Shovel Knight

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 449 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 324 out of 449
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 449
  3. Negative: 65 out of 449
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  1. Raziel72
    Aug 7, 2022
    8
    Хороший платформер! Интересные боссы и крутые уровни к этим боссам! Игра запомнится надолго
  2. HuevoAlce
    Jun 27, 2022
    9
    Shovel Knight properly uses classic game mechanics without making it feel antiquated.
  3. B00tador
    Dec 5, 2021
    9
    The original and greatest of the Shovel Knight games. More than a homage to the games of yesterday, this is better than these game - it's incredible.
  4. Gontrand00
    Dec 23, 2020
    9
    This is an excellent retro platform game. Great level design, controls, music is catchy, bosses are originals and the mechanics are quite nice to use. I wish there would be more levels outside of the castles, like the first level.

    The only flaw of the game for me is the f*cking recoil when you character gets hit. This was a gimmic used in the 80's but that cannot happen anymore in any    This is an excellent retro platform game. Great level design, controls, music is catchy, bosses are originals and the mechanics are quite nice to use. I wish there would be more levels outside of the castles, like the first level.

    The only flaw of the game for me is the f*cking recoil when you character gets hit. This was a gimmic used in the 80's but that cannot happen anymore in any platform game. I think it's a cheap way to add challenge and it's infuriating and unfair. If you get hit by an enemy, you normally receive 1/2 heart damage. But if this happens on a small platform (it will happen often), the recoil just push you in the pit and you die. Without a chance of recovering or anything. So then you lose your money in a pretty much unreachable place, and you can go get **** lol. So if this was patch, I would say the game is perfect. And the sad thing is that they kept that recoil for every **** games.

    Programmers, stop putting recoil in your 2D games, it's a stupid idea and it's a fake and unfair challenge. ;-)    … Expand
  5. SuperKing
    Nov 22, 2020
    9
    One of the best retro inspired games out there. Great music, controls and characters. If you like the old school megaman games you'll love this one. If you grew up with NES this game will take you back to the good old days. Worth a full price buy.
  6. Red-Eyes
    Oct 7, 2020
    10
    Absolutely **** perfect! I cannot believe a game from this generation could go straight into my Top5 side-scrolling games as fast as this one did.
    The gameplay is perfect balancing platforming and combat as one entity like bouncing on enemies to reach higher places. Each level has its own little twist in the gameplay to makes things fresh everytime: from the exploding estructure at the    Absolutely **** perfect! I cannot believe a game from this generation could go straight into my Top5 side-scrolling games as fast as this one did.
    The gameplay is perfect balancing platforming and combat as one entity like bouncing on enemies to reach higher places. Each level has its own little twist in the gameplay to makes things fresh everytime: from the exploding estructure at the Explodatorium to the bouncing jellies (yes, bouncing jellies) at the Lost City; every level is unique and you never get bored.
    The bosses are amazing and each of them has its own different m.o. to fight. And considering the game signature charm and style, chances are you'll remember those battle for a long time.
    The icing on the cake is the perfect soundtrack. it is the best soundtrack I've ever heard in a 2D game! Remember how we used to play super nes games humming the music while going right? That's how I replay this game.
    All in all this is one of my favorite games of the newer generations, if you grew up with Mario, Donkey Kong, Megaman and stuff and like a good challenge I'm pretty sure you'll find enjoyment here    … Expand
  7. Dr_Unk
    Oct 6, 2020
    10
    What a great game! Brings back memories of playing some of the classic NES games,
  8. Ruzaky
    Aug 26, 2020
    9
    Great music, gorgeous pixel art, gameplay is blast from the past.If you want platinum in this its also very challenging.
  9. Fry_Bot
    May 24, 2020
    9
    This game is amazing, the only reason it's not a 10 is cause the level Stranded Ship is extremely annoying, not that difficult, but very annoying. This games difficulty is perfect, other than Stranded Ship it is perfectly fair but still pretty hard. If you like Mega Man you will love this game. Also, Stranded Ship may suck, but levels like The Lich Yard, Explodatorium and Clockwork TowerThis game is amazing, the only reason it's not a 10 is cause the level Stranded Ship is extremely annoying, not that difficult, but very annoying. This games difficulty is perfect, other than Stranded Ship it is perfectly fair but still pretty hard. If you like Mega Man you will love this game. Also, Stranded Ship may suck, but levels like The Lich Yard, Explodatorium and Clockwork Tower completely outshine the trash that is Stranded Ship.… Expand
  10. captaint
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    Cute background setting, humorous characters with hardcore level design, accompanied with authentic 8bit style music. 12 hours to complete the basic game but will definitely remember this amazing journey for a long while. Thanks so much dev for making this.
  11. Randomguy67
    Apr 28, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game has a butt code so it is one of the best games of all time.

