Specter of Torment is the combination of everything I loved about Shovel Knight and Plague Knight adventurers. It takes the best elements from both games, adds some new things of it's own, and merges them into what I consider to be the best that the Shovel Knight series has offered so far.

The gameplay of this expansion returns to more "normal" retro gameplay. You have a scythe, which you can use to attack normally and use with rails. While I initially missed the mad fun that was trowing bombs with Plague Knight, the scythe feels awesome to use, and now, if you jump, you can launch yourself to the enemy to attack or use him as a platform to jump further. You can also climb most walls and make wall jumps, which while may lead you into thinking the game is easier, they actually make for smart puzzles where you have to climb the right wall to reach the right platform. The magic in this game is also much better than in the other two. Every item feels different and worth paying for, and you can even upgrade them. The moment you buy, you have a small level that serves as a tutorial. These are a great addition, because you learn how to properly use them instead of wasting magic to see what they do. Gone is the map and the cities from previous installments. While some may miss the adventure aspect, I love the fact that you can choose which boss you want to tackle, making the game more streamlined. The difficulty is changed, and it will depend on what which player prefers. In my opinion, Shovel Knight is still the most easier, while Plague Knight is definitely the hardest. Specter of Torment felt like a nice middle point between the two. It's hard, but enjoyable at all times. Moving on to level design, the levels may at first seem the same, but they are actually different than the previous ones. Due to being a prequel, parts of levels that were in the first two are not yet in the same state, making the game feel like a true travel to the past. The bosses are changed, but they are still as fun and challenging as before.

The story in Specter of Torment is on a completely different tune than the previous games. While the others were love stories,in this game has a tragic story. As the game serves as a prequel, you know something went wrong with Specter Knight's quest, and as his past is slowly revealed and every character starts to fall into their Shovel Knight/Plague of Shadows place, you know the game is not gonna have a happy ending. You see and understand Specter Knight transformation from a fallen warrior trying to get back what he lost to a brainless servant of evil. It's a truly sad story, but it is so well told that is the best out of the three. For me, this game hited every stride and corrected every little issue I had with the previous two. I loved it and I had a lot of fun with it. And that's the only thing I want from video games. Not realistic graphics or better framerates. I want to have fun. I happily give Specter of Torment a 5/5 stars.

Ya en Plague of Shadows había una voluntad en el estudio de desarrollo por aprovechar los assets originales y girar tanto mecánicas como historia. Aquí, todo se lleva al límite: esta vez, la historia es original a modo de precuela, aparecen nuevos personajes y se profundizan otros, los niveles están algo cambiados e incluso la sensación general es distinta.

Como siempre, el diseño de niveles es fantástico. Nuevos desafíos, nuevas recompensas, escenarios similares con mecánicas muy distintas, pantallas que enseñan nuevas habilidades sin indicadores... A estas alturas, decir que en Yacht Games Club hay un reparto talentoso es quedarse corto. Sorprendentemente, no solo han logrado crear nuevos desafíos con los mismos elementos, sino que han decidido innovar en su apartado argumental con una historia melancólica, oscura y algo más adulta que las anteriores campañas. El tratamiento del personaje principal y sus traumas (proyectados en las propias mecánicas y jefes) es complejo dentro de la sencillez de los Shovel Knight, y su mezcla de historias del presente y el pasado funcionan muy bien para crear momentos memorables de gran tristeza. Todo, por supuesto, sin olvidarse del humor característico de la saga, que sazona todos estos elementos para hacer más digerible una historia que, de otro modo, casi no podría pertenecer a la misma franquicia que el simpático Shovel of Hope.

El original sigue siendo perfecto, pero esta precuela no se queda lejos y, de hecho, supera a su predecesor en muchos puntos. Excelente diseño, excelentes mecánicas, buen guion y un estilazo que ya muchos quisieran tener.

Third time's the charm. Shove of Hope and Plague of Shadows were great, but they finally found their footing with Specter of Torment. Controls were smooth, intuitive, and satisfying from the first level, and it is the controls that put it a tier above the first two entries for me. Specter Knight moves differently than most platforming protagonists, utilizing enemies as targets get past obstacles while simultaneously cutting through them with your scythe. Every time I used this mechanic, I got a really satisying "killing two birds with one stone" feeling, and I loved the fluidity of movement and attack.

Having played Plague of Shadows directly after Shovel of Hope, I was a bit bored having to do the exact same levels over (though I was impressed they could keep the same level design with a character who controlled entirely differently). However, Specter of Torment is essentially a remix. Level design is refreshed, as are the music tracks, and both sparkle with many moments of brilliance. I won't give any spoilers, but the story is quite good as well. Be warned that it makes way more sense if you've played Shovel of Hope beforehand (which is also very worth playing). I highly recommend this platformer.

I enjoyed Specter Knight quite a bit, but came away a tad disappointed in the end. Arguably it is a good game. How could anything built on Shovel Knight not be? However, the fact that it is built on Shovel Knight means that I will forever judge it against Shovel Knight. And sadly, it's not quite as good (and definitely nowhere near the masterpiece that is Plague of Shadows). Spectre Knight has an excellent story that provides background elements leading up to a the main Shovel Knight narrative. I deeply enjoyed the story aspects of Specter Knight. However the gameplay is lacking. Where Plague of Shadows upped the difficulty of Shovel Knight through its unique control and combat system, Specter Knight dropped everything down several tiers. It's simply too easy. The game lacks the challenge of Shovel Knight and Plague of Shadows.

Perhaps it's because I'm now too accustom to Shovel Knight mechanics, after three instalments of the game. However, I'm not entirely convinced that is true. Spectre Knight seems too powerful. His dash attack allows for near invulnerability while you dash repeatedly at your enemies from above and below. Boss fights are reduced to quick chores, where avoiding being hit and attacking as oversimplified to the point that you breeze through them in seconds. The final boss is especially a let down. I won't give too much away, but it's was far too easy to repeatedly strike from above while barely ever needing to touch the ground.

I suppose it sounds like I hate the game. I don't. It's still a great game. But in comparison to the other two instalments, it's mediocre. I definitely recommend it for its story and simply as a means to enjoy some more time set in the excellent Shovel Knight world but if you're searching for a challenge, you might come away as I did, feeling short changed.