Shovel Knight Dig PC Review

It almost feels like little time has passed since the term “Indie Game” once conjured up feelings of low-budget, retro-influenced titles that would be prominently featured on Xbox Live and other overstuffed downloadable storefronts. Nowadays, the biggest Indie hits not only stand alongside many Triple-A studio-driven franchises, but have even surpassed them in cultural recognition and commercial success; to think that Among Us was once considered a commercial failure a year into its release, or that Hollow Knight and Bloodstained required crowdfunding in order to even be willed into existence.

But there is probably no Indie-driven, kick-backed title that better emphasizes the recognition of these small studio games than Shovel Knight; what once began as a Kickstarter campaign with a laughably-small budget instantly became a massive hit, in which the titular shovel-bearing hero quickly took a grand tour of guest appearances across other Indie games as well as major ones, and was even memorialized with an official Amiibo figurine from Nintendo (as well as appearing as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), which is about the highest honor that any videogame mascot could receive. The recognition is well deserved, as the original Shovel Knight (and its subsequent DLC expansions) was a tight-controlling action platformer with an aesthetic that was both charming and nostalgic, drawing from the nostalgic sound, visuals and challenge of 8-bit classics and creating a polished presentation that resulted in a modern day masterpiece.

After fulfilling its quota of expansions in order to round out the original Shovel Knight into the now complete Treasure Trove collection, it was only a matter of time until Yacht Club Games moved on to the inevitable sequel….but until that day comes, fans will have to settle for the latest spinoff instead: Shovel Knight Dig is the latest adventure starring the titular hero, this time with an emphasis in using his trusty weapon as originally intended rather than as an evil-thwarting blade of justice (though there is still plenty of baddie-bashing as well). After having his prized bag of possessions pilfered by Drill Knight, the nefarious leader of a group of treasure hunters called the Hexcavators, Shovel Knight makes a beeline to the bottom of the earth, digging ever downward through the dangerous dens of each Hexcavator in order to take back his treasure (and perhaps pocket some extra valuables along the way). It’s a simple enough plot, even more straightforward than the previous game’s, and is in fact a prequel to the events of the original, but it is carried by the charming visuals and writing that made the original such a hit, and even features quite a few familiar faces along with some inventive new friends and foes.

But the similarities stop there, as Shovel Knight Dig is an entirely different kind of game; rather than a straightforward action platformer inspired by the 8-bit era of games, Dig draws inspiration from the more modern-day genre of Roguelike games. These include familiar elements of frustration typically found in the genre, such as randomized areas, power-ups, risks and rewards and a whole lot of premature deaths. Shovel Knight begins every run at the top of The Mushroom Mines and must work his way downward to The Drill Knight’s Castle with a single life and no equipment beyond his trusty shovel. Each of the seven worlds has their own theme and traps, such as the molten lava of the Smeltworks, the putrid bug nests of The Grub Pit, and the automated weaponry of Drill Knight’s Castle, along with a bevy of baddies and even more spikes to further impede progress. Oh, and a whole bunch of dirt that needs to be cleared out in order to proceed. Fortunately, our hero is a very fast digger, a feat that is vital to the very core of the game. Button mashers will immediately get a thrill out of rapidly digging downward through each area, though their eyes will need to be just as quick in order to map out the safest and/or most rewarding path, as each area is laden with shiny gems to collect and nasty traps to avoid. Don’t think there is enough time to stand still and plan out the most ideal path, either, as idle players will be met with a deadly saw that follows the player as they progress downward and will instantly kill them upon contact.

Let it be made abundantly clear: if anyone thought the original Shovel Knight was a difficult game, Shovel Knight Dig piles on the pressure by the dirt loads. While many of the familiar platforming elements and tricks are on display here, such as using the shovel to bounce off enemies and platforms alike along with the shovel itself serving as the main melee weapon of choice, the extra amount of enemies and hazards coupled with the smaller area space and stricter time limit means that players will have to set their reaction times to overdrive…and even then, death is still inevitable. As mentioned before, Shovel Knight only gets one shot to make it to the goal, and failing means getting booted all the way back to the top along with a chunk of collected cash left behind.

But like any good Roguelike, there are several unlockable items, upgrades and shortcuts to make each attempt more bearable, if not beatable. In addition to secondary weapons that include long range attacks, screen-clearing shouts and other useful (though reliant on MP) weapons, there are also Relics which offer passive bonuses, including literal game-changers such as the ability to walk on spikes or be granted a second chance upon death. In typical Roguelike fashion, there are also several NPCs (some cleverly hidden, some waiting above the mini hub world) of various quirks and usefulness that can offer additional boons, for the right price. This includes a shopkeeper who sells items, a chef that sells food that can restore and even upgrade health, an undead soldier who can teach new techniques, and so on. The NPCs above-ground are often even more valuable as they can provide permanent upgrades such as additional inventory slots, equippable armors with various bonuses, and perhaps most useful of all, a shortcut NPC that can allow players to skip several levels of their choosing, even the final level (though naturally, a full run is required in order to unlock additional endings).

Fans of both Shovel Knight and Roguelikes in general will find more familiar here than foreign, but anyone without working knowledge of the latter may end up overwhelmed by the new rules that make up Shovel Knight Dig, while the increased difficulty and instant-death traps can lead to a more frustrating experience for just about everyone. Be prepared for split-second decisions, including the restraint in trying to claim every single shiny gem or other item that may prove too risky to reach. The three cogs found in every level will prove especially tempting, as collecting all three grants players the choice to either refill their health or obtain a random Relic at the end of the stage, but these cogs can also be just out of reach or even destroyed by one of the dozen traps. As it true in many Roguelikes, knowledge can prove more powerful than skill; for every new enemy encounter, every new item description and every new trap, players will slowly learn the rules of Shovel Knight Dig’s Rougelike elements, potentially resulting in less-tragic runs. But no matter how much knowledge or preparation, be prepared to fail many, many times.

Yet that is also what makes Shovel Knight Dig such an addicting experience. For every failed run, it takes no time at all to start over and get back to where you left off, or perhaps take a whole new path. Or maybe death will come even sooner, but good luck putting the game down without at least trying a dozen more times. Anyone lucky enough to have gotten a Steam Deck will especially appreciate the short pick-up-and-play nature of Shovel Knight Dig, as the game runs beautifully on Valve’s portable powerhouse, though the returning quality pixel art, catchy soundtrack and snappy controls are on full display no matter what device it’s being played on.  A few minor technical issues and a somewhat smaller list of Roguelike elements than usual are the only blemishes found in an otherwise pristine and polished tool, but this is one quality gardening tool that is bound to get a lot of mileage (and subsequent updates) in the days to come.Yacht Club Games has once again hit paydirt, and Shovel Knight Dig is as deep a gameplay experience as fans could hope for, in addition to newcomers. Now stop reading all the digging puns in this review and get shoveling.