    Ok, jokes aside this game is amazing. The game play takes big influnce from the best games of the 80's and 90's, the rocking soundtrack by Jake Kaufman, the mixture of school nostalga and new mechanics make one of the best indie games ever.

    And if you want the butt code, it's:WSWWAEAW    … Expand
  12. Wineneeder
    Apr 24, 2018
    9
    An exceptional game that does retro-graphics right, everything is simple but beautiful, with interesting use of color and animation. The music is retro too and quite charming and there's plenty of it. I'm sure they were more hardware limited than I imagine, but if Cave Story is the best SNES game not on SNES, then Shovel Knight is the best NES game of 2015.

    This takes all the best    An exceptional game that does retro-graphics right, everything is simple but beautiful, with interesting use of color and animation. The music is retro too and quite charming and there's plenty of it. I'm sure they were more hardware limited than I imagine, but if Cave Story is the best SNES game not on SNES, then Shovel Knight is the best NES game of 2015.

    This takes all the best gameplay features of platformers, metroidvanias, and even modern games (dark souls-like "money" loss and retrieval, etc) and makes a wonderful experience.

    And HELLO!? There's three freaking expansions to it. I am only maybe 2 3rds done with the first, but it has been very fun and very much different from the original gameplay, even if some levels are full on reprisals. There's also even more unlocks, attacks, double jumps, triple jumps, powers, gadgets... It can be difficult to make them work together at first, but once you do, Plague Knight is a bouncy, exploding, firey bat of hell.

    9/10, not perfect for the levels being largely unchanged, though there is new content. This score may change as I finish the expansions.    … Expand
  13. actionist83
    Jan 4, 2018
    10
    As someone who grew up playing NES/SNES/Genesis games, I was blown away by Shovel Knight! Not only is this game authentically retro, but the world and gameplay is incredible! This is the greatest side scrolling platformer that I ever got my paws on. Dig in!
  14. RaFfr0
    Sep 2, 2017
    8
    Shovel Knight is a great game, maybe one of the best i've played in its genre: It has a nice story and pretty solid gameplay, if you want a game to have a fun time this is definitely worth a look.
  15. marykaymylove
    Jun 19, 2017
    10
    Shovel knight captures the essence of a side scrolling NES style game. This game is a gold mine. This is obviously the spiritual successor of megaman.
  16. badgerryan19
    Jun 19, 2017
    9
    As a person who doesn't generally play these type of games I was skeptical but was I wrong. This is one of the best puzzle platforms I've ever played. An extremely challenging game as well. What a blast.
  17. bellonman
    Apr 30, 2017
    9
    Shovel Knight takes all the good aspects of other games in the same genre and combines them all into this game. Really great gameplay and tight controls make this game fun and difficult at the same time. It also helps that this game has a killer soundtrack.
  18. MediaFreak
    Apr 25, 2017
    8
    Mostly a great game with a lot of throw back to classic nes platformers. However there's a fine line between challenging game play and trolling, and unfortunately shovel knight crosses it a few too many times, especially the later plague knight levels. Also I think the level designers seem to think the controls are better than they are, and opted for a 2 button system. This often becomesMostly a great game with a lot of throw back to classic nes platformers. However there's a fine line between challenging game play and trolling, and unfortunately shovel knight crosses it a few too many times, especially the later plague knight levels. Also I think the level designers seem to think the controls are better than they are, and opted for a 2 button system. This often becomes problematic when your mid jump and all of a sudden you character uses their special power because yor thumb leaned on down ever so slightly. A frustrating design which could easily have been resolved by mapping it a different button. Not an issue in the shovel knight campaign as you can just unequip your magic, but for some reason they dont give you the option in the plague knight campaign

