radiofloyd Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 My internet was down for the last couple of days so I couldn't update my progress on this (probably for the best, because my gut reaction at the time was "I hate this fucking game"). I beat the remaining two bosses, Tinker Knight and Propellor Knight. I can't really remember Tinker Knight's level but the boss fight was cool. Propeller Knight's level drove me crazy. I don't want to be melodramatic and say this game made me want to kill myself but...it was getting there. And also I beat the mini-level which required you to have the flying relic, another short but infuriating level. A couple of things annoy me about this game. One, you have complete a level in one sitting (well, you can leave the game idle and come back, but you can't quit a level and resume at the last checkpoint you reached). I understand why they made this decision. But it left me in the position time and time again of "I have to finish this fucking level now, because I'm never playing it again". And secondly, you die so often that you always finish a level with less gold than when you started it, even if in the course of a level you might have 3-4000+ gold at least once if not twice. It doesn't mean anything because the game showers you with gold after beating the boss anyway (and from other mini-levels and encounters on the map), so you always have enough money to buy the next upgrade or something in the shops. But it would be nice not to be heading into a boss fight with 400 gold, having had around 5000 gold way back at the second or third checkpoint. And seriously, I don't know why they made the decision to have your gold drops respawn in ridiculous locations (i.e. they are hanging in the air at points that you could only reach by jumping to your death). All told, I couldn't recommend this game. But I'm not finished. I still have the final level. I've collected all the relics, my health is maxed out and I have 90 magic. I did go back and repeat the very first level and it was very easy (all the upgrades make it very easy, but it's still by far the easiest level in the game, with the fewest enemies and the fewest deathtraps). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandsomeDead Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 I've been reading your posts and just shaking my head. It makes me wonder who Shovel Knight is for. I've heard of parents around my age show this game to their kids and they have a good time, but then I read this and I wonder maybe the game isn't as universal as I thought. I will say that when it come to losing gold it isn't as bad as you say. Experiment: you can use your fishing rod on any lost bags of gold that spawned just above a pit. I read your problems and I'm just thinking 'why didn't you use such and such?'. The items have more properties then you think. In fact I think it's when you lose gold in the most awkward moments is when the game's items come in to their own. The game is mostly designed in a way that often there is a specific way to accomplish a level, but losing gold at the worst moment really can add a random element to the game. I remember using the cog platform in some scary ways to get some gold back. And its not like I needed it, but I just enjoyed the challenge despite the fact I had nothing left to buy (I got loads early since I was oftentimes destroying checkpoints for money). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiofloyd Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 I didn't know you could use the fishing rod for gold, that's clever. I'll make a more detailed reply to your post tomorrow or the next time I have an update on my progress... I don't hate the game, I just get frustrated playing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiofloyd Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Ok, I rage quit from the final level (or what I suspect is probably the first part of a two part final level). This level just has everything I hate about the game, namely death around every corner, by crushing or by falling, take your pick. The whole game is an obstacle course which forces you to play at a snail's pace if you want to progress. It's full of silly things like enemies that jump up from pits, but only jump up when you get near the pit, so first time around you will have no idea they are there until you go to make the jump across the pit. And silly things like platforms that lower to the bottom of the screen before coming back up again - you know the platform is there, but if you happen to be standing on it (or god forbid, jump on it) when it is down out of sight of the bottom of the screen, bam, you're dead. And silly things like crumbling platforms that are only barely a different colour from normal platforms. And spikes everywhere, just waiting. And all of these things at once, on every screen, give or take, again and again. The game completely revolves around you dying - either by falling or being crushed, or being nudged by an enemy into falling or being crushed, not to mention the number of deaths from slippery controls/sweaty palms. I think a child could enjoy this game a lot more because they could probably imagine a story and world to go along with the game. I was just thinking of games like Six Golden Coins and Wario Land and wishing it was more like them, or my memory of them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiofloyd Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 That being said, I'm not done with this game! I went back and beat the Tower of Fate: Entrance level without driving myself crazy like I dead yesterday. I also went back and played through Pridemoor Keep again. I now have max health, max magic and all relics so now it's just a case of earning gold to buy the remaining armour and power-ups. And of course, The Tower of Fate: Ascent level. Reading back, my posts were a bit over the top in terms of giving the impression that I hated the game. I don't hate the game, but it hasn't grown into anything I could love either (and I'm at the end now). In a sense, I don't have anything to compare this game to, I've played one Megaman game in my whole life (Megaman 7, when I was very young) and one Castlevania game (Order of Ecclesia on the DS which I loved, and finished). I much preferred Order of Ecclesia to this but I suppose Shovel Knight is going for a much more retro feel than that. And the same applies to games like Cave Story and Ori and the Blind Forest. For me, I could say that the game has been just about worth playing through, so I'd give it around a 7/10. That being said, it definitely is a breath of fresh air, if you want something direct and straightforward after playing through something complicated or heavy going, then Shovel Knight might scratch that itch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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