90
A faster-paced, more densely packed, more melancholy and visceral experience than previous entries in the Shovel Knight series. [Issue #27 – May/June 2017, p. 20]
82
The Specter of Torment expansion really added to the game series with a better story and more fluid gameplay. Its not particularly long, but the fun, challenging, old-school platforming makes this a game worth playing. I would recommend buying the Treasure Trove edition with the original game and the two expansions and playing them in the order of release. It's a great package and Specter of Torment is the strongest of the set.
85
Bringing this game as a stand alone to the Switch was a brilliant idea. It feels like a whole new game because of the way Specter of Torment plays, but offers the same great style and gameplay Shovel Knight did.
8
The controls feel so fluid and gameplay is so floaty. It takes the Shovel Knight formula and actually does something relatively original with it.
9
I don't know how they topped the original campaign, but they somehow did. The air dash move makes the game much faster paced and overall more fun. Plus it's free DLC to an already great game, and it expands on the story in a great way.
6
It feels like a fan game. The character is way too big in almost every map,The climbing mechanic sometimes doesnt work how it should,The secrets sometimes are impossible to find or differentiate from the normal phase progression. As someone who loved shovel knight:shovel of hope this game is a major let down
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Released On:
Mar 3, 2017
Metascore
Generally Favorable
84
User score
Generally Favorable
8.1
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
All Platforms
3DS
tbd
Based on 1 Critic Review
tbd
tbd
Based on 2 Critic Reviews
tbd
PlayStation Vita
tbd
Wii U
tbd
tbd
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
84
Metascore
Generally Favorable
95% Positive
20 Reviews
20 Reviews
5% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Apr 24, 2017
90
A faster-paced, more densely packed, more melancholy and visceral experience than previous entries in the Shovel Knight series. [Issue #27 – May/June 2017, p. 20]
Mar 14, 2017
90
If Shovel Knight is Mega Man X, then Specter Knight is Zero; his expertly-crafted new campaign is a perfect complement to one of the best 2D platformers ever made.
User score
Generally Favorable
84% Positive
130 Ratings
130 Ratings
5% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
11% Negative
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
Jul 22, 2023
10
This game is excellent, unlike its predecessor, plague of shadows, its controls are responsive and excellent, also, like its predecessors, it has overall above average graphics considering its genre, (not as good as hollow knight tho), and its game design is great! Overall great game, would be 96, but round up so 100
Mar 5, 2017
90
You’ll be doing things in Specter of Torment that literally make you say “wow” out loud. It’s a smooth, expertly-crafted platformer filled with heart. Again, it’s a free update to your Wii U and 3DS versions so there’s no reason not to play it. For Switch users, it’s absolutely worth experiencing, as is the rest of the Treasure Trove.
Mar 24, 2017
85
Bringing this game as a stand alone to the Switch was a brilliant idea. It feels like a whole new game because of the way Specter of Torment plays, but offers the same great style and gameplay Shovel Knight did.
Apr 6, 2017
82
The Specter of Torment expansion really added to the game series with a better story and more fluid gameplay. Its not particularly long, but the fun, challenging, old-school platforming makes this a game worth playing. I would recommend buying the Treasure Trove edition with the original game and the two expansions and playing them in the order of release. It's a great package and Specter of Torment is the strongest of the set.
Mar 12, 2017
80
More of what Shovel Knight fans love, and a superb entry point for people new to the series, Spectre of Torment is a great take on modernised nostalgia.
Mar 17, 2017
70
While Specter of Torment keeps an eye glued to the past so much that it still resembles the video-game equivalent of a very good cover band, its superior kineticism also shows that Shovel Knight was an amateur’s first stab toward something a little greater.
Mar 17, 2017
10
Absolutely brilliant. Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows are fine games in their own right, but they can't even come close to the story of Specter of Torment. Everything was done right. Jake Kaufman truly outdid himself with the soundtrack, remastering pretty much every main song from the original. The level design is spot-on, requiring you to stay on your toes and use Specter Knight's abilities accordingly. While Specter of Torment is a prequel, you must play the other campaigns first, as there are too many spoilers and references in Specter of Torment that you wouldn't understand unless you've played Shovel of Hope. The game truly is a masterpiece, and yes I'll say it, it's even better than Breath of the Wild. Buy this game now.
Aug 8, 2024
9
I don't know how they topped the original campaign, but they somehow did. The air dash move makes the game much faster paced and overall more fun. Plus it's free DLC to an already great game, and it expands on the story in a great way.
Mar 16, 2022
9
Super fun, feels like a fresh take on the classic castlevania formula. Solid DLC
Jul 20, 2018
7
So overrated. A good game, but nothing "incredible". If you want to see something incredible, try Hollow Knight.
Feb 15, 2024
6
It feels like a fan game. The character is way too big in almost every map,The climbing mechanic sometimes doesnt work how it should,The secrets sometimes are impossible to find or differentiate from the normal phase progression. As someone who loved shovel knight:shovel of hope this game is a major let down
SummaryShovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the action-packed prequel to Shovel Knight! Take control of Specter Knight, servant to the Enchantress, in a quest to recruit a cadre of knights and create the Order of No Quarter. With his scythe and preternatural agility at the ready, he can glide across the ground, clamber up walls, and command an ... Read More
Rated Efor Everyone
Platforms:
- 3DS
- PC
- PlayStation 3
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation Vita
- Wii U
- Xbox One
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date:Mar 3, 2017
Developer:
Publisher:
