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[Cindro]

Aggghh - after about an hour I just can't get the nuance and finesse of the controls. This leads to most of my deaths feeling like a result of fighting the buttons instead of being challenged by the enemies or platforming.

I'm *sure* the controls are balanced and satisfying once they click, but this learning curve is frustrating. Part of why I loved Shovel Knight so much was because of how they balanced difficulty with accessibility.

Time to steel thy shovel and try again.

 

[Mubbed]

It is a shame this thread isn't more active if it is a representation of the amount of people playing this. Plague of Shadows is everything I wanted from Shovel Knight since backing the project. I wish the challenge mode wasn't primarily comprised of boss battles though; that is the only disappointment.

Short clip of one of Plague Knight's challenges if anyone wants a visual representation of how good the character controls.

 

[shadyspace]

So you dudes been finding this to be harder than Shovel Knight's campaign or not?

 

[Ysiadmihi]

I enjoyed Plague Knight's campaign, but it made me appreciate the simplicity of controlling Shovel Knight. There are so many combinations of skills and bomb types that I never felt sure I was playing optimally.

 

[Aaronrules380]

I enjoyed Plague Knight's campaign, but it made me appreciate the simplicity of controlling Shovel Knight. There are so many combinations of skills and bomb types that I never felt sure I was playing optimally.

yeah. I'm glad I played on Wii U as well, I would hate to have had to open a pause screen to switch. I already wasn't huge on switching as it was

 

[Zero_IYAD]

Where can I find Chester in the Explodatorium?

Edit: Never mind, just found him.

 

[Marow]

Just finished it 100%! Awesome campaign and I love how it told a charming little story alongside the new gameplay. Once I got the hang of Plague Knight, it didn't take long until I was soaring through the sky bombarding the enemies below.

 

[Skyzard]

So no actual new levels...reading the changelist now mentions gameplay and story changes only. Figures, it did sound too good.

Guess I may check it out when I'm finished with it... eh was looking forward to new level designs by the same guy.

 

[Aaronrules380]

So new actual new levels...reading the changelist now mentions gameplay and story changes only. Figures, it did sound too good.

Guess I may check it out when I'm finished with it... eh was looking forward to new level designs by the same guy.

honestly, the levels feel very different because Plague knight plays so differently. And existing levels have new areas and such

 

[AwShucks]

So you dudes been finding this to be harder than Shovel Knight's campaign or not?

I do. I get the mechanics but they are definitely harder than Shovel Knight's mechanics for me. Bear in mind, I played a TON of Duck Tales growing up, so bouncing came naturally to me.

It's still glorious fun for me though.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

So you dudes been finding this to be harder than Shovel Knight's campaign or not?

Much more difficult, which I love.

 

[Skyzard]

honestly, the levels feel very different because Plague knight plays so differently. And existing levels have new areas and such

Hmm Ive sort of been savouring the base game, with plans to pick up the pace when dlc came out...and new mechanics sound great...but I really like the level design. Pretty sure ill go back to savouring the stages lol.

Maybe im assuming the worst about the new sections in the levels being tiny or something but I dont want to rush ahead to find out...

Doing the cheat code...you still have your old save intact?

Looking forward to some paid stuff if it has new levels. New gameplay is great...but it's nice as is, just want more

 

[Regulus Tera]

I beat the boss that

Spoiler

sold me new hoods for Plague Knight, but I didn't have any cash at the moment so I had to leave. I come back and he's not there anymore? Where do I buy more hoods then?

 

[Aaronrules380]

I beat the boss that

Spoiler

sold me new hoods for Plague Knight, but I didn't have any cash at the moment so I had to leave. I come back and he's not there anymore? Where do I buy more hoods then?

Not sure what you're talking about. As far as I know you can't buy hoods for plague knight. You can get different "armor" from the troupple king, but he's not a boss. Do you mean hat guy? You don't buy anything from him in plague knight campaign

 

[Regulus Tera]

Not sure what you're talking about. As far as I know you can't buy hoods for plague knight. You can get different "armor" from the troupple king, but he's not a boss. Do you mean hat guy? You don't buy anything from him in plague knight campaign

Welp, you are right. My brain short-circuited then, probably because of all the talk between Mr Hat and Plague Knight after the battle.

