Shovel Knight: Treasure of Abyss

Shovel Knight: Treasure of Abyss is an additional story campaign released by Yacht Club Games as a free patch for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, and follows Treasure Knight on his quest for riches and ancient treasures. Unlike the previous additional story campaigns, Treasure of Abyss departs from the usual formula, and is a Metroidvania rather than a linear Mega Man-inspired platformer.
==Gameplay==
Treasure of Abyss is a drastic departure from the classical Shovel Knight level design. As previously stated, it is a Metroidvania rather than a linear platformer, with even more emphasis put on seeking out secret treasures as you wander from area to area. Fortunately, to cut down on backtracking, players can use Wells in certain locations to move to and from the Iron Whale, the game's main hub. Once a Well has been used, it can be returned to through the Iron Whale at any time.
Treasure Knight himself is a bit larger than previous playable characters, and he's also a bit more sluggish. He makes up for this with his Grappling Anchor, which he can use by pressing the attack button. This attack fires his anchor forwards out of his cannon arm before swiftly retracting it. Of all the standard attacks in the series, it has the longest range by far, traveling across nearly a third of the screen before it needs to be retracted. Treasure Knight can also aim it in eight different directions.
The most interesting property of Grappling Anchor, though, is that it can... well, grapple! Firing it at certain surfaces causes it to latch on, and Treasure Knight will be pulled to its location when it attempts to retract. This special ability is utilized heavily in platforming challenges, essentially making it the foundation of Treasure Knight's gameplay in the same way that Bomb Bursts and wall jumping are the foundations of Plague Knight's and Specter Knight's. Unfortunately, unlike Shovel Knight's shovel blade, Plague Knight's bombs, or Specter Knight's scythe, the base Grappling Anchor cannot be used to open up secret passages due to being designed for mobility above all else.
Treasure Knight does not have a traditional health meter. Instead, being struck depletes his Treasure, and if he's struck at zero Treasure, his game is over, and he restarts from the last Checkpoint or Well. As a side-effect of this, Treasure is not use for any purchases; instead, Treasure Knight can exchange Scrap Metal (retrieved when collecting Treasure and defeating enemies) for upgrades or new armor.
===Artefacts===
Treasure Knight's version of the Relics are called Artefacts. They are ancient tools, scavenged from the depths of labyrinths and put to use in his hunt for riches. The Artefacts that he collects during his journey include...
* The Torpedo Cannon, an upgrade for Treasure Knight's arm cannon that turns it into a missile launcher. When using this Artefact, Treasure Knight fires a small torpedo from his cannon as a long-range projectile. Though they're a bit slower than his Grappling Anchor, their range is vastly superior, and Treasure Knight can fire them off shockingly quickly.
* The Tow Anchor, a giant anchor that made its debut in the arsenal of Custom Knights. When using this Artefact, Treasure Knight swings the anchor into the air and uses the momentum to fly behind it as it arcs through the air. It is ideal for gaining extra vertical height to reach areas that can't be reached with his Grappling Anchor for whatever reason.
* The Water Flush, an upgrade for Treasure Knight's suit that lets him pour water out of it in a weaponizable form. When using this Artefact, Treasure Knight releases a wave from his suit as a short-range projectile that can push back enemies, block enemies' projectiles, and temporarily form a rocky shell over magma that lets Treasure Knight walk on it.
===Gear===
Treasure Knight can obtain new pieces of diving Gear at the Iron Whale, either by purchasing them using Scrap Metal or (in the case of a few which are required to progress) trading in rare materials. These accessories grant him special augmenting properties when equipped, as well as a slightly flashier appearance, but he can only have two pieces of Gear equipped at a time. He can switch which ones he has equipped in the Iron Whale. The Gear that he crafts during his journey includes...
* The Lure Lamp, a lantern attached to Treasure knight's armor like the lure of an anglerfish. With the Lure Lamp equipped, Treasure Knight emits a beam of light that can illuminate darkened areas like the Lich Yard Catacombs. This Gear is required for progression, and can be obtained without any Scrap Metal cost if Treasure Knight has found the Sunstone in the Plains of Passing.
