Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment

 Switch
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment Image
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84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews What's this?

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8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 136 Ratings

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  • Summary: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the action-packed prequel to Shovel Knight! Take control of Specter Knight, servant to the Enchantress, in a quest to recruit a cadre of knights and create the Order of No Quarter. With his scythe and preternatural agility at the ready, he can glideShovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the action-packed prequel to Shovel Knight! Take control of Specter Knight, servant to the Enchantress, in a quest to recruit a cadre of knights and create the Order of No Quarter. With his scythe and preternatural agility at the ready, he can glide across the ground, clamber up walls, and command an arsenal of curious weapons.

    If he carries out his duties, Specter Knight may have a chance at regaining his lost humanity and breaking his chains of servitude. But what cruel tricks might the Enchantress have up her sleeve?    … Expand

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Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment - Nintendo Switch

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Digital Chumps
    Mar 13, 2017
    90
    Ultimately, there is very little bad to say about SoT. It’s an excellent 2D action platformer with some good RPG elements, and its balanced difficulty lets genre hacks like me struggle through while more seasoned players can still expect a good, but not overly difficult challenge. To be honest, some of the early bosses proved harrowing for me, but I liked that I could try going after the different knights out of order, find checkpoints, and have a lot of opportunities to continue at those checkpoints, too. Much like the old games its inspired by, it’s a tough, but short, and arguably more memorable than many of those older games. Additionally, with New Game+ support for more nooks and crannies to explore, as well as Feats and Challenges, there’s a solid value here for $10. The only better value would be to get SoT via the Treasure Trove release instead.
  2. DarkStation
    Mar 21, 2017
    90
    Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is one of the best launch games the Nintendo Switch currently has to offer. As far as platformers go, the only better option would be to plop money down and get the full Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove experience, which bundles this in. Specter of Torment is such a solid feature-filled game on its own that you wouldn’t guess it was a DLC expansion. Yacht Club Games has outdone itself retooling an already excellent game with new satisfying acrobatic thrills.
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 24, 2017
    90
    A faster-paced, more densely packed, more melancholy and visceral experience than previous entries in the Shovel Knight series. [Issue #27 – May/June 2017, p. 20]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. XGN
    Mar 24, 2017
    85
    Bringing this game as a stand alone to the Switch was a brilliant idea. It feels like a whole new game because of the way Specter of Torment plays, but offers the same great style and gameplay Shovel Knight did.
  5. 4Players.de
    Mar 21, 2017
    84
    Shovel Knight is the love child of the challenge level of Mega Man and the mystic design of classics like Gargoyle`s Quest – a captivating retro platformer that will separate the men from the boys.
  6. USgamer
    Mar 22, 2017
    80
    Specter of Torment stands up well next to the previous Shovel Knight and Plague of Shadows campaigns. It's a bit on the short side and the bosses are a bit easier, but Yacht Club Games has kicked out some excellent new stages this time around. This prequel still offers precise platforming and a unique, more aggressive style of play to the series.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Mar 17, 2017
    70
    While Specter of Torment keeps an eye glued to the past so much that it still resembles the video-game equivalent of a very good cover band, its superior kineticism also shows that Shovel Knight was an amateur’s first stab toward something a little greater.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Reyn_the_Insane
    Mar 17, 2017
    10
    Absolutely brilliant. Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows are fine games in their own right, but they can't even come close to the story ofAbsolutely brilliant. Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows are fine games in their own right, but they can't even come close to the story of Specter of Torment. Everything was done right. Jake Kaufman truly outdid himself with the soundtrack, remastering pretty much every main song from the original. The level design is spot-on, requiring you to stay on your toes and use Specter Knight's abilities accordingly. While Specter of Torment is a prequel, you must play the other campaigns first, as there are too many spoilers and references in Specter of Torment that you wouldn't understand unless you've played Shovel of Hope. The game truly is a masterpiece, and yes I'll say it, it's even better than Breath of the Wild. Buy this game now.… Expand
  2. Twanui
    May 20, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't usually give games 10/10 but this Game (or dlc) deserves it. Because I want to explain in detail I will talk about story so [Spoiler Alert]

    I want to start with saying this is probably the easiest Story in the game, and that's kind of reason I like it so much. I had a tough time getting the hang of Shovel Knight so I switched to this one it's very newb friendly so for new players I recommend this one.

    Specter Knight uses his scythe to fight. Also if you are airborne you can dash at the enemy and damage it. You start off in the plains were you learn the basic mechanics. Then you fight a mini-boss and return to the "Tower" to lair of the enchantress whom you are serving. I should also mention that you are recruiting 8 knights for the "Order of No Quarter"

    Every couple levels you get a flashback about how you ended up here. You find out that your name is Donovan, and you are traveling with Loan trying to find a Amulet. The final level Comes with all of the mechanics from the past levels.