 

[atbigelow]

Damn, Plague Knight is way harder to control. Beat Spectre Knight and still not really skilled at it.

Still having a "blast" though.

 

[Capra]

Just finished with 100% cipher coins.

Holy fuck, that was amazing. It's got its own problems from being a bonus mode with bosses lifted from the vanilla game, but on the whole YC managed to give us a campaign at least as good as the original with its own identity. I can't wait to see what they pull off for King Knight and Spectre Knight's campaigns.

Also the final reward for collecting every cipher coin may not be functionally the most useful thing ever, but man is it hilarious. Fantastic piece of DLC all around.

 

[Fishlake]

Damn, Plague Knight is way harder to control. Beat Spectre Knight and still not really skilled at it.

Still having a "blast" though.

Specter Knight is hard because he is in the air all the time. I hate anything in the air as Plague Knight.

 

[User 479360]

So something weird happened today.

I was playing Mad Max and downloading another game. All of a sudden, an achievement popped and it was for beating Plague Knight. I hadn't played Shovel Knight since launch, and still haven't, but that achievement randomly popped.

I checked my achievement list and it's there, but it's listed as having been unlocked on 05/01, right before the achievement for beating the main game.

What the hell?

 

[Skrams]

Plague Knights a lot of fun, but I still have to get use to him. I've died quite a bit from just accidentally bomb jumping into a hole. Float would probably help, but I like my second bomb jump too much. Tiny Trick-

Spoiler

I could stay on regular blast and switch to float for the second bomb jump, but that takes a little more effort and planning. It's not something I can just whip out whenever to save myself that frequently.

Specter Knight is hard because he is in the air all the time. I hate anything in the air as Plague Knight.

I'd agree if I didn't switch to lob bombs 2 seconds into the battle. Shit helps a lot considering he's at the perfect angle to get hit from the top platforms.

 

[totowhoa]

Specter Knight is hard because he is in the air all the time. I hate anything in the air as Plague Knight.

I died twice then figured out how to cheese him easily with a juggle by mistake:

Spoiler

Use lob casings and black powder. Get on one of the floating platforms when he's in the upper corner. Hitting him causes him to bounce back in the roof and wall in the corner and you can juggle him there until he dies.

Got the untouched achievement doing that too ^

Ran the bonus levels after spectre knight that have more platforming... Controls are finally starting to click after those. Most of my deaths have been pitfalls struggling with the controls / jump height and getting used to all of that.

Loving all the extra customization in this one around his main attack.

 

[VariantX]

Specter Knight is hard because he is in the air all the time. I hate anything in the air as Plague Knight.

Just got tired of chasing him down and combined lob casing + component powder + short fuse to guarantee that I'd hit him any time he was above me

 

[KevinCow]

What's the point of the short fuse if bombs explode on contact?

 

[VariantX]

Its the fact that it will immediately explode after a certain distance thrown. Made it real easy with the component powder to always have explosions in the air in a wide area to always hit specter knight when hes above you.

 

[Regiruler]

What's the point of the short fuse if bombs explode on contact?

Timing the cascade powder?

And since missed bombs detonate faster you can increase overall dps with black.

 

[Aeana]

Also the final reward for collecting every cipher coin may not be functionally the most useful thing ever, but man is it hilarious. Fantastic piece of DLC all around.

Care to say what it is? In spoiler tags of course. I'm not sure I have the time to go back and try to get every single one.

 

[RecursiveFault]

What's the point of the short fuse if bombs explode on contact?

They can explode before contact, and can bounce/travel less far before exploding. If you use some types of bomb powders, you want them to go off early sometimes. You can also throw more bombs at once since they explode faster.

That said, if you're nailing the target in the face every time, it only reduces your range.

