Shadow Warrior 3 was originally launched in 2022 and now almost a year later, a Definitive Edition has been released which includes a whole host of new things. Is the Definitive Edition worthwhile though and should you pick it up? Let’s dive right into it, shall we?
In Shadow Warrior 3 players will take on the role of a ninja, Lo Wang. As Lo Wang, you’re tasked with taking out a giant evil dragon that’s hell-bent on destroying the world. If over-the-top crazy stuff is your forte, then Shadow Warrior 3 will certainly tick that box for you.
Wrath of the Dragon
The story of the game is definitely not its strong point though with the game focusing far far more on its actual gameplay formula. The writing of the story isn’t exactly bad but if you’ve played a game like Borderlands before, it will feel familiar.
To elaborate further, it definitely straddles the line between satirical, serious and sometimes just plain out stupid. Will it keep you satiated? Sure. If you severely dislike one-liners and throwaway references to pop culture, you’ll hate the dialogue in Shadow Warrior 3. It should be noted that the characters in Shadow Warrior 3 are quite forgettable and the humour that’s put out by them is going to be hit or miss with the majority of gamers out there.
Moving on from the lacklustre story elements, the gameplay is the real star of the show with Shadow Warrior 3 focusing on the action and shooting mechanics. If you’re a fan of games that let you just mindlessly fire away at enemies while slowly upgrading your weapons, then Shadow Warrior 3 will appeal to you.
Unfortunately, though, Shadow Warrior 3 is severely disappointing when it comes to building on its predecessor’s successes. Shadow Warrior 2 featured a loot system as well as far more customization and upgrading of weapons. Shadow Warrior 3 has diluted the whole system down and it feels like a step backwards which really shouldn’t have happened.
The core gameplay loop involves moving to an arena and defeating all the enemies contained within while dodging and not getting killed in the process. The game seemingly has tried to mimic some of Doom Eternal’s gameplay formula but doesn’t have the same level of pizazz that Doom Eternal had.
Enemies can be quite a bullet spongey too and while there are quite a few weapons in Shadow Warrior 3, you’ll quickly find your favourite and stick to it. The sword kind of falls to the wayside and becomes an afterthought once you have access to all the guns and their upgrades.
Performing finishers on enemies will give you access to a perk such as additional health, an ice bomb or a weapon such as a hammer or a drill. Using finishers on specific enemies can strategically help you out in tough situations in the game.
Formulaic action
Shadow Warrior 3 is pretty straightforward and formulaic. The game involves quite a bit of traversing platforms and in some ways reminded me of Ghostrunner, just far far more forgiving since you don’t instantly die to everything. The Definitive Edition of Shadow Warrior 3 includes a survival mode which is quite fun and an even harder difficulty setting for those that really want a more hardcore challenge. Why anyone would want to torture themselves with a harder difficulty though is anyone’s guess but hey, at least the option is now there.
Graphically, Shadow Warrior 3 looks fantastic. There are a lot of flashy effects and the enemies look great here. Your weapon effects are on point too and there isn’t much to fault with regard to the game’s overall aesthetic. Enemy designs are rather visually appealing and there are a lot of vibrant colours used in the game.
The soundtrack of Shadow Warrior 3 is filled with some adrenaline-pumping tracks that have an Eastern theme to them. A lot of the tracks combine multiple musical elements such as electro with dubstep with an Eastern undertone throughout. It might not be to everyone’s liking, but it works well when you’re blasting away at enemies in the game.
The voice acting in Shadow Warrior 3 is fine but as mentioned above, the one-liners and quips made by Lo Wang and the other NPCs will be hit or miss with most gamers depending on their tolerance for this kind of content.
Final Verdict
Overall, Shadow Warrior 3 is a mindless action-fest first-person shooter game that can be completed in around 7 hours. It feels like a step backwards from Shadow Warrior 2 but it’s by no means a bad game. The Definitive Edition adds replayability to the game in the form of the Survival mode and the harder difficulty settings but this doesn’t solve the game’s major problems. It’s the type of game you’ll pick up on a sale and play through when you’re in the mood for some action and that’s about it.
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