    Over all my favorite Story in Shovel Knight 10/10    … Expand
  4. Wolfville92
    Mar 29, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Shavel Knight: Specter of Torment

    Jugabilidad
    Shavel Knight toma como punto de referencia, juegos de alta jerarquía, tales como Megaman Zero y no oculta su admiración por este tipo de títulos, tomando de ellos la alta complejidad de desafíos en cada escenario, armas desbloquebales que serán muy útiles para facilitarnos la vida y armaduras especiales que otorgan habilidades nuevas al caballero. Cada escenario es único y te exigirán incluso memorizar patrones e idear estrategias para superarlos, esto complementado con enemigos que podrán estorbarte o hasta serte de ayuda para llegar a lugares que no se pueden alcanzar solo saltando.
    Cada escenario cuanta con una gran cantidad de pasadizos secretos que deberemos encontrar para conseguir piedras rojas que nos servirán para canjearlas por nuevas armas, vasijas que nos extenderán la barra de vida y de magia y diamantes que nos servirán para comprar armaduras.
    Los Jefes son también muy interesantes, cada uno con ataques únicos que pueden resultar muy entretenidos, aunque a diferencia de otros títulos de este tipo, pueden resultar algo fáciles en comparación (a excepción de los últimos dos Jefes).

    Sonido
    Los sonidos son característicos de una consola de la generación de los 16 Bits, con sinfonía que son muy entretenidas y pegajosas y ambientan de manera perfecta la jugabilidad del título, definitivamente un gran ejemplo de que no se necesita una gran orquesta para dejarnos tarareando una buena canción de videojuegos.

    Gráficos
    En este ámbito el juego cumple su cometido, un juego estilo retro ambientado en los 16 Bits complementado con Alta Definición de 720P, sin lugar a duda presume de un portento gráfico que lo sitúa en el Olimpo de los grandes títulos de este estilo.

    Innovación:
    Shovel Knight, es un homenaje a una época concreta de los videojuegos, que sin embargo a sabido darle un aire fresco, que lo hace más que disfrutable hoy en día, haciéndolo atractivo para jugadores de nueva genereración. El juego cuenta con variedad de modos de juegos que pueden ser desbloqueados al finalizar el juego y que otorga horas de diversión extra y ni hablar de la cantidad de desbloqueables que nos mantendrán pegados a la pantalla durante mucho tiempo.

    Historia (Spoilers)
    La historia de éste título es bastante simple pero sólido, que acompaña y complementa la jugabilidad del mismo. La misma es narrada poco a poco a lo largo del juego, a través de recuerdos jugables que tienen una conexión directa con los sucesos del presente y mediante los cuales lograremos entender la razón de lo que está sucediendo.
    Nos encontramos bajo la piel de un renegado caballero, el cual parece fuertemente perturbado por su asado, y no es para menos ya que la vida le ha jugado ciertos reveses que lo han marcado. Donovan fue un noble caballero quien junto a su compañero Luan, tenía la misión de recuperar una poderosa joya que brindaba fuerzas especiales a quien la obtuviera, razón por la cual muchos quienes trataron de obtenerla se volvía locos producto de la codicia., cuando finalmente logran llegar a ella, se encuentran con una bruja malvada que busca apoderarse de la joya, por lo que Luan advierte a Donovan que lo mejor es dejar ir la Joya, puesto que esta podía llevar a la destrucción a cualquier persona, sin embargo, Donovan no logra razonar y asesina a su compañero Luan para apoderarse de la poderosa joya... (el resto averiguenlo ustedes).    … Expand
  5. Draco781
    Mar 16, 2017
    9
    I love this game. I have been hyped for it ever since the first trailer came out, and it was well worth the wait. The movement feelsI love this game. I have been hyped for it ever since the first trailer came out, and it was well worth the wait. The movement feels incredibly fluid, and Specter Knight feels very different to the other two campaigns in story and gameplay alike.… Expand
  6. TohNife
    Apr 25, 2017
    9
    I grew up with games like Mega Man, Duck Tales, Super Mario 3, and Ninja Gaiden...games that were some of the best of their time, but slowlyI grew up with games like Mega Man, Duck Tales, Super Mario 3, and Ninja Gaiden...games that were some of the best of their time, but slowly faded into memory as more complex and aesthetically pleasing games worked their way into the mainstream.

    Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, much like the other entries in the Shovel Knight series, continues the trend of proving that "retro-gaming" is not only still desired by older and newer gamers alike, but is also a niche in gaming that is here to stay.

    By taking some of the best aspects of classic NES games, YCG has shown that they know what their fans both want and need. This is a fantastic game, and I really must commend Yacht Club Games for continuing to deliver a genre of games that I forgot I needed in my life.    … Expand
  7. Caleb37804
    Mar 6, 2017
    9
    Incredible game. Feels just like retro games of old. Very fast paced action, some customization options, and a great story. Both setting upIncredible game. Feels just like retro games of old. Very fast paced action, some customization options, and a great story. Both setting up Shovel Knight's history and Specter Knight's history all in the same game. Boss fights are unique and interesting each time; while some may be easier than others, I never felt like I was facing the same boss twice. If you don't want the full package for $25, i'd definitely suggest this part for $10. Fantastic Game, and PERFECT for the Nintendo Switch. From the Tv to the Gamepad works fantastically.… Expand
  8. quanta
    Jul 20, 2018
    7
    So overrated. A good game, but nothing "incredible". If you want to see something incredible, try Hollow Knight.

See all 14 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best Switch Game of 2017
80
#80 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
77
#77 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

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