 

[poodaddy]

So I played through this on Vita and PC and I recently got it on Wii U as well in preparation for the amiibo and I gotta say.....for some reason I feel that the Wii U version is the most fun. Am I crazy? The Vitas amazing D pad was great for it, I hated the 360 pad for it on pc, but something about playing this masterpiece of design with a wonderfully mushy Nintendo D pad just feels so right. Anyone else feel this way or am I a nutcase? It's amazing on all platforms though for sure, just feels at home on Wii U though.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

So I played through this on Vita and PC and I recently got it on Wii U as well in preparation for the amiibo and I gotta say.....for some reason I feel that the Wii U version is the most fun. Am I crazy? The Vitas amazing D pad was great for it, I hated the 360 pad for it on pc, but something about playing this masterpiece of design with a wonderfully mushy Nintendo D pad just feels so right. Anyone else feel this way or am I a nutcase? It's amazing on all platforms though for sure, just feels at home on Wii U though.

I've mostly played the PC version with a Wii U Pro pad, so I couldn't tell you :B

It's also great with a Saturn pad, probably even a little better if you don't mind the cord.

 

[RecursiveFault]

So I played through this on Vita and PC and I recently got it on Wii U as well in preparation for the amiibo and I gotta say.....for some reason I feel that the Wii U version is the most fun. Am I crazy? The Vitas amazing D pad was great for it, I hated the 360 pad for it on pc, but something about playing this masterpiece of design with a wonderfully mushy Nintendo D pad just feels so right. Anyone else feel this way or am I a nutcase? It's amazing on all platforms though for sure, just feels at home on Wii U though.

I think your post kinda boils down to "I like the Nintendo D-pad".

(I do too though)

Spoiler

Also you could get a pro controller on PC

 

[totowhoa]

Just unlocked the last trio and I'm loving this. I was a little lukewarm for the first hour, but once the character clicked I started having a blast.

Can't wait to finish this tomorrow. The next two updates will be such pleasant surprises since I'm sure I'll be caught off guard again.

Probably gonna shoot for 100% again too. Game is just too fun. Dunno if I'll do hard mode again though knowing that I'll be playing this campaign again two more times with future DLC already.

 

[Uchigatana]

Looking back from the game ideas from the character poll, the developers were able to implement most of the concept to the final game.

Bomb Arsenal – Primary playstyle for Plague Knight
Bomb Jumping – Same as above
Invisibility – Used as smoke bomb arcana
Resource Management – Yacht Club Games decided to collect Cipher coins instead of collecting raw materials to gather resource. To be honest, I thought Cipher Coins were a good addition to the campaign and it did not break the overall pace of the game
Random Bomb – This concept did not made it in the final game. IMO, I am glad that they decide not to go with Random Bomb plucking because choosing the right bomb combination was already stressful enough as it is.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with Plague of Shadows. The playstyle of Plague Knight was a refreshing take of Shovel Knight's campaign. It also helps that it had

Spoiler

Shovel Knight and Corrupted Essence as new bosses along with a completely new ending

. This definitely raised the bar for the next boss campaign for Specter and King Knight. Even so, I look forward to the next DLC.

 

[FrozenCell]

loving it on linux

 

[poodaddy]

I think your post kinda boils down to "I like the Nintendo D-pad".

(I do too though)

Spoiler

Also you could get a pro controller on PC

Lol both you guys nailed it, that being said I've never tried the Wii U pro controller on PC. Is it a simple process or are there hoops to jump? If it's plug and play I'm more than happy to eat my hat.

 

[SparksterMeta0]

What I like most about this installment is how it ties well with the original story, rather than being a complete alternate plot.

I especially loved the fact you can

Spoiler

still be the boss of your own level and face Shovel Knight.

 

[Hale-XF11]

Just finished it. What a fantastic campaign from start to finish. YCG did it again.

 

[Derpot]

Beat Propeller yesterday, now I have to go to the Tower of Fate!
Damn, since I bought the Float Burst, the game is definitely more pleasant to play for me, that's for sure. I still die like an idiot sometimes tho.
I also like using the Whirl Casing, very useful and can go through walls!

 

[duckroll]

Mole Knight got annihilated by my cluster bombs. Loooool. The Armor Outpost stuff is pretty neat too. All the extra effort put into the bonus spritework and events is really satisfying me.

 

[AmethystEnd]

I finally got to start playing the expansion. Holy shit, I'm in love with my new movement options. Yacht Club Games are gods of this genre now as far I'm concerned.

 

[Notor!ousG]

Played the intro and King Knight and I'm not feeling the controls (yet?).

The biggest issue I have is when you charge (holding X), jump and move sideways. Once you're launched, you can't really correct alot of your movement anymore. Made me crash into a pit several times now.

 

[SanguineShark]

Anyone know if they plan to sell the DLC as standalone sometime in the future? I have the game for Wii U, but due to monetary issues, had to sell my console and can't afford to buy the game currently.

I was hoping they had crossbuy like Sony platforms that allowed me to play on 3DS, but alas.

 

[Peff]

Anyone know if they plan to sell the DLC as standalone sometime in the future? I have the game for Wii U, but due to monetary issues, had to sell my console and can't afford to buy the game currently.

I was hoping they had crossbuy like Sony platforms that allowed me to play on 3DS, but alas.

It's extremely unlikely. The DLC basically allows you to play the entire game with a different story and a different city hub, so they'd pretty much have to charge full price anyway.

 

[SanguineShark]

It's extremely unlikely. The DLC basically allows you to play the entire game with a different story and a different city hub, so they'd pretty much have to charge full price anyway.

Damn...okay.

Guess I'll wait for it to be on sale.

 

[SmartWaffles]

Anyone know if they plan to sell the DLC as standalone sometime in the future? I have the game for Wii U, but due to monetary issues, had to sell my console and can't afford to buy the game currently.

I was hoping they had crossbuy like Sony platforms that allowed me to play on 3DS, but alas.

It is part of the base game so if you get another WiiU you only need to redownload the game, make sure you contact Nintendo support and let them reinstate your NNID download status on your new console so you don't even to rebuy. Also if you want to play it now there is always a PC version that can run on literally everything.

 

[Derpot]

Just beat the game, that ending omg.

Spoiler

The final boss surprised me, that was awesome! And Plague and Mona dancing together, that was so cute, I love it

Awesome DLC, that was so, so great. It was a bit tedious at first because of the controls, but once I got the Float Burst, it went very well. I really like how we can combine stuff to make bombs more effective, that's very clever.

I didn't finish the game at 100% completion, so of course, I'll play more and will not forget to do the challenges.

YCG delivered again, and I can't wait for the next campaigns!

 

[SanguineShark]

It is part of the base game so if you get another WiiU you only need to redownload the game, make sure you contact Nintendo support and let them reinstate your NNID download status on your new console so you don't even to rebuy. Also if you want to play it now there is always a PC version that can run on literally everything.

I know, but I recently lost my job and can't afford to spend much on gaming. Was hoping to simply play a cheaper stand alone version, or somehow the 3DS having crossbuy.

 

[KevinCow]

Played the intro and King Knight and I'm not feeling the controls (yet?).

The biggest issue I have is when you charge (holding X), jump and move sideways. Once you're launched, you can't really correct alot of your movement anymore. Made me crash into a pit several times now.

Two things help with this:

1) Save your double jump until after the Burst Jump. It lets you regain some control.

2) Get the Float Burst from Mona ASAP.

 

[Notor!ousG]

Two things help with this:

1) Save your double jump until after the Burst Jump. It lets you regain some control.

2) Get the Float Burst from Mona ASAP.

Second one solved it. Just discovered it and cam here to tell .
Thanks.

 

[duckroll]

Hmmm, I'm going through older stages to try and collect all the Cipher Coins. Just went through all of King Knight's stage again and I'm still short of one. Any idea where that elusive one could be? I got all the obvious ones, including the ones in any secret area I could find. I also got the one that's directly to the left of where you start. There was one secret area which didn't have a coin though - the one where you have to the top right area after the bunch of floating rats. Is there something hidden there?

 

[smashballTaz]

Ijust had a quick go as Plague Knight, his movement takes a bit to get used to but you feel badass soaring through the air propelled by his bombs. I need to finish the main campaign first though.