The “Plague of Shadows” expansion for Shovel Knight will introduce a new playable character who plays almost completely differently than Shovel Knight, forcing players to change their strategies.
The character, called Plague Knight, was featured at PAX East, and I got a chance to test him out. While Shovel Knight uses a sword-like shovel to vanquish his foes, Plague Knight throws little potions. They don’t really do large amounts of damage, so players will have to throw them rapidly to really put a dent in their enemies.
Plague Knight also is able to jump much higher than Shovel Knight, and can sort of float in the air for a little while. This is perfect for players want to fly over their enemies heads, raining copious amounts of potions down on them as they do so. The new character is a lot of fun to use, although it does take a little while to get used to his quick, ranged attacks compared to Shovel Knight’s slower, close-ranged attacks.
But, in the end, Plague Knight looks like he will be able to provide players with a whole new strategy of gameplay, allowing veterans to go back and have fun, even if they have already finished the game as Shovel Knight.
Are you excited to play as Plague Knight when the free “Plague of Shadows” expansion releases later this year?
