A classic platforming quest
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope puts you in the boots of a small warrior with a big mission: defeat the evil Enchantress and find his lost beloved. Standing in his way is the Order of No Quarter, a group of villainous knights sent to stop him at any cost. You fight with a Shovel Blade, a multipurpose weapon used to slash enemies, flip them over, dig up treasure, and uncover secrets. The game is built on an 8-bit retro aesthetic with big pixels, detailed animation, and multilayered parallax backgrounds, paired with modern design touches. The controls are simple to learn, but the challenge is always present, so expect to perfect your platforming as you go.
Playing together
Shovel of Hope can be played as a fully cooperative adventure, letting you and a friend take on the quest side by side. You will work together to leap over gaps, duel with foes, and dig up treasure while taking down each knight of the Order of No Quarter. The game also supports Remote Play Together, so a friend can join your session even if they do not own the game themselves. Along the way, you can amass riches to upgrade your armor and weapons, and the Overworld Map lets your quest unfold in a unique order rather than a fixed path.
What to know before starting
The game carries a "Difficult" tag alongside its platformer and Metroidvania labels, so go in expecting a real test of skill even though the gameplay is balanced for both newcomers and experts. The soundtrack comes from Jake "Virt" Kaufman with additional songs by Manami Matsumae, and the narrative keeps a light touch with humor, levity, and heart. Beyond the main campaign, there is a Challenge Mode that raises the stakes with dozens of full-featured challenges, a Body Swap option that lets you designate the genders of the main characters with new designs, and New Game+ so you can relive the adventure and uncover the world's secrets again. Note that if you already own Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, this title is included and does not need to be purchased separately.