Developer: Flying Wild Hog
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Genre: First Person Shooter
Reviewed For: PlayStation 4
Also Available On: Xbox, PC
It’s been a moment, but the Shadow Warrior series has made a return, this time giving players a focused first person shooter experience. Lo Wang is back after having accidentally released a dragon, and now the foul mouthed hero needs to save the day yet again, even if everything is his fault.
There isn’t too much to Shadow Warrior 3‘s gameplay. Players shoot a bunch of enemies, traverse to the next area, and shoot a bunch more. There is some light platforming, but it’s so minimal that it might as well have just not existed. There aren’t any puzzles or mix-ups in the gameplay at all. If players want to shoot monsters in the face, they will do just that. If they want more, Shadow Warrior 3 isn’t the game that is going to give them that.
Shadow Warrior 3‘s combat remains entertaining even if it isn’t exactly innovative. Players can mix it up with the various guns available and the katana. The big new addition in Shadow Warrior 3 are the Gore Weapons. Gore Weapons are obtained via finishers in which the player tears the weapon out of the enemy’s body to use for a short amount of time. They are unique and fun to play with, but it’s easy to wish for a little more. There just aren’t enough weapons (Gore or otherwise) to excite players throughout the game’s 8-10 hour story mode.
Wanting more is something that Shadow Warrior 3 suffers from in just about every way. The movement and gunplay both feel nice but there isn’t anything special here. The story is adequate but could be so much more. The finisher system is a nice touch but it also isn’t anything that hasn’t been done before. The end result is a shooter that doesn’t take any risks but doesn’t necessarily need to. It’s good at what it does, which is giving players a solid and mindless shooter to play through.
One wouldn’t expect a game like Shadow Warrior 3 to be so aesthetically pleasing, but it is. The environments are gorgeous with colorful structures and Japanese culture. The textures are highly detailed, giving players plenty to look at. This is juxtaposed with the audio, which is much less gorgeous thanks to the foul-mouthed protagonist. Players will be assaulted with non-stop jokes that will be hit or miss. The soundtrack is solid if not forgettable.
While it isn’t the deepest shooter out there, Shadow Warrior 3 is at least a focused and exhilarating experience. If expectations are tempered, there can be plenty of fun to be had in Lo Wang’s third outing.
Shadow Warrior 3
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While it isn't the deepest shooter out there, Shadow Warrior 3 is at least a focused and exhilarating experience. If expectations are tempered, there can be plenty of fun to be had in Lo Wang's third outing.
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