User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 551 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 59 out of 551

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  1. Mar 16, 2017
    4
    Anyone who reviews this game 10 should immediately go get an actual NES and play actual good oldschool games.

    The shovel knight just feels like **** to control, very clunkey, especially mid-air. The stairs just make no sense in this game, at all. You will die on nearly every staircase in the game. Level cycles are too random to be memorized. Enemies are RNG galore and always feel
    Anyone who reviews this game 10 should immediately go get an actual NES and play actual good oldschool games.

    The shovel knight just feels like **** to control, very clunkey, especially mid-air. The stairs just make no sense in this game, at all. You will die on nearly every staircase in the game.

    Level cycles are too random to be memorized. Enemies are RNG galore and always feel like they move faster than you giving you no time to react, UNLESS you wait for them. There aren't enough checkpoints.

    Should I mention the **** feel of the control again? Shovel knight controls like a rock. Just go outside, pick up a really big rock and move that around, and you will get the general feel of moving shovel knight through the levels.

    Game isn't bad, it's okay. The presentation is the best part of it, oldschool gfx are well done, especially the animations, they are amazing. Music is great too. They got so carried away with the presentation that they forgot to like, actually make the game.
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  2. Dec 30, 2015
    0
    This game is old school Nintendo, at its best AND its worst. The problem is, no one makes games like this anymore for a reason.

    There's a lot of good to the game, the mechanics are interesting, the feel is very nostalgic, the sound track is amazing. ...The gameplay is not. It's frustrating, it's repetitive. It isn't 'hard'. Anyone can beat Shovel Knight. Anyone can walk through
    This game is old school Nintendo, at its best AND its worst. The problem is, no one makes games like this anymore for a reason.

    There's a lot of good to the game, the mechanics are interesting, the feel is very nostalgic, the sound track is amazing.

    ...The gameplay is not. It's frustrating, it's repetitive. It isn't 'hard'. Anyone can beat Shovel Knight. Anyone can walk through barbed wire. The experiences are very similar. Endure the pain long enough and eventually you win. At the end, you're unsatisfied. And bleeding.

    It boggles my mind the game is so well reviewed. I can only assume it's pure, unadulterated nostalgia blinding people to, what if viewed on it's own, would be a very average, flawed game, and this is coming from someone who owned an NES when it was new. Literally the target audience. Get Splunkey or La Mulana if you want a platformer.
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  3. Aug 6, 2014
    0
    While there is some value I'm certain many of those reading this can find I cannot this is due to a) me being a new gamer and not having an idea of what this is based off if making it seem like either a total rip off to something heavily inspired I can't connect to b) graphics like these tend to make me nauseous this is something of an issue I have and can take me out of the game a lot c)While there is some value I'm certain many of those reading this can find I cannot this is due to a) me being a new gamer and not having an idea of what this is based off if making it seem like either a total rip off to something heavily inspired I can't connect to b) graphics like these tend to make me nauseous this is something of an issue I have and can take me out of the game a lot c) this was overhyped and for reasons I've mentioned above did not deliver c) the difficulty is inconsistent making a lot of the already rather awkward controls and level design feel more well awkward I would go on but this short game isn't really worth my time and please note my actual score would be a 3 Expand
  4. Jul 28, 2015
    3
    Este juego esta sobre valorado, el hecho que se ponga de moda los gráficos de family game no quiere decir que un juego sea bueno. Cualquier juego nuevo con gráficos de Kirby es totalmente superior. Hay que innovar muchachos , no ir para atras.
  5. Jul 19, 2020
    1
    it is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is bad
  6. Apr 12, 2022
    4
    Красивая игра в стиле ретро с обычным геймплеем платформера. Я дошёл до непроодимого босса, у которого больше здоровья и скорость, чем у ГГ. Обязательно было делать эту игру такой непроходимой?!
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 46
  2. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Nov 13, 2014
    85
    Shovel Knight is a beautiful tribute to the era that used to be. With it's graphics and gameplay it refers to 8-bit games, but it does have a unique touch of its own. It might be a bit short, but it sure has a strong personality.
  2. Nov 1, 2014
    82
    A modern retro platformer that plays in the same league as the classics.
  3. CD-Action
    Oct 22, 2014
    90
    If you spent your childhood playing DuckTales, Super Marios Bros. or Contra on your NES, no one can convince you that a pixel art indie game can bring that feeling back. Except for Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight can. [Sept 2014, p.68]