Shovel Knight (PlayStation 4)

In ancient medieval times, the land belonged to lords and heroes. In that day there was many a mighty warrior, but undoubtedly, the mightiest of all heroes were Shovel Knight and Shield Knight. Together, they made an unstoppable force of justice and shovelry … but their journeys together came to a close when tragedy struck the duo in the Tower of Fate. Assaulted by foes, Shovel Knight fell in combat, and when he awoke, Shield Knight was gone. His spirit and will to adventure shattered by the death of his companion, he retreated to live a quiet life of solitude, until he heard word that the Tower of Fate had come to be occupied by an evil sorcerer known only as The Enchantress. With the land besieged by her agents, Shovel Knight hears the call to action and takes up arms once again to defend the land, and return to the place where his friend was felled …

Shovel Knight is an action platformer. You play as the titular character, a legendary hero who firmly believes in the code of shovelry: “Slash Mercilessly and Dig Tirelessly!” It reminds of games such as Mega Man or the older Castlevania games, as it blends combat and platforming together in a similar way. The way the knight attacks with his shovel pointing down is similar to Disney’s DuckTales.

In Shovel Knight gold can be found everywhere in the game, and the player will need to pay it in spades in order to buy a multitude of items, including Relics, which can be used to aid in both combat and navigation for the fee of magic points; upgrades to one’s maximum health points or magic points; and different sets of armor, each with their own effects. The player may choose to destroy checkpoints for a bonus in gold.