When comparing The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind vs Shovel Knight, the Slant community recommends Shovel Knight for most people. In the question“What are the best low-spec PC games?” Shovel Knight is ranked 23rd while The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is ranked 25th. The most important reason people chose Shovel Knight is:
Shovel Knight has very colorful pixelated graphics, a decent chiptune soundtrack, excellent 8-bit sound effects, and the controls feel really fluid and responsive. So whether you’re just running through a castle, shoveling away at gems in a tunnel, or even jumping on a dragon’s head, Shovel Knight is a blast to play.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Lost of guilds to join and side quests to do
You don't even have to complete the main story line to get a full game worth of play
Pro Over 20 character classes available for player builds
Users are free to create their character from a pool of 20 different classes, which makes for a wide range of choice into how one wants to roleplay.
Pro Indepth storytelling
Pro Detailed
Pro Gain levels from play
Leveling ones character works through what actions one performs. If a fighter and one fights a lot, they will gain experience in fighting, if a mage and one uses magic a lot one gains experience in magic.
Morrowind is one of the first RPGs to level in this way and is now a staple of the franchise.
Pro Lots of mods available
Mods that equate to full expansions and update the game to modern levels are available
Pro Set in an alien world with Imaginative environments
Pro Feels great to play
Shovel Knight has very colorful pixelated graphics, a decent chiptune soundtrack, excellent 8-bit sound effects, and the controls feel really fluid and responsive. So whether you’re just running through a castle, shoveling away at gems in a tunnel, or even jumping on a dragon’s head, Shovel Knight is a blast to play.
Pro Great for couch co-op
Because Shovel Knight can be pretty hard at times, bringing a friend along can help out a lot. The two of you can work together to take down enemies and communicate the best ways to handle jumps and special skills. Plus, if one of you is more experienced with the game, that player can help the newcomer along and teach them the ropes instead of leaving them to figure out everything on their own, possibly to the point of frustration. Playing this game with another person is a fun way to bring back the feeling of couch co-op on the older retro systems.
Pro A unique experience
Shovel Knight has 2D pixel art, a simple gameplay, and a retro feel. It stands out in an era dominated by 3D titles with super detailed graphics and convoluted gameplay because of its influences from classics like Zelda, Castlevania, Duck Tales, and even Super Mario Bros. It’s not just trying to cash in on the nostalgia of older players because it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone thanks to its polish.
Pro Pretty fun risk versus reward system
In each stage, there are multiple checkpoints you can revive at if you die. The twist is that you can destroy the checkpoints for extra treasure. Doing this also means you’ll have to start from the beginning of the stage if you die. It’s a pretty cool way to increase difficulty and add tension to a playthrough, especially because it’s never forced on you.
Cons
Con The graphics are dated, but can be modded to a more modern standard with mod packs
Con Shallow hack and slash combat
Combat is a bit basic with no information on enemy health and not much in a way of enemy AI. Bad guys will just go straight for the player and all one can do is hack and slash until all are dead. Over time this become quite boring and annoying as there is really no depth.
Con Can be frustrating
While Shovel Knight captures a lot of SNES era’s good parts, it also brings back some of the bad parts. It's mostly the hidden enemies that attack you as soon as you approach their hiding spots, causing you to take needless damage or even die. This adds a really tedious trial and error aspect that forces you to memorize all enemy placements just so you can beat a stage. In addition to dealing with the enemies, the timing of jumps or using special skills at the right moment adds to the frustration. Press the button too early or too late and you'll end up back at the start of a platforming section or worse, dead.