The Pixel’s return to independent production a few years ago marked the arrival of several standout games. And Shovel Knight is certainly one of the best exponents of this new wave. After several iterations and downloadable content, it’s Shovel Knight Dig’s turn to appear and restart the roguelike wheel.
Photo credit: Yacht Club Games
A good scoop in your face
As is often the case, the scenario of a roguelike is just an excuse and the game developed by Nitrome is no exception. The action takes place before the events of Shovel Knight, with a villain named Drill Knight, accompanied by his minions, trying to find a treasure trove buried deep in the earth. Except that the huge hole they dug causes everyone concern and obviously piques the curiosity of all fortune seekers. The story doesn’t add much and even if you don’t know the original game you won’t get lost.
However, we shouldn’t expect a return to the 8-bit pixel, since we tend towards a 16-bit display here. Which isn’t a bad thing, as it allows the game to retain its old Shovel Knight influences while still having its own distinct visual identity. For once, the animations are richer in detail and the developers could afford to be more eccentric with the opponents. Especially in regards to the more vivid colors and the more vibrant environments, especially the base camp which is teeming with sometimes hilarious looking individuals.
As long as you’re a rogue regular, Shovel Knight Dig isn’t likely to disorient you. The principle is that we must descend into an ever deeper hole to collect money that will allow us to unlock more and more skills and equipment. Most will be available temporarily as you delve into the hole, but permanent upgrades will also be available for purchase. In the event of death we return to the surface losing all our inventory and equipment while keeping part of the money, the classic.
It is therefore a constant race for happiness, but one should not expect to attain it very easily. Our knight is controlled in more or less the same way as in the other Shovel Knight games, i.e. a jump, a side attack or a downward attack with his shovel. In addition to an action that obviously allows digging the earth and the more unruly rocks. It will still be possible to find shops or treasure chests to eventually get your hands on relics. These then give us abilities that can be activated, such as a better jump or a projectile to throw. Sometimes you’ll have to make choices depending on the biome you’re in, since not all enemies have to be fought in the same way.
The difficulty is there and it’s not for free, but the progression curve is pretty well thought out. There may be rather sadistic pitfalls that require skill in jump timing, but you quickly learn to spot and get out of them. Sometimes you need to pay attention to details such as B. Cracked walls that may contain a secret or an alternate passage. It is also necessary to know when it is interesting to take risks and when it is not. Doing this as quickly as possible and not getting caught by the giant drill that is chasing us and which is a sign of death if it manages to reach us.
As with many roguelikes, the gameplay loop is almost always the same and can get boring, especially if you get stuck in a specific biome. Fortunately, the dungeon is procedurally generated, although we still keep a structure of three levels to explore and a fourth with a boss. This gives it good replayability and the exploration scheme is therefore different each time. At the same time, this random generation means that even a simple opponent can become a tricky obstacle because they’re in the wrong place and blocking our path. We need to quickly know how to disarm a trap or find ways that are of no interest to us.
Each level also has three gears that can be picked up, ultimately giving you a choice of a life heal or a passive ability. A must if you really want to go deep into the dungeon and therefore sometimes require us to take enormous risks to reach a passage. An object that is therefore essential and that plays an important role in our game. It will therefore be necessary to constantly make decisions and sometimes on a knife edge, otherwise you will find yourself in a bad situation.
To be completely transparent, Shovel Knight Dig doesn’t invent much and resembles several other roguelikes on the market. Its structure does not deviate from what has already been done, with a loop that is constantly repeated, with a base camp that is gradually expanded with new options, then with more and more random equipment that can be obtained in the dungeon. A description that can apply to many games of the same genre and is available for several years. On the other hand, what saves it is its atmosphere and the use of the basics of a license that adheres perfectly to the context it tries to offer. We enjoy progressing and trying to get deeper and deeper into the labyrinths of the dungeon. And while we wanted to launch the game for a game or two, we find that we’re still playing it after two hours. That’s always the mark of a good game.