Shadow Warrior 3 Xbox One Review

Relaunching the Shadow Warrior series in 2013 under the guidance of Flying Wild Hog has allowed the series to evolve and progress, reimagining the protagonist and mechanics to come up with an entirely new and exciting formula for the sequel. The old-school FPS proponents are now few and far between, particularly those enabling historical series like DOOM and Wolfenstein to be played and recognized by the public decades after their debut. This list includes Shadow Warrior, a 3D Realms game from the '90s that has stayed in the minds of many because of its striking resemblance to Duke Nukem 3D produced by the same team. However, the lightning-fast, intense battles that have been so popular in recent years are entirely wiped out from the game. Even though it's still a lot of fun, fans of the series may want to rethink before purchasing it, given the game's brief duration.

 

It's sad to see Lo Wang in such a sorry state in Shadow Warrior 3 when we saw him at the height of his fame in the previous game after conquering ruthless millionaire Zilla's evil plots. After Shadow Warrior 2, the protagonist, Lo Wang, attempts to destroy an ancient dragon that has been released. Unlike previous installments with narrative twists and backstabbing allies to liven things up, SW3 keeps things simple. Lo Wang provided sole comedic relief with his witticisms and jokes to make the story palatable.

Fortunately, Lo Wang can rely on the assistance of some of his past enemies to fight the beast, as Hoji, Zilla, and Motoko's magic tanuki will all appear in this story. The witch Motoko and her wacky tanuki will be utilized to amuse and assist Lo Wang. The game's constant sense of humor is one of its best features, as it always has been. They aren't great, but they're enough to keep players happy during cutscenes and when Lo Wang reminisces about his most remarkable moments in action. The campaign only takes roughly five-six hours to finish on the most challenging difficulty level.

Low-quality CG video and slightly out-of-sync audio bring the player to the middle of the tale with the customary sarcasm. The game's enthusiasm and technological issues, both of which we shall explore in further detail, are all it takes to convey the two main characteristics of Shadow Warrior 3. As always, Wang is as wacky and self-deprecating as ever, making ill-advised actions to make things worse and never taking himself seriously. The comedy is present, but the plot is thinly veiled. In Zilla's quest for vengeance against the dragon that caused her loss, Wang can always find himself an ally or opponent, depending on the circumstances. Meanwhile, Hoji the Fallen Demon has made a brief comeback. Wang can continue their verbal combat with the ninja with his spirit embedded in his mask.

 

To fully immerse yourself in the story, you don't need to have completed any of the previous chapters. Nonetheless, there are several references and connections to Lo Wang's previous experiences, some of which are told through bad jokes and crippled phrases even in the middle of the most intense conflict. However, Lo Wang may be one of the game's strengths despite its lackluster storyline: The developers ensured that Lo Wang never stopped his mouth and always had an audience with someone to debate with; thus, there are no dead spots in the game. Given the game's many gameplay issues, this is a clever plan.

Sadly, however, humor and dialogs in Shadow Warrior 3 fall behind due to the way it's written. Most of them aren't humorous, and the actors behind them could not strike the correct balance to avoid slipping into a mockery. Everything seems to have been written with a sense of fun reminiscent of old jokes, with a desire to employ memes that are already old or obvious allusions and aren’t effectively used any longer. In addition, as if Lo Wang weren't enough, after the first level of the game, we'll be joined for a long time by Hoji, a classic character from the saga who is also portrayed with an exceptionally annoying voice acting. Rather than providing a counterpoint to our protagonist, it doubles their intensity and makes them even more noticeable in a frenzy of set phrases and silly jokes.

On its own, Shadow Warrior 3 does not stand out in terms of gameplay, and although it does provide some intriguing concepts, the execution is not up to par. Combat arenas and platforming parts make up the bulk of the gameplay. For the most part, it's all about platforming in the latest Flying Wild Hog update. Despite defying the rules of physics, the fast-paced, dynamic, and visually striking passages while traversing beautiful landscapes derive from this impression of character momentum and speed.

 

The story is mostly about how Lo Wang brings down a giant dragon, accompanied by his old acquaintances giving him moral support. It seems to be merely a single chapter from a much longer narrative. As part of the campaign, he must sprint and leap his way through a series of beautiful but too conceptual stages. It's not inexpensive, but it's sometimes lovely and tasteful. There wasn't a single stage that shined out above the others when it came down to this. Numerous decayed structures and weird devices are