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Shovel Knight Earned All of Its Hype

Shovel Knight Earned All of Its Hype

If you’ve been on Twitter or one of those other social networking sites recently, you probably noticed something a little odd. Namely, that Shovel Knight started trending and hasn’t stopped. It’s like, “Every day I’m shoveling!” There’s so much hype, it’s tangible, which may leave many people wondering why.

It’s simple, really. Shovel Knight is one of those few, rare games where everything said about it is absolutely justified. In fact, when people are singing its praises, they may actually be understating its glory. Sure, right now it’s being hyped up due to the PS3, PS4, and Vita versions launching and the Xbox One iteration passing certification. But those announcements are small compared to everything this game does for players.

With Shovel Knight , it’s about the details. Yacht Club Games went all out to make the adventure look, sound, and feel both extravagant and authentic. It boasts retro sensibilities with the modern levels of content and detail we expect from our titles. You can feel the joy that went into it as you play. This was a labor of love, which is clear from the over 300 cheat codes which all alter the game in multiple ways.

Said details are what serve to whip fanatics into a frenzy over particular copies of Shovel Knight as well. There’s a reason people are so excited over the new iterations, even if they’ve already played before. For example, the Sony installments all feature Kratos as a bonus boss. The Xbox One version is even better, as it brings in the Battletoads. The game was already unique initially, and these extra twists serve to make it stand out even more.

But, it’s about more than that. Shovel Knight is also about dedication. Yacht Club Games isn’t content to release the game and leave it be. The developer keeps coming back to make it bigger and better, and people respond to that. The current hype wave isn’t due solely to the game getting released on more platforms. It’s because of things like the free Plague of Shadows expansion, which adds an entirely new adventure that allows people to play as the Plague Knight. This isn’t a simple reskin. It’s a full story about defeating allies to make The Ultimate Potion, with a starring character that plays quite differently from Shovel Knight.

Shovel Knight Earned All of Its Hype

Even more reassuring is the continued commitment to keeping promises. One of the Shovel Knight Kickstarter’s stretch goals was a Challenge Mode. This would allow people to think about areas, levels, and bosses in new ways, given the mode wouldn’t just be about getting from point A to point B, but also about doing so while adhering to certain rules. It will even grow as additional Shovel Knight updates are released.

So why is Shovel Knight constantly trending? It isn’t because people are like mindless sheep that flock to shiny things that amuse the rest of the herd. The game keeps coming up because it is legitimately wonderful, the developer is dedicated, and the content keeps coming in. Shovel Knight is a gem and its hype is warranted.

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