The Devolver Digital E3 showcase was off to an explosive start today, kicking off with a new gameplay trailer for Shadow Warrior 3. The newest entry in the series of shooters looks to be bloody and fast-paced, so players will need to keep on their toes to get the most of it once Shadow Warrior 3 launches on PC and consoles.
Set to a thudding soundtrack, the trailer showcases Shadow Warrior 3's lightning-fast gunplay and weapon variety. Looking almost like a somehow even more bombastic mod for Doom Eternal, the trailer features the player leaping around a circular arena with impressive mobility while dealing death to a host of nasty alien creatures. Highlights include the use of a grappling hook to swing up to higher vantage points and forcibly ripping out a monster's frozen eyeball to use as a makeshift freeze grenade.
A seeming departure from the looter-shooter sensibilities of the previous entry in the series, it looks like fans will be able to dispatch enemies in a much more gratifying manner rather than having to face off against too many huge bullet sponges. Fans can expect a range of weapons including a satisfying-looking shotgun, a pair of submachine guns and a grenade launcher, along with some appropriately gory glory kills for those who prefer their enemies dismembered.
It's not just guns, though. The trailer also showcases plenty of melee action in Shadow Warrior 3, including a razor-sharp katana and some sort of force-push ability to force enemies off ledges and/or chop them into tiny bits. Overall the action looks appropriately chunky and satisfying to handle, offering plenty of those piece de resistance moments that fans of the genre will likely love.
All this action is set in a technicolor hellscape with floating, destroyed buildings in the distance or an East Asian-inspired arena that looks almost as if it's set in an active volcano, for an extra dose of the surreal. The colorful palette marks something of a change from the reds and browns of Doom, but the DNA of that series is still plenty evident.
If Shadow Warrior 3 has an ounce of the satisfying gameplay of the modern Doom games it appears to take inspiration from, fans can likely expect a memorable romp blasting through waves of horrible monsters upon its release later this year. The similarities are many: the glory kills, the fast-paced action, the rapid-fire weapon switching. Time will tell if the game can deliver on its promises, but judging by the latest trailer it's certainly going to be a bloody ride.
Shadow Warrior 3 is launching later this year on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.