Shadow Warrior 3 falls in line with most other entries in the series. It's hovering around the 70s as are the others as far as aggregate scores go. It's not much better from the last game but it isn't any worse either. For fans of the 90s shooter, this game is going to feel perfect.
There are some improvements Shadow Warrior 3 has made over its predecessors. There are new traversal elements to make exploring more intuitive. The guns and powers offer players plenty of ways to blast demons to kingdom come. Then there are the negative issues. Let's get through the nitty-gritty in a quick wrap-up.
7 Love: Weapons
There is a grand variety of weapons at the player’s disposal in Shadow Warrior 3. Lo Wang begins with a katana and a pistol, which is already different for a first-person shooter. Being able to slash at enemies while hammering bullets into them is a satisfying feeling if players can get their combos right.
There are other weapons players will unlock along the way like twin submachine guns and a shotgun that is more like a cannon. Enemies can be executed which can give Lo Wang boosts, like in health. They can also drop disposable weapons like an eye that can freeze enemies or a giant bone hammer. There is a lot to play around with in Shadow Warrior 3.
6 Didn’t Love: Handling
The weapon variety is nice but it comes at a price. The handling never felt tight. Part of the reason is that players can’t manually aim most weapons. This is a game where firing from the hip is the standard. It’s a fast-paced first-person shooter and not one that emphasizes cover-based tactics.
Players have to value speed above all other traits. This series is a throwback to the 90s when all shooters were more arcade-like in nature. It can give players a nice sense of nostalgia but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that the weapon handling can feel off.
5 Love: Monster Designs
There aren’t a lot of enemy types in the game. Every few sections in a level will introduce one or two more. It’s not the greatest variety a shooter has seen. However, what Shadow Warrior 3 lacks in numbers it makes up for in originality. From the normal zombie-like soldiers to the mole creatures hiding beneath the surface, the enemies look great.
The art and colors should be commended in the world as well. It’s not the best-looking shooter on the market but it can still be a marvel to the eyes. The animals deserve a quick nod as well, from the guardian spirit’s raccoon companion to the random bunnies that litter random sections of levels.
4 Didn’t Love: Lo Wang
Lo Wang is a hard pill to swallow as a protagonist. He is a quippy monster that doesn’t know when to shut up. At best, players may smirk at one or two things he says in this eight to ten-hour adventure. He is a bit like Deadpool in this way.
They both use katanas and pistols. They like to crack jokes. Plus they both have an affinity for red. Deadpool still comes out on top though. Shadow Warrior 3 is not completely lacking in humor. There is some great slapstick comedy, from chasing down the aforementioned raccoon companion to beams falling on dumb demons. Lo Wang still won’t be for everyone and may lead to some screens being muted.
3 Love: Traversal
It may be hard to handle weapons at times but it is oddly easy to control Lo Wang as he traverses through environments. One of the big new additions to this game is a grappling hook. As they joke in Shadow Warrior 3, every game is seemingly required to have one nowadays.
Thankfully, it wasn’t just tacked on to keep up with the times. It’s a blast swinging from point to point and then dashing along walls. It helps that the scale of this game is tremendous, from running along with a dragon in the sky to traversing platforms amidst a falling tower. It may be the secret Mirror’s Edge sequel fans have been waiting for.
2 Didn’t Love: Monster Arenas
Monsters do not populate levels the same way they do in other shooters. Players will instead fight a majority of them in arenas. They must defeat them all in a horde-style battle. It’s not a bad design choice.
It’s another thing that will make some fans flashback to the 90s. The variety in the early arenas can be exhilarating as they are usually littered with various ways to kill demons like wall traps or exploding barrels. However, after about a dozen of them, it can start to feel repetitive. This is especially true when the game throws more complicated enemies at players toward the end.
1 Love: Instant Regeneration
Players are going to die. It doesn’t matter if they are playing on the easiest or hardest difficulty setting. It is inevitable because of the platforming. As tight as the traversal controls are in Shadow Warrior 3, accidents happen.
Thankfully the checkpoints are plentiful and the load times are instantaneous. If players fall off a cliff they will be right back to it seconds later as if nothing happened. In a game when death is almost certain, being able to bounce back makes it less frustrating to die.
Shadow Warrior 3 is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.