    Great at times but flawed.

    Spectre knight - 7/10 - great story, fun but not challenging in the slightest
    Shovel knight - 9/10 - perfect balance of fun and challenging. Could have used 1-2 more.levels
    Plague knight - 7.5/10 - Some really tricky challenges, but dull story and let down by the controls    … Expand
  19. blopho
    Mar 23, 2017
    9
    This game is an awesome platformer in the style of 8/16bit consoles. This game is one of the few for Ps4 that deserves all the praise it gets. I'd say this and Rayman Legends are the best traditional platform games on Ps4 by far.
  20. t0mmyg
    Mar 16, 2017
    8
    A fun filled romp down memory lane. Shovel Knight takes everything great about the NES era and makes it fresh again. The music was great, classic chiptune. The gameplay was tight and the difficulty felt just right. The sprites are colourful and imaginative. A great time for anyone interested in classic platforming games, with an RPG flair to spice things up.
  21. RuffKnight
    Feb 28, 2017
    9
    If you ever played Super Mario 3 for NES, you will love this game. Only thing that's missing (on current PS4 version) is some sort of co-op or PvP aspect to this game. Although that is scheduled for the future. Also the music will make you go insane.
  22. FromKanga
    Jan 29, 2017
    10
    This is my favourite 2D platformer of all time, I loved every second of this game

    The story and characters are really simple but there is a retro charm to it, like the good old days, just defeat the villain who wants to take over the world (with a few twists). What makes this game incredible is the level design, each level is dynamic and enjoyable, there isn't a single level or moment    This is my favourite 2D platformer of all time, I loved every second of this game

    The story and characters are really simple but there is a retro charm to it, like the good old days, just defeat the villain who wants to take over the world (with a few twists).
    What makes this game incredible is the level design, each level is dynamic and enjoyable, there isn't a single level or moment that feels dull in the game.

    In conclusion, It's one of my favourite games of all time and I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  23. consolfreak1982
    Sep 29, 2016
    10
    So much has already been said about this gem of a game -
    whar I want to mention is that the boxed Version is not only including the Soundtrack as a download, it contains a colored handbook (!!!!) with artworks, hints and so on - how awesome is that? :D
    Theres not a single, NOT A SINGLE Thing about this game that is not STELLAR. Its so well made and so full of love for the Detail that    So much has already been said about this gem of a game -
    whar I want to mention is that the boxed Version is not only including the Soundtrack as a download, it contains a colored handbook (!!!!) with artworks, hints and so on - how awesome is that? :D

