“It’s a dumb game, but it’s so much fun to play”. This is the sentence most apt to sum up Shadow Warrior. This remake conjures up the old era  of First Person Shooters, when the gameplay was more chaotic and almost entirely senseless. We don’t have to think too much, and there’s no puzzles, different colored keycards.  We just have to kill hordes of demons, with the weapons we have, plus with a samurai sword. This is what Shadow Warrior is, and the new version tries to recreate this 90s feeling, but also with the use of modern FPS tropes. So don’t expect a miracle here, this is not the good old Shadow Warrior, but a re-envisioning of the old game. From here on out, only you can decide whether the developers passed the test or if they set the bar too high .

Lo Wang is back .. Tadaam . This is our protagonist’s quite absurd name who is older than Duke Nukem, yet seems wiser and calmer. At first glance, the fans of the original will be shocked as this remake has an actual story.

Wang must collect three pieces of a mystical samurai sword. Luckily he does not have to go forth alone to recover the pieces, he has a good friend, a demon called Hoji.
Wang and Hoji fight side by side against the hordes of demons while also making snide remarks to each other. Although there is not much backstory provided for our protagonist, there are some racist remarks. The humor is childish, and with these comments it became at times really awkward.  Of course the story also helps to provide the snarky material.

I’ll slice those demons!

We’ll pick up an array of weaponry, just like in any FPS. Ammo will fall like the rain, and our enemies will also be many just like Lemmings. Everything that is written in the big book of slaughter is here.  This is not a problem since this will be the thing that will put a smile on the gamer’s face.  Even if we don’t have too much practice with old-school shooters, it will still be a fun feeling to shot someone with a double barreled shotgun, or to pin a bird monster with nail gun. After every shot there is a litre of blood everywhere.

Now let’s get into the meat of this. As a real samurai likes to use it’s sword more than some puny pistol. Using a sword in this game looks especially good since we get to use a bunch of special abilities. We’ll filet them like fishmonger the fish. Yumm ! Just to add some modern flavor Wang can use special spells with his left hand , and use weapons in his right. You can also upgrade weapons and abilities. We won’t feel too powerful until we unlock some of these abilities, then the real bloodbath can begin.

Where did all this blood come from ?

If our screen isn’t full of demon blood then we should take a moment to enjoy the levels’ beauty, if there is any. The graphic design of this game screams low budget, and this can be seen in the variety of  the levels. We’ll be fighting in a garden of Cherry blossom trees one moment and with a sharp turn we’ll be in a cemetery. The developers did try to enhance the atmosphere with a few minor details like when reloading a weapon that still has some ammo in it , or when entering a secret room ( When you’re able to find them) . But to be honest such minor details did not impress me too much.

The issues started to appear around 5-6 hours late into the game, where the bloodbath gets old, and some of the weapons like the SMG and the pistol become useless.  The variety of enemies is good, but their numbers are too much at times.  You’ll be drenched in blood while going from point A to point B and by that time it will feel monotonous. The animation for the enemies are also one note, as they just slump down to the floor and blood pours out. While there are boss battles at the end of the levels, not much brain power is needed for these fights, just tons of ammo.

I’ll stay in the shadows

The final issue is that the story sort of breaks down by the end. This is noticeable in how the relationship changes between Wang and Hoji. Plus even if we look at the cutscenes closely it still will not be clear who we will have to kill in the end. This game was a disappointment for me, and it screams as a one play title.

-Malachit-

Editor: Fyling Wild Hog

Developer: Masteronic, Developer Digital

Genres: FPS, action, 3D, shooter

Publication: 2014 October