Many overwhelmingly positive reviews... but mine won't be among them.

The game deserves a thumbs up to some extent, sure but the last two levels simply ruined the game for me.
I just couldn't complete it due to the sudden difficulty spikes these last two level had on offer.

Shovel Knight relies too much on memorizing level layouts and not seeing very far on the screen what traps lie ahead doesn't help and forces you to restart the same moves over and over until you succeed. Not my idea of fun.

On the plus side:
(+)
-the game was still very enjoyable until the end section
-sense of growing power
-relics to discover
-fun characters to speak to
-graphics and music are top notch retro stuff

Now fot other negatives:
(-)
-things got repetitive halfway through
-many extra powers and special moves were almost useless
-controls are a bit clunky

Maybe I suck, maybe I'm not good (or rather patient) enough to have made it to the end but as far as difficult games go, I prefer Spelunky's harsh world.

"I was digging for copper, but I found gold."

Plague of Shadows campaign is easily worth the price. And I guess there are 3 spin-offs to it as well, I dunno