    Theres not a single, NOT A SINGLE Thing about this game that is not STELLAR.
    Its so well made and so full of love for the Detail that its already considered an instant classic - even in years to come.
    Graphics, Sound, Gameplay, Controls - theres not a single part of the game thats not flawless and crafted with care to the finest.
    oh - and theres quite some DLC comin up still - one campaign was already released for free, and two more will come too - for free as well.. how can you make an outstanding game even better?
    On any System - this is a MUST BUY    … Expand
  24. Paulo-Lameiras
    Sep 1, 2016
    10
    One of the best 2D platformers i have ever played, which includes games from 8bit, 16bit, etc generations
    Beautiful pixelart visual direction, good soundtrack, addicting gameplay, diverse environments, lots of powerups and very challenging.
    Fantastic game!
  25. Madbeast8
    Aug 23, 2016
    9
    With crisp, tight controls and a bevy of upgrades and secrets to find, this game perfectly grasps the nostalgia it reached to obtain. The story line, while simple, is comical and entertaining and yet still provides a solid framework for this fantasy world in a clever and unique way (if the title alone does not tease this element). As a long-time gamer (my first system was theWith crisp, tight controls and a bevy of upgrades and secrets to find, this game perfectly grasps the nostalgia it reached to obtain. The story line, while simple, is comical and entertaining and yet still provides a solid framework for this fantasy world in a clever and unique way (if the title alone does not tease this element). As a long-time gamer (my first system was the Intellivision), 2D side-scrolling platformers are a large part of my gaming base, and this excellent jaunt down memory lane satisfies that itch from yesteryear while also breathing new life into a genre with strong roots! If you enjoy 2D side-scrolling platformers, this game is a MUST PLAY!… Expand
  26. Cosmozerk
    May 22, 2016
    10
    Shovel Knight is a 2D platformer made by Yacht club games. Since its release it's been getting perfect scores all across the board with 9 and 10 all over the place. Now personally i also think this is a great game..., but it does have some little but noticeable flaws.

    STORY: You are this knight called Shovel Knight and you have this partner called Shield Knight. Shield Knight gets    Shovel Knight is a 2D platformer made by Yacht club games. Since its release it's been getting perfect scores all across the board with 9 and 10 all over the place. Now personally i also think this is a great game..., but it does have some little but noticeable flaws.

    STORY: You are this knight called Shovel Knight and you have this partner called Shield Knight. Shield Knight gets captured, Shovel Knight retires, the forces of evil appear again, Shovel Knight must go save the day, etc ect ect. In a platforming game the plot is the least important factor for me and Shovel Knight is no different. There's actually a really obvious plot twist, but i'm not gonna spoil it, but if you don't see that twist coming the first time you see the intro...then you are blind as all ****.

    PRESENTATION: Yachtclubgames wanted to do a throwback to the original NES days.

    Every level is colorful and charming with detail all over the place!. I'm one of those guys who doesn't thinks that this game uses the original NES colorpalette because...well...just look at it!. Even Megaman 6, Super Mario Bros 3 or Punch Out, wich are some of the better looking games on the NES, had this many details and colors at the same time. The enemy design is also very creative and the animation of the incredibly beautiful sprites is fluid. And the music is also phenomenal, it has that 8-bit style and just like other NES titles the melody is very strong, making it very catchy. They even got the Megaman composer to do some songs...that alone is a testament to the greatness of the music. The game runs at full 1080p and 60fps and it makes everything look so...clear.

    GAMEPLAY: Like i said, Shovel Knight is an 8-bit 2D platforming game. The game has different levels with a boss to reach at the end, usually being the nights of the order of no quarter.

    The levels have amazing level design with many secrets to be found and some of them can only be reached if you have a specific equipment, where do you buy this equipment?...in the towns!. The towns are little places which are just a means to buy new armor with different effects, extend your life bar or extend your magic meter.

    To enter the town or levels, we have an overworld that is clearly based on Super Mario Bros 3 overworld. You can also find mini-bosses in here, but i'll go back to that later.

    Anyway let's go back to the levels for a bit. One of my complaints i see some reviewers point out with the game is that the levels are too freaking long. Some of the stages have 6 checkpoints!, and you might say: "Well that seems totally fair", well yeah, but the bad part of making a long level is that it tends to drag out and become less fun because of it. I totally understand this point, but as someone that has played the Yoshi's Island games...i don't really think that longer levels is a flaw, but i just wanted to pointed out in case you are not the kind of person that tolerates long levels.

    However! one complain i agree with is that everytime you die you loose a whole lot of gems, but you do have the opportunity to get it back. The problem is that most of the time the jems get in places completely unreachable and while you can use the fishing rod for those situations, the other 80% of the time you can't get the gems back no matter what.

    The bosses are very easy to defeat, even if you don't have the locket (which is an equipment that makes you invincible for a short period of time) you can just bounce on their heads until they die. Some of them do have moves that negate that strategy, you just wait a bit and then go back to bounce on their head. On the overworld you find some mini-bosses, some hard, some easy, it depends.

    This is more a recommendation than a complain. Through levels you find some secret passages, some of them unlock special equipment, but most of them just give you more jewels. The problem is that jewels are ALL OVER THE PLACE, so tell me: why would you go into a different, harder, pathway, when the reward you get i just the same stuff that you get by normally playing the level?. I would've preferred if the secret rooms give you a special jewel that you can give to an NPC in some side-quest and then they give you something cool. Something like that would give you more incentive to go out and find those rooms.

    Each version of the game also has some bonus thing to it. The PS4 and Xbox ONE versions have extra boss battles with Kratos and the Battletoads respectively. And if you defeat them they will give you special weapons. The Wii U version on the other hand gets a sweet Shovel Knight amiibo, extra challenges and a co-op mode.

    Overall Shovel Knight is not a perfect game like many say, but it's still a stupidly strong game with great graphics, music, level design and mechanics. A great indie-game and i can't wait what Yacht club games is gonna make next!.

    I'll give it a 10/10.

    Oh! and did i mention that it also has...FREE DLC!, which i'll review later.    … Expand
  27. looom
    Apr 20, 2016
    9
    Stellar game! If you are out of 80s and you love old platform games like mario, robocop 2,megaman then its a must have. Beautiful pixelart, nice story lot of loots to find our:) Its huge step back to 80s/90 however its great:)
  28. Minge
    Apr 16, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game remembering the old classic games from it really REALLY good side scrolling adventure hope more developers go back and make some old school games 10/10
  29. ThePigeonManCan
    Feb 20, 2016
    10
    I have never played such a wholesome game. All together it's a beautiful story with fantastic characters....And free DLC ? Yacht Club Games got this right. 10/10
  30. houjo2000
    Jan 26, 2016
    10
    I am not huge into 2D platformers, even as a child they were never my forte, so I was tempted to give this game a pass. I'm glad I didn't- this may be my favourite indie game since Castle Crashers.

    Everything about this game works. It takes the recognizable style and retro graphics of Mega Man, and makes a control scheme and level lay out that is not only unique and their own- but works    I am not huge into 2D platformers, even as a child they were never my forte, so I was tempted to give this game a pass. I'm glad I didn't- this may be my favourite indie game since Castle Crashers.

    Everything about this game works. It takes the recognizable style and retro graphics of Mega Man, and makes a control scheme and level lay out that is not only unique and their own- but works perfectly. The addition of free, well done DLC the size of the base game is just going above and beyond.

    The game works brilliantly- bringing in plenty of things you'll recognize from NES (Mega Man bosses/boss rush, Super Mario 3 map encounters), quick and precise controls, great level variety. It tells a simple, cute story without wasting my time- letting me get straight into the action.

    There's a lot of replay value and collectibles as well, and of course NG+ which definitely increases the challenge.

    Highly recommend this game.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PS4 Game of 2015
54
#54 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
60
#60 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Impulsegamer
    Sep 25, 2015
    84
    Shovel Knight perfectly encapsulates what is so great about playing modern-retro games inspired by the 8-bit era of the 1980s and early 90’s without being derivative or trapped in the past.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 30, 2015
    90
    A glorious, funny, occasionally touching and often maddening tribute to the 8-bit platformer. [July 2015, p.87]
  3. Play UK
    Jun 27, 2015
    90
    A well-written love letter to the classic games of the Eighties that blends a variety of classic platformers into a game that works regardless of any nostalgia. We dig it. [Issue#258, p.72]
See all critic reviews »