Shadow Warrior 3
Developer(s)Flying Wild Hog
Publisher(s)Devolver Digital
Director(s)
  • Jakub Opoń
  • Michał Szustak
  • Paweł Libiszewski
Producer(s)Bartłomiej Sawicki
Designer(s)Paweł Kowalewski
Artist(s)Konrad Czernik
Writer(s)Aleksander Sajnach
Composer(s)Maciej Kulesza
SeriesShadow Warrior
EngineUnreal Engine 4[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, PS4, Xbox One
1 March 2022
PS5, Xbox Series X/S
16 February 2023
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Shadow Warrior 3 is a 2022 first-person shooter game developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Devolver Digital. The sequel to Shadow Warrior 2 (2016), the game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 1 March 2022. It was later released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 16 February 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Gameplay

Like its predecessors, the game is a first-person shooter and the player assumes control of Lo Wang, the series protagonist. In the game, Lo Wang has access to a large arsenal of firearms which can be used to defeat enemies. In addition, he also wields a katana, which is limited to close-quarters combat.[2] At close range, players can execute wounded enemies. They can also use the environment to their advantage.[3] As the player progresses in the game, they receive new weapons and gadgets which aid them in combat, all of which are meant to be unlocked and available by the time the player reaches the mid-point of the campaign.[4] The game features more linear levels and a more streamlined upgrade system when compared with Shadow Warrior 2, though it introduced new movement options for Lo Wang, such as giving him the option to wall run, double jump, air dash, and utilize a grappling hook to quickly transverse between platforms and vertical surfaces.[5]

Story

Some time after Lo Wang released an ancient dragon by accident, global civilization has been almost wiped out due to the presence of the dragon and the demonic beings that overrun the world. Wang himself has become a recluse, wallowing in depression due to his failure to defeat the dragon. Wang's former nemesis, Orochi Zilla, convinces him to continue fighting. The two of them seek out Motoko, a witch who knows of a way to defeat the dragon using the residual energy in Hoji's mask. Amidst Motoko's ritual, Hoji is revived, prompting Wang to disrupt the ritual to save his friend. Hoji first asks Wang to help restore his physical body, then guides him toward a contraption called a "Chi cannon", which supposedly has enough power to destroy the dragon. Unbeknownst to Wang, Hoji intends to use the cannon to drain the dragon's power and make it his, in order to become an all-powerful God. However, Hoji makes a miscalculation, and the dragon swallows the cannon.

After confronting Hoji on his treachery, the two of them agree to work with Zilla and Motoko to defeat the dragon. Wang sends Motoko's familiar, a tanuki, toward the dragon, intending to use it as an explosive bait, but it fails to kill the dragon. Seeing no other options, Wang decides to jump into the dragon's mouth himself, where he activates Hoji's Chi cannon from the inside. Wang successfully kills the dragon with the cannon, and manages to escape death with Hoji and Zilla's help. They later celebrate their victory over a meal with Motoko and the ghost of the tanuki.

Development

Shadow Warrior 3 was developed by Polish studio Flying Wild Hog. Game designer Paweł Kowalewski described the game as the "upgraded" version of the 2013 reboot, adding that the game is "over-the-top" and that it will make players "feel overpowered". The new movement options were added as the team "wanted players to be able to move freely like a ninja from their favorite animes". This also allowed the team to craft combat arenas that are more vertical in design.[6] Many systems in Shadow Warrior 2, including weapon stats, procedural generated maps, and character progression, were streamlined or removed altogether in Shadow Warrior 3, so that players can focus on the action and need not to worry about their combat efficiency.[7]

The team drew inspirations from both Japanese and Chinese cultures when they were creating the game's universe.[6] The game's humor also became more mature, with the team saying that they wanted to "modernize" Lo Wang as a video game character by giving him more backstory.[8] Devolver Digital officially announced the game on July 6, 2020.[9] It released on March 1, 2022, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on February 16, 2023 alongside a definitive edition of the game featuring a new difficulty mode, 60 FPS performance mode, and 4K visual modes.[10][11]

Reception

Shadow Warrior 3 received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[12][13][26]

IGN said that the game felt good to play and wrote in favor of its short runtime, but noted that it was "completely unremarkable in execution, being about as straightforward as an FPS can get."[19] Hardcore Gamer reviewed the title favorably, writing, "It may not be reinventing the wheel in any drastic means, but Shadow Warrior 3‘s warranted excess and lovably chaotic flow is one you’ll easily get lost in and perhaps never want to get out of."[17] PC Gamer, by contrast, was more mixed, criticizing Lo Wang's dialogue, and writing, "Shadow Warrior 3 is best experienced with dialog volume set to zero and subtitles turned off. It isn’t malicious. It’s tasteless. It’s embarrassing, because it expects that you’re the kind of person who’d enjoy it."[21] Shacknews praised the title's movement mechanics, enemies, weapons, and technical performance, while heavily panning the poor presentation, narrative, campaign design, chromatic aberration effect, and the lack of co-op and HDR support.[24]

Game Informer liked how the game didn't take itself too seriously, but criticized the lack of variety, saying that it "relies too heavily on the same grunts, which pose little threat and end up stealing excitement from almost every battle".[27] While Rock Paper Shotgun enjoyed the finisher mechanic, they disliked Lo Wang's one liners, saying they were "overly cocky" and "unfunny".[28]

References

  1. ↑ Halliday, Fergus (July 28, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 takes the series back to basics". PC World. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Shadow Warrior 3 has a dedicated katana button". PCGamesN. July 14, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (July 11, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 looks like ninja Doom". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  4. ↑ Walker, Alex (July 16, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 Is Going Back To Lo Wang's Roots". Kotaku. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  5. ↑ Meija, Ozzie (July 11, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 gameplay reveal kicks off Devolver Direct 2020". Shacknews. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Beck, Kellen (July 22, 2020). "'Shadow Warrior 3' developers want players to feel overpowered". Mashable. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  7. ↑ Winke, Luke (July 22, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 is doing away with some of the excesses of Shadow Warrior 2". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  8. ↑ McCaffery, Ryan (July 12, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 First-Look Preview: Blending Doom, Duke Nukem, and a Samurai Sword". IGN. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (July 7, 2020). "Shadow Warrior 3 Announced". IGN. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ Stewart, Marcus (January 31, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 Carves Out A March Release Date". Game Informer. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  12. 1 2 "Shadow Warrior 3 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Shadow Warrior 3 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  14. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (March 2, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 Review - Humorous Repetition". Game Informer. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  15. ↑ Capel, Chris (February 28, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 Review: "Fun and Frustrating in Equal Measure"". GameRevolution. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  16. ↑ Penzhorn, Sascha (March 1, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 im Test: Ein Shooter-Spektakel, dem viel zu schnell die Puste ausgeht" [Shadow Warrior 3 Review: A shooter spectacle that runs out of breath far too quickly]. GameStar (in German). Webedia. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  17. 1 2 Helm, Jordan (February 28, 2022). "Review: Shadow Warrior 3". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ Martínez, David (March 2, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 Análisis del "shooter" más sangriento y gamberro" [Shadow Warrior 3 Review of the bloodiest and most thug "shooter"]. HobbyConsolas (in Spanish). Axel Springer SE. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  19. 1 2 Kratky, Otto (February 28, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 Review". IGN. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  20. ↑ Lago, Yago (February 28, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3: Análisis PC Sinfonía de plomo ninja" [Shadow Warrior 3: Ninja lead symphony PC review]. MeriStation (in Spanish). Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  21. 1 2 Carpenter, Lincoln (February 28, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 review". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  22. ↑ Schütz, Felix (March 1, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 im Test: Ein wilder Ritt in die falsche Richtung" [Shadow Warrior 3 Review: A wild ride in the wrong direction]. PC Games (in German). Computec Media GmbH. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  23. ↑ Brooke, Sam (March 4, 2022). "Mini Review: Shadow Warrior 3 (PS4) - A Very 2014 Shooter". Push Square. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  24. 1 2 Jarrard, Chris (February 28, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 review: The third one". Shacknews. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  25. ↑ Paschetto, Nicolò (February 28, 2022). "Shadow Warrior 3 – Recensione" [Shadow Warrior 3 – Review]. The Games Machine (in Italian). Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Shadow Warrior 3 for Xbox Series X/S Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  27. ↑ Reiner, Andrew. "Shadow Warrior 3 Review - Humorous Repetition". Game Informer. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  28. ↑ Bains, Jai Singh (2022-02-28). "Shadow Warrior 3 review: a promising arena shooter that squanders potential with repetition". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
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