Shadow warrior 3 review

Nobisura Kage will be our trusty sword in Shadow Warrior 3

I remember the first time I played Serious Sam. I had a great time crushing waves of enemies with a multitude of weapons of different calibers. Its protagonist, quite irreverent at the level of Duke Nukem, immersed you in the absurd atmosphere where the filming took place. A clear and concise proposal where pleasure comes first. Years later, I had the opportunity to analyze Shadow Warrior on the weband was convinced that he was going to be a Serious Sam clone himself. To my surprise, I discovered a proposal rich in possibilities, with unique playable mechanics and with a plot that goes beyond the bursting of everything that moves. And here we are back, with a third installment that continues the path taken by the previous iterations, but with much more action, humor and unique moments. Want to save the world… again?

Laugh while you shoot (or shoot while you laugh)

Lo Wang will return to be the protagonist of Shadow Warrior 3. He will continue to be as irreverent, rude, and “cocky” as ever, though this time he is desperate as he is unable to defeat the great enemy who is shaking the heavens: the great ancient dragon. To end the reign of this black beast and the yokai invasion it spawns, our hero must call on various friends (and enemies) to guide him to victory.

The studio in charge of the series, Flying wild pigknows very well how to highlight the strengths of his game. On this occasion, they gave much more importance to Lo Wang. While in its first part we barely saw his face, now the whole title is plagued by humorous cutscenes where we see the protagonist “playing the clown”. And presto, it works very well. Every once in a while there’s a “gag” that breaks the excessive action and makes us smile. If we add to that a few conversations full of irony, insults and stupid songs, we will be in the proposal in five minutes.

Up and down

But of course, it’s not just laughter that inhabits Shadow Warrior 3. We noticed a significant evolution in its playable section, and is that the shooter feels better than ever. Save distances, to some extent the gameplay reminds me of the last episodes of Doom seen. The incessant barrage of bullets, shots and attacks from rivals will force us to be in constant motion, to use the most appropriate weapons depending on the type of rival and to use everything that the scenario offers us to get out of every situation .

Special mention to to win over with which we will have in this third installment. Thanks to this accessory, we can swing around the stage, reach otherwise inaccessible areas and finally, look for strategies to burst enemies. Which causes the game also gains a lot in verticalitywhich fits like a glove to the proposal.

Shine your guns

the weapons are generic in function, but unique in design. We will have the typical pistol, shotgun, uzis, grenade launcher, etc. but with special abilities that we will unlock as we find the orbs hidden on the stage. Sure, the “queen of the dance” is always the katanathe main charm of the saga and which will continue to count (and cut) with special abilities that make it indispensable in every melee.

I repeat the same thing as before, the reminiscences with Doom are present, and in the use of weapons we can see it well. In addition to constantly moving around the stage in search of the best strategy to beat the yokai, You will have to choose the right weapon in each situation. We will constantly change guns depending on the enemy we encounter, and we will have to take into account both the innate abilities unlocked for this weapon, as well as other factors in the scenario that help us in our annihilation of demons. See those spikes on the wall? Well, today I feel like skewering someone. Does this button activate a shredder? Well, now that a horde of enemies are passing by, now is the best time to turn it on.

Crazy Finishing Enemies

I assure you that I never got tired throughout the adventure of smashing enemies with lead or dismembering them with the katana. Progression is maintained at all times, with new ways to approach combat, new enemies (increasingly powerful) and new executions, each more visceral. And speaking of executions, we have something called Goal attempts. We will have to weigh what type of enemy we will “finish off”, since this final movement will provide us with a bonus or special power for a limited time. Again, it all tops off a choreography of jumps, shots, and strategy changes that feel good to Shadow Warrior 3.

In addition to the difficulty of the game itself, there will be a series of challenges to overcome. Obviously, it’s optional… up to a point, since completing each objective offered by the game bonuses with orbs to keep improving our weapons. A good way to give the best of yourself, to take advantage of all the weapons and not to fall into a routine.

come here demon

All is not perfect, of course. Despite how spectacular, visceral and bloody it can be, Shadow Warrior 3 fails in its strength. The katana seems to pass through enemies without any difficulty. It’s like you’re punching the air, and it squeaks. The same thing happens with weapons. If you’re within two feet of an enemy with the shotgun or grenade launcher, no matter how big the enemy is, it should tickle something when you pull the trigger. Well, nothing, in this game they don’t complain about that much.

And it is that apart from the lack of strength in arms, the intelligence of the yokais is also conspicuous by its absence. It’s not new, we’ve seen it in past iterations and it’s the way to approach the game. But set to improve all aspects of Shadow Warrior 3, they could have equipped enemies with various strategies. Even if it was only the biggest ones. Unfortunately, each demon has a specific role in the battle: they chase you or shoot you from afar.

A Japan in Ruins

In the visual section we find a whole spectacle of scenarios based on oriental settings. The work behind each phase is amazing, each one better than the last. We start strong on the back of the great dragon, but then we will cross forests of cherry blossoms, dams with spectacular views and endless nooks and crannies and caves full of life and secrets to discover.

A delight for the eyes that can also be found in the cutscenes that abound in Shadow Warrior 3. It’s no longer that Lo Wang is well animated, but his fellow adventurers also show a lot of finesse in detail. Special mention to the cinematographic touch which was given to these sequences, with different shots on the screen that reinforce its humor and dynamism. The truth is that they have no waste.

Conclusion of Shadow Warrior 3

Those who already know the adventures and adventures of Lo Wang in previous games, have no excuse to fully immerse themselves in this third installment. The Flying Wild Hog studio has managed to significantly improve all aspects seen in the saga so far, offering an adventure full of frenzy, filming and humor. The verticality brought by the hook makes the confrontations more varied and original than ever, keeping the protagonist in constant motion with little time to think.

Weapons are always an essential part of a good shooter, and while it’s true that they could be more powerful, they’re all very accessible. As in the well-known part of the identification software, it will not be enough to focus on one type of weapon, but we will have to alternate between several types depending on the yokái we are facing. This without counting on the katana, the main claim of the saga and which amounts to slicing everything that is put in front of it. As you can see, a proposal that does not reinvent the genre, but manages to entertain many, to unload adrenaline through a tube and to make us smile at the antics that Lo Wang performs as he crosses a world devastated full of demons.