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Released on September 17th, 2015, the new Plague of Shadows expansion for the indie hit Shovel Knight exploded onto consoles and handhelds as a free update starring the titular Plague Knight. This release brought with it an entirely new style of play, as well as remixed levels from the original campaign designed specifically for Plague Knight. While Yacht Club Games could have simply done a sprite swap for Plague Knight and called it a day, they have gone above and beyond and delivered yet another unforgettable adventure on par with the quality with the original Shovel Knight campaign.
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Plague of Shadows features a new story, following along with Plague Knight in his quest to obtain the ultimate potion. To do this, he needs several special essences that can only be obtained from his fellow Knights in the Order of No Quarter. He must now hunt down his colleagues to obtain the ingredients he needs to meet his own devious goals. Plague of Shadows stars Plague Knight, of course, and he has his own special abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. His play style is radically different from Shovel Knight, mainly in that he has more mobility, albeit at a cost.
While Shovel Knight could jump pretty high on his own, Plague Knight’s jump is pathetically weak and underpowered. To counter this he can perform a Burst Jump, utilizing an exploding potion to propel him forward or upwards. He can also do a double jump, something Shovel Knight could not do. One of his biggest flaws, however, is that when damaged the distance he is knocked back is significantly higher than Shovel Knight. This can lead to a lot of frustration as the player will likely die many times due to this. Even though he has these flaws, he has the skills and tools to recover from such situations using his Burst Jump, Double Jump, and later certain relics.
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The new remixed levels, as said before, have been tweaked for Plague Knight’s skillset. For the most part the player will traverse the familiar territories of the Order of No Quarter, but with a few special sections marked by special coins in the walls. These stretches of each level will put your skills to the test, as they will utilize everything Plague Knight has at his disposal. As you explore these new areas, the player will be tasked with collecting special green coins, called Cypher Coins. These are used to unlock new upgrades and components for Plague Knight’s bombs.
As for the bombs themselves, the player is able to mix and match components to create their own special bombs, each suited for different tasks. These components consist of Case (affect trajectory), Powder (different explosions), and fuses (time before exploding). For example, the Orbit Case causes bombs to circle around Plague Knight for a short time before exploding, while the Lob Case lets him throw bombs in an arc at overhead enemies. In addition to bomb components, Plague Knight also has access to special Arcana. Chester makes a return from the original campaign, filling his usual roles as a black market seller. As you explore these new areas, you will find Shovel Knight’s relics laying around in chests, which the player can trade to Chester for Arcana. Each Arcana has a special ability, such as creating a Vat underneath the player to use as a platform…even in mid-air.
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Along with the new campaign, Plague of Shadows also introduces a special Challenge Mode for both Shovel Knight and Plague Knight. This mode features dozens of special scenarios for both characters to complete. These challenges will put the player’s skills with both characters to the ultimate test, as they require the player to use everything they’ve learned with each character to complete them. These challenges range from completing an obstacle course with the normal attack disabled while being assaulted by various foes, or by completing a boss rematch with a certain amount of health or within a time limit. These challenges are very difficult, and completing them all is certainly an accomplishment!
Plague of Shadows is an excellent addition to an already hit game. Offering even more content and challenge than the original Shovel Knight campaign, it’s sure to entertain players to the very end. You’d have to be a fool to pass up this free update, especially if you are a fan of retro-styled games, as Shovel Knight is one of the very best in recent years.
Available on PS3, PS4, Vita, XboxOne, Wii U, 3DS, PC, Mac, and Linux.
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