Review: Shovel Knight Dig

destructoid.com:

Shovel Knight may never die — and I’d be completely okay with that! The franchise, born in 2014 with the original entry, created a cottage industry for Yacht Club Games, who incorporated the series into multiple projects and has spawned an empire of sorts. While we wait for Mina the Hollower to arrive, there’s more Shovel Knight coming your way this month.

Shovel Knight Dig, a roguelite platformer, is the latest attempt to mix things up. Thankfully, it’s very close to the spirit of the original game.

Shovel Knight Dig (iOS [Apple Arcade], PC [reviewed], Nintendo Switch)Developer: Nitrome, Yacht Club GamesPublisher: Yacht Club GamesReleased: September 23, 2022MSRP: $24.99

Ingeniously, Shovel Knight Dig slots nicely into the lore as a theoretical side story. Since the events of Dig are kicked off when Drill Knight steals your stuff at a campsite (between any given level in the main entry), it simultaneously explains why Shovel Knight has to start over with no powers, and answers when it can possibly take place. None of this truly matters as Dig is a standalone project, but it’s nice to see a bit of continuity here, including returning bits and pieces (like character models and designs) that worked in the past. “Nostalgia for Shovel Knight” is a weird concept indeed, but it has been eight years after all.

While Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon was a bigger departure for the series, Dig mostly maintains the platforming angle of the first entry with a new spin. Your job is to get to the bottom of the titular “dig,” and put a stop to Drill Knight’s shenanigans. To do that, you’ll burrow through “stages” (with fixed themes, and three distinct parts per stage), accompanied by randomly generated layouts. “Roguelite” really rings true