Lo Wang returns to do damage in Shadow Warrior 3, find out in our review how crazy the new shooter published by Devolver Digital is
After the success of Doom Eternal, one of the best shooters acclaimed by fans and critics in recent years, someone was needed to follow his path. The masterpiece of Id Software in fact he managed to bring a formula typical of the first shooters of the 90s and to make it more modern and fun. Only another shooter from that era could take the baton and try to do something like that, we're talking about ShadowWarrior 3, game subject of this review.
The title of Flying Wild Hog is the third after the first chapter of 2013 and the second of 2016, but this trilogy is based on the original Shadow Warrior from 3D Realms released in 1997. The Polish developers, together with the publisher Devolver Digital, therefore present us this third chapter of the saga, which promises to be even more frenetic and fun, let's find out if it really is.
Dragons and other problems
The story of Shadow Warrior 3, the first element analyzed in our review, picks up on the events of the second chapter. The foul-mouthed protagonist Lo Wang has released a mammoth dragon, and in order to stop it he will have to ally himself with one of his bitter enemies Orochi District. In a riot of explosions, guts and jokes, the eight levels that make up the title are doing pretty well. Certainly a particularly complex narrative plot is not to be expected, but if taken as an action in which you have to turn off the brain, to watch for spectacular battles, it works just fine.
Lo Wang is an even more present protagonist than in previous episodes, he does not stand still for a moment and above all he never stops talking. The jokes often go beyond the limit of good taste, but once you get into the perspective and atmosphere of the story you fly over it, and it's easy to have a laugh. Ultimately, from the perspective of the Shadow Warrior 3 story it works well and has fun, even if it is at the level of the classic action film all action and little brain, which will appeal to those looking for a title in which the important thing is to tear everything that moves to pieces.
A Basic Structure - Shadow Warrior 3 Review
During our adventure with Lo Wang, we realized that ShadowWarrior 3 has changed a lot compared to its predecessor, returning more in line with the first chapter and with the classic style of many shooters including Doom Eternal. If the second chapter allowed you to have a wider freedom, since it took place in a semi open world, in this case we will have very linear levels, in which fights against a multitude of enemies and platform phases alternate.
This change of course is not necessarily bad, the system works even if it doesn't offer much variety, but prefers to focus on gameplay features by staging spectacular and option-filled combat. The only disappointment is that the duration of the adventure is rather short.
It will take between seven and nine hours to get to the end credits, and once you get to the end credits there will be no other reason to replay the adventure. In fact, the contents are a bit 'few, and despite the campaign has been successful, there is no stimulus to be able to return to play. In the second chapter at least there was the possibility of facing the campaign in a cooperative, while in Shadow Warrior 3 there is no multiplayer option.
Katana and Parkour - Shadow Warrior 3 Review
The moment when Shadow Warrior 3 shines is undoubtedly its gameplay. The inspiration for Doom Eternal is clear, in fact we will often find ourselves in fight against a multitude of enemies in spacious and filled arenas traps on which to brutally kill the monsters who dare to attack us. This mechanic is somewhat reminiscent of what was seen in Bulletstorm. We will be able to use well 8 weapons in total to tear apart the enemies, less than in the second chapter, but deal better. In fact, we can upgrade them to increase the variety of their attacks so as not to have weapons that always do the same things.
These range from simple pistols, shotguns and machine guns, to more imaginative ones, like the sparalame and much more that we don't want to spoil the surprise for you. The only problem with the weapons system is that the magazines do not last long and you are forced to change them all too often, in a mechanic similar to that of Doom Eternal, but in this case the change of the weapon will not be linked to the weaknesses of the enemies, but simply to the lack of ammunition in some points of the game.
Lo Wang is wilder than ever, in addition to his trust katana he can also do double jumps, incredible sprints and use Chi to throw opponents into traps. It will also be possible to upload finishing moves which, in addition to giving us health and eliminating the enemy on duty, will allow us to use for a short period of special weapons usually torn from the limbs of the unfortunate opponent. Also present a character enhancement system through some spheres found in the levels or by fulfilling some special conditions (a sort of secondary missions present in each level). Thanks to these spheres it will be possible to improve the attributes of our protagonist and also enhance the weapons.
Japanese Monsters - Shadow Warrior 3 Review
The bestiary of the title is also very varied, presenting several monsters drawn from revisited Japanese legends, sometimes even grotesquely within Shadow Warrior 3. We will be dealing with large furious Oni, multiple-armed samurai, auger-headed automatons and other grotesque creatures, some very similar to others seen in Doom. The variety of our opponents is good and above all their attack patterns are varied and able to give us a hard time. Unfortunately the Boss Battles are very few and although those present are well done, we miss at least a couple of extra battles.
When not fighting in Shadow Warrior 3 you jump, since between one arena and another you will find yourself in some platform phase which, however, are not particularly inspired. These are quite basic and only serve to loosen the pace between one battle and another, never managing to hit the player with a well-structured level design or some original peculiarity. By far Shadow Warrior 3 works best when it comes to fighting with weapons drawn.
Technical sector - Shadow Warrior 3 review
We tested the PS4 version of Shadow Warrior 3 for this review, albeit played on a PS5. Technically the title works pretty well, without drops in frame rate, always at 60, and with rather fine animations. Lo Wang's movements are smooth and well done, and even the enemies have well done animations. The arenas are perhaps a bit sparse in some levels, but in general, here too, there is a good overall quality.
The title also features a good soundtrack with oriental music and a good dubbing in English, with Lo Wang's voice particularly apt. We report that unfortunately the Spanish language is not present between the subtitles, the game is in fact entirely in English.
final Thoughts
Coming to the conclusion of this Shadow Warrior 3 review, we can tell you what the game is a satisfying shooter, but very far from the pinnacle that is and remains Doom Eternal. The formula was spot on, but more levels and freedom of action would be needed, and perhaps the reintegration of the cooperative present in the second chapter. All in all, if you loved Doom Eternal and are looking for a similar game, this title can have fun for a few hours while waiting for id to come back with a new addicting shooter. If you want you can consult the list of trophies of this title if you want to know what to expect.
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7.7 A simple and exaggerated shooterPoints in favor
- Fast and fun gameplay
- Lots of weapons and lots of ways to tear enemies apart
- Technical sector more than good
- Dialogues and protagonist over the top and funny
Points against
- Little variety in the level structure
- Very low longevity and no replay value
- Some weapon balance issues
- Poche boss Battle