* The Hot Plate, a set of ceramic plates attached to Treasure Knight's armor in multiple spots, resulting in a slightly bulkier appearance. With the Hot Plate equipped, Treasure Knight can venture into the boiling water of the Lost City Aqueducts without being harmed. This Gear is required for progression, and can be obtained without any Scrap Metal cost if Treasure Knight has found the Ceramic Shards in the Potionarium.
* The Atlantean Anchor, a significantly larger and heavier anchor for Treasure Knight's cannon. With the Atlantean Anchor equipped, Treasure Knight's Grappling Anchor has a larger hitbox and deals more damage, but also fires a bit slower. The Grappling Anchor also gains the ability to blow open walls and reveal secret areas. This Gear can be obtained at the cost of 1500 Scrap Metal.
* The Shimmering Suit, a complete overhaul of Treasure Knight's armor resulting in a shining golden appearance. With the Shining Suit equipped, Treasure Knight's animations all become a lot flashier... but that's about it, really. This Gear can be obtained at the cost of 8000 Scrap Metal.
==Story==
==Characters==
Character 	Bio
Treasure Knight 	TBA!
Gilda 	The head navigator of the Iron Whale, a militaristic and organized woman with a bad habit of taking her commands a bit too literally. She is Treasure Knight's most trusted ally in his quest to unlock the Ruins of Abyss, despite her stiffness. (If you ask me, though, somebody a stiff as her would probably be the only kind of person that a loner like Treasure Knight could reasonably trust...)
Shovel Knight 	He is the boss of the Plains of Passage. More TBA!
King Knight 	He is the boss of Pridemoor Keep. More TBA!
Specter Knight 	He is the boss of the Lich Yard. More TBA!
Plague Knight 	He is the boss of the Potionarium. More TBA!
Mole Knight 	He is the boss of the Lost City. More TBA!
Tinker Knight 	He is the boss of the Clockwork Tower. More TBA!
Polar Knight 	He is the boss of the Stranded Ship. More TBA!
Propeller Knight	He is the boss of the Flying Machine. More TBA!
==Locations==
Location 	Bio
Iron Whale 	Treasure Knight's base of operations on his quest for limitless riches. More TBA!
Ruins of Abyss 	The ancient ruins discovered by Treasure Knight and his crew. A glorious treasure awaits inside, but the doorway is magically sealed, and it will take eight Keystones to unlock it and discover what awaits them on the other side.
Plains of Passage:Peaceful Pasture	Sometime before the rise of the Enchantress, the legendary hero Shovel Knight retired to a small farm on the outskirts of the Valley. It's practically guaranteed that a Keystone is among the treasures he collected during his questing days. Treasure Knight is sorry about having to disturb the solitude of a kindred spirit in order to achieve his goals...
Lich Yard:Catacombs 	TBA!
Potionarium:Hidden Laboratory 	Plague Knight's "secret" headquarters hidden under the Village. Luckily for Plague Knight, Treasure Knight didn't really care enough to figure out what it is the alchemist is scheming down there, so until now his sanctuary has gone untouched. But if he's squandering a Keystone's power on alchemical experiments... well, that changes things.
Lost City:Aqueducts 	An ancient sewer system running underneath the Lost City. Fortunately, water still runs through it, but the incredible heat underground makes that water hot enough to turn Treasure Knight's thick armor into a portable sauna. He'll need some special Gear in order to beat the heat and claim the Keystone at the city's heart!
Stranded Ship:Frozen Shore 	TBA!
Flying Machine:Cargo Hold 	TBA!
==Trivia==
* The concept for Treasure of Abyss came at random during a conversation with .
* The concepts of grappling around levels using Treasure Knight's anchor, having his health be measured in Treasure rather than the usual hearts, and the Water Flush Artefact were all concepts that were originally proposed by Yacht Club Games itself during the Dig The Vote campaign.
* Like in other Shovel Knight DLC campaigns, the stage introduction splashes are different when playing as Treasure Knight. The following can appear:
** For Bounty
** Into the Deep
** Let's Get Hunting
** Make your Fortune
** Make Waves
** Treasure Awaits
** Weigh Your Anchor
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