Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment

Specter of Torment seems to go out of its way to rectify the problems of Shovel Knight’s first expansion, the disappointing Plague of Shadows. While it still nominally features mostly the same levels as the previous campaigns, they’ve all been redesigned to fit Specter Knight’s more aerially capable movement. This includes rail grinding, a slingshot mechanic reminiscent of Ori and the Blind Forest, and a handful of new ranged weapons and utilities. It’s still not as intuitive as Shovel Knight’s setup, and it’s a bit of a creative regression next to Plague Knight’s, but it returns the series to the pure fun of platforming that’s tricky but fair and combat that’s unexpectedly deep. Additionally, the soundtrack is now remixed instead of recycled, and the faux-NES aesthetics work just as well as before. Even the story is more significant and better presented than in Plague of Shadows.