characters like Plague Knight or Shield Knight add enough new depth to the gameplay that playing towards their abilities is like a game within a game.
Each character adds their own layer or mechanic to the basic action. Pocket Dungeon doubles down on this player freedom by including a number of playable characters beyond just Shovel Knight. This also allows for a lot of experimentation within the game’s somewhat small scope, giving it a much bigger feel. Allowing a run to be flexible might deflate some tense moments for more thrill-seeking difficulty fanatics if they choose to make the game easier on themselves, but the game never forces you to play one specific way. It understands that a good arcade puzzler shines in its systems and gameplay, rather than getting to the end. Removing as many restrictions as possible feels more like playing a really good match-three mobile game with every microtransaction paid for than it does like playing a game that’s too easy. On top of the fact that players can pay a small amount of in-game currency to effectively start where they left off, they can also choose how many lives they get in any given run. While its structure sends players back to the very beginning of the 10-level adventure mode if they die, the game allows players to restart with almost no penalty. I can’t tell you how many times I restarted a run just to hear Pocket Dungeon’s rendition of ‘Strike the Earth’ one more time.īeing able to do that thanks to Pocket Dungeon’s relatively low stakes was one of my favorite parts of the game. In its main adventure mode, you start out as Shovel Knight progressing through puzzles themed after levels from the original game, complete with expertly remixed versions of all of their themes.
While the game does take care to uphold the tone of its source material in its story, there’s nothing particularly new or standout for anyone beyond the most zealous Shovel Knight devotees. That’s not to say you won’t need to think about your actions, though: over-commit and you’ll get a game over, play it safe and you won’t get a good score. You can stay in rhythm with the music or just mash. The challenge comes from timing when to strike, when to move and when to heal, with each action causing the falling enemies to move. Nearly every enemy from Shovel Knight’s rogues’ gallery makes an appearance here as different blocks for you to break.ĭispatch them quickly alone or together in a chain to build a bonus score meter. Fans of any “falling blocks” puzzle game will recognize the premise. Going out of its way to be as goofy as possible in its setup, Pocket Dungeon sees Shovel Knight and friends transported into a dimension rife with puzzles. Perhaps more importantly, it introduces a Yacht Club Games curve to those classics.
Mario or Puyo Puyo with a Shovel Knight twist. Their design philosophy has always played with and iterated on the classic genres and gameplay experiences that have been entrenched in the lexicon of videogames since the ‘80s, and Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon delivers on this legacy in spades (pun very intended).Įxpertly blending pick-up-and-play arcade-style action with modern design philosophies, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon delivers Dr. The original Shovel Knight cemented Yacht Club as a developer to pay attention to during the pixel-art 2D platformer revival we’re in the midst of.
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