Shadow Warrior Review

There’s no denying that the look of the game suits its visceral atmosphere. Due to the demon invasion the world has been devastated. Burning buildings, vehicle pileups and mutilated bodies define a world taken over by supernatural forces. The darkness in the tunnels hides possum-playing demons while the vibrant outdoor areas display their intricate design. Even with the few rough edges and faulty textures, the environments are crafted quite well and players should take the time to explore them. The only letdown is the lack of time spent in the Shadow Realm. Each time Lo Wang gets there, he leaves almost immediately never allowing the player to truly take in the setting where most of the backstory takes place. Other than that, the blood you’ll be spilling looks great. Trust me, it is fantastic; all 100 million gallons of it.

Shadow Warrior also runs very well without putting too much strain on the platform. Players can rejoice in the fact that there are no game-breaking bugs or crashes as long as you meet the system requirements. However, I did come across a bug around chapter eight that eliminated the music from gameplay. It did not affect my enjoyment, but I really did crave some metal tracks as I sliced and diced my way through enemies. There are some occasional framerate drops, especially towards the end of the game when the enemy waves are at their largest. However, gameplay stood strong at a solid 60 frames per second for most of the adventure. The other minor performance problem was a slight stutter during movement, but players should be able to rectify this by utilizing vertical synchronization.

Flying Wild Hog’s attempt at recreating an old school shooter for the current generation is a successful one, even if there are some flaws. Shadow Warrior delivers almost everything you would expect from past first-person shooters along with some extras. For one, the tragic story fueling this demonic adventure is a nice surprise that is complimented by its wisecracking protagonists. Although there are times when the chapters appear to drag on forever, the challenging enemy hordes make sure you are always a mouse click away from raining destruction. However, the combat is balanced and rewarding as Lo Wang is granted the proper equipment to dispatch his foes with style. For fans of the original Shadow Warrior this is a must play. If you have never heard the name, then give this remake a try because everyone could use a little Wang in their lives.