The editors of Irrational Passions once again descend on Boston for PAX East!
This time around the editors chose to highlight or have a deeper dive into a particular game they felt spoke to them after having played it on the show floor!
In this Discussion Editor At Large Jarrett Green chats with Professor RPG Scott White about Yacht Clubs Games upcoming Shovel Knight Dig!
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Scott’s Thoughts:
Going into Shovel Knight Dig, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I mean, I had watched the trailers so I had a basic understanding of the changes, but it was still a bit nebulous to me. Stepping away from the demo kiosk, I came away much more excited and with a much clearer picture of the game.
Dig maintains the distinct responsiveness and tight controls that the Shovel Knight, while also feeling brand new. Shifting to a downward progression, the movement down the tunnels felt good, with plenty of traps and hazards that did a good job replicating the dangers in the side-scrolling games. I absolutely love the new 16-bit art style, and the new Spore Knight enemy from the Hexcavators fits great into the established vibe of the world.
I’m much more excited for this game after playing it, and I can’t wait to dive back into this new 16-bit world of Shovel Knight!
Jarrett’s Thoughts:
Yacht Club Games are some incredibly smart and versatile devs. Not only have they turned Shovel Knight into the indie game Mickey Mouse, they’ve made Shovel Knight a brand that is ubiquitous throughout the industry. Part of that is developing a sort of design language and style guide that brings a sort of signature game feel to where ever the azure hero goes. He’s been in hack and slashes, metroidvanias, fighting games, card games, and will now a maze digging game that makes me beg the question, “can Shovel Knight do literally anything?”
Shovel Knight Dig is an adventurous take on the arcade driller game that will strike a cord with fans of the niche genre, and curious first timers alike. Yacht Club has become well known for knowing how to spice up old formulas to make tried and true genres feel new again. As much as it is Dig Dug and Pac-Man, its also Downwell and Steamworld Dig. It has a sense of exploration, while also fiercely compelling you to dig yourself to the bottom as fast as you can. My time with it was too short on the PAX floor, and I really can wait to really bury myself in it whenever it finally drops.
