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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your progress is saved when you return to the Tower of Fate at the end of a level. Leaving a level without finishing it doesn't save your progress in that level. To pause the game, bring up the pause menu by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Plan on playing for at least thirty minutes, as the levels in this game are slightly more complicated than the others and you may find yourself "trapped" in a playable cutscene upon returning from a level.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Some players may have concerns Like the other Shovel Knight games, there is some mild violence and a lot of fantasy magic in this game. However, the overall tone of this installment is much darker than the others, as the main character is both cursed and serving the villain against their will. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/shovel_knight_specter_of_torment_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/shovel_knight_specter_of_torment_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/shovel_knight_specter_of_torment_2.jpg)
Game Overview
The first two games in the Shovel Knight series presented players with a whimsical fantasy adventure in a world filled with funny and eccentric characters, which makes this third entry feel slightly out of place. You see, most of the characters we've come to know and love are... well...
To put it simply, they're alive.
Specter Knight is notable for being the only main character who is among the unliving, and he's the focus of the third Shovel Knight game, Specter of Torment. This entry in the series is a prequel that tells the story of how he became the boogeyman he is today, and as such, it's drastically different in tone from the rest of the series.
In a nutshell, Specter Knight was originally part of a pair of thieves who sought a magical amulet. His partner believed that it could protect his young son from the dangers present in this world, but unfortunately, while this amulet did contain great power, it also brought about great corruption. Shield Knight came to the amulet's defense, and the resulting battle between her and the thieves led to her becoming the Evil Enchantress. She quickly enslaved the surviving thief, and saddled him with the task of building her a grand army.
This is where the player comes in. Taking on the role of Specter Knight, you must seek out the villains who would become the Order of No Quarter. Unlike the other games, there's no map this time. Instead, you'll use the Tower of Fate as a base of operations, and its magical mirror as a portal to any of your destinations. After a successful mission, the player will usually return to the tower - the exceptions are the times when a playable flashback will happen instead, retelling the events that led to Specter Knight becoming who he is today.
Specter Knight's fighting style also provides for some unique gameplay. For example, he can run up walls for a short distance, perform a dashing strike with his scythe, call upon dark magics using Curios, or even grind rails using his weapon like a skateboard. All of these moves are surprisingly easy to learn, which is probably a good thing considering how they end up being incorporated into a dramatic final boss sequence - and this last battle isn't against who you might suspect!
All in all, Specter of Torment is another solid entry in the Shovel Knight franchise that most of its fans will enjoy, provided they aren't upset by the darker storyline.
To put it simply, they're alive.
Specter Knight is notable for being the only main character who is among the unliving, and he's the focus of the third Shovel Knight game, Specter of Torment. This entry in the series is a prequel that tells the story of how he became the boogeyman he is today, and as such, it's drastically different in tone from the rest of the series.
In a nutshell, Specter Knight was originally part of a pair of thieves who sought a magical amulet. His partner believed that it could protect his young son from the dangers present in this world, but unfortunately, while this amulet did contain great power, it also brought about great corruption. Shield Knight came to the amulet's defense, and the resulting battle between her and the thieves led to her becoming the Evil Enchantress. She quickly enslaved the surviving thief, and saddled him with the task of building her a grand army.
This is where the player comes in. Taking on the role of Specter Knight, you must seek out the villains who would become the Order of No Quarter. Unlike the other games, there's no map this time. Instead, you'll use the Tower of Fate as a base of operations, and its magical mirror as a portal to any of your destinations. After a successful mission, the player will usually return to the tower - the exceptions are the times when a playable flashback will happen instead, retelling the events that led to Specter Knight becoming who he is today.
Specter Knight's fighting style also provides for some unique gameplay. For example, he can run up walls for a short distance, perform a dashing strike with his scythe, call upon dark magics using Curios, or even grind rails using his weapon like a skateboard. All of these moves are surprisingly easy to learn, which is probably a good thing considering how they end up being incorporated into a dramatic final boss sequence - and this last battle isn't against who you might suspect!
All in all, Specter of Torment is another solid entry in the Shovel Knight franchise that most of its fans will enjoy, provided they aren't upset by the darker storyline.
Points of Interest
New collectable system
In the previous games, the player would collect sheet music or special coins. This time around, you can find red skulls hidden throughout the levels. These skulls belong to various red skeletons; a trader in the Tower of Fate will happily trade magical Curios for these skulls. It's a grisly thing for a skeleton to hoard, but he's not gathering them without a good reason - he's trying to find his lover's skull, which has gone missing. Finding her skull results in a short cutscene where the two celebrate their reunion with a quaint dance number.
Fun minigames
The Tower of Fate may be a bleak and dreary place, but the minions who live there have built some areas for their own amusement. Specter Knight can take a break from his tasks to practice grinding rails, and if you explore the tower carefully, you may discover the tower climbing minigame. In this minigame, the Knight must scale a large number of floors before he runs out of time.
New Game Plus
Par for the course with the Shovel Knight franchise, completing this game allows you to restart it from the beginning, keeping your upgrades, Curios, gold, and other items. This new game plus mode also increases the difficulty by having Specter Knight take twice the normal damage from everything, so you'll need to keep on your toes if you want to use this mode to finish collecting those red skulls.
Steam community features
Specter of Torment brings with it a total of twenty Steam achievements. Very few are earned through normal progression in the game, so be prepared for a challenge if you're interested in collecting them.
There is also a set of Steam trading cards available, though that's much less interesting for most players.
There is also a set of Steam trading cards available, though that's much less interesting for most players.
Dreary compared to the other games
Specter Knight's life is filled with shame and regret, something that the Enchantress is fond of reminding him about. He's literally a tortured soul, and while he's the focus of the story, there isn't any of the trademark humor that we saw in the other games.
Concerns and Issues
Mild violence
As the Shovel Knight franchise tries to mimic the style of older games, violence is depicted in a family friendly way. Defeated enemies pop out of existence in a cloud of smoke, and even Specter Knight only falls over when he loses. More serious situations, such as when his partner dies in a flashback, are handled especially carefully.
Specter Knight is among the living impaired
Playing a dead guy results in a number of cosmetic changes to the game that may be unsettling for some. As an example, Specter Knight doesn't have a health bar. Instead, he has a Will meter that can be replenished by "consuming" rotten fruit or bones, and expanded by absorbing raw spirits called wisps.
Specter Knight's special abilities are also explicitly fueled by darkness rather than the setting's normal magic.
Specter Knight's special abilities are also explicitly fueled by darkness rather than the setting's normal magic.
The dark side of fairytales
By now, everyone knows that the Shovel Knight universe is a fantasy world loaded with magic and fantastic creatures. But, this campaign shows us the darker side of the coin, giving us an idea of what it's like working for the Enchantress. It's not a good time, as it's made clear that the Enchantress is unstable and very abusive towards her underlings.
The focus on darker magics also brings more occult-like references into play, such as two strange shadow creatures who lounge around the Tower demanding offerings. Donating enough gold eventually has them become merchant NPCs who offer special equipment.
The focus on darker magics also brings more occult-like references into play, such as two strange shadow creatures who lounge around the Tower demanding offerings. Donating enough gold eventually has them become merchant NPCs who offer special equipment.
Sacrifice
Towards the end of the game, the young hero-in-training Reize attempts to invade the Tower of Fate and save the day. He is quickly overwhelmed by the Enchantress' magics, which corrupt him into becoming one of her servants. At the climax, the Enchantress uses her magic to turning him into a mindless monstrosity that you'll face as the game's final boss.
Disappointed that her champion failed to defeat Specter Knight, the Enchantress prepares to execute Reize, but is only stopped by a desperate plea from Specter Knight. Thus, his final act in the story is to forfeit his freedom so that Reize may have his.
Disappointed that her champion failed to defeat Specter Knight, the Enchantress prepares to execute Reize, but is only stopped by a desperate plea from Specter Knight. Thus, his final act in the story is to forfeit his freedom so that Reize may have his.