Shovel Knight Dig is unsurprisingly getting high marks in its reviews. Most of the scores, across the many launch platforms out there, have the game sitting around the 80s on Metacritic. While this new roguelike is certainly worth the time for fans of the genre and this series, the game is not without fault.
There are certain aspects of Shovel Knight Dig’s gameplay that feel backward as both a roguelike and a Shovel Knight game. Some of these things could easily be fixed with a patch though and none of the problems are thankfully too technical. However, tweaking things a bit could make this game even better, so, fingers crossed for the future.
8 Look Up And Down
One of the most distracting things about Shovel Knight Dig is that players can’t look up or down. Once they reach a certain height, both dimensions are cut off from them.
This makes navigating through the vertical maze more challenging than it should be for a roguelike. Nine times out of ten, players are going to get hit with something offscreen. It’s a bit of a mess and it would be great if the development team gave players more control over the camera.
7 Digging Upgrades
There are two things that the development team could do to make digging more efficient for players in this ever-challenging roguelike experience. Firstly, players should be allowed to dig upwards. There is a helmet item that allows players to jump up through the dirt, which is all well and good, but not being able to strike upward limits the actions of players whether it be for digging or striking enemies.
It would also be nice if players could hold down the action button while digging so that Shovel Knight could go faster. The former of the two upgrades is arguably the more important but both would be incredibly helpful for players.
6 Lighten Shovel Knight Up
Shovel Knight is a knight with heavy armor, meaning that realistically he should be heavy. In the original game, the jump physics were lighter, giving players more mobility. Nailing the jump physics in a platformer is important, which is one of the many reasons why the first game is still celebrated today.
Shovel Knight Dig increases the heaviness of the titular hero, making it more awkward to jump around. It would be amazing if a patch lightened up the jump physics to further improve gameplay, or provided an assist option that allowed players to tweak it for themselves.
5 Give Relics Away
There are two ways players can unlock Relics to find in the dungeons. One, they can buy keys from the horse merchant which lead to secret rooms. Two, they can buy Relics from the jester-like merchant in the hub area.
If players buy from the latter, they should be able to take that Relic into the dungeon. There are some roguelikes out there that grant this opportunity with similar merchant systems. Adding this mechanic into Shovel Knight Dig would allow players to give these Relics a good test run.
4 More Things Should Carry Over
Roguelikes are one of the genres that are supposed to be challenging. The best ones give players something to strive for even in death. Adding in RPG elements, like ways to boost stats, gives players the opportunity to get better over time like in Rogue Legacy.
Sadly, there isn’t much of a reward system in Shovel Knight Dig as only gems carry over between runs. There are ways to keep items, by using gems, and purchasing new sets of armor can give players an advantage too. However, it might not be enough for some players which is why there should be an option to have more gear carry over without the need for gems.
3 Eggs And Keys Shouldn’t Go Away
There are two disposable items that players can find in the dungeons. One of them is eggs, which can be used in nests and will give players AI companions. The second is keys, which, as one might expect, will unlock doors and chests.
If players get hit, that item will be knocked away and if that item receives damage, it can then be destroyed. The development team should add keys and eggs to the internal inventory so that this isn’t a problem anymore. This could be added to the assist options if that would be easier.
2 Add Checkpoints On Runs
One of the best things about playing a game on the Switch is its portability. Shovel Knight Dig is a great portable game to pick up and play for one, or twelve runs. The one issue is that there are no checkpoints in the game if players quit out to the menu.
The easy solution to this would have players go to the Switch’s home menu and then put the game to sleep. While that is a valid strategy, adding checkpoints into the game would be much better. Loot River, which is another roguelike from 2022, allows players to quit and restart on the spot, so it is seemingly possible.
1 Add More Modes
Shovel Knight Dig is a relatively short game for those skilled enough at the roguelike genre. There are daily and weekly challenges for players to compete in but that is it as far as extra modes go.
Adding in a co-op mode would be great as the idea is already baked into the experience with the assistance of Shield Knight. It would also be amazing if the development team could add in a boss rush mode. One or both of these options would strengthen the staying power of this game.
Shovel Knight Dig was released on September 23, 2022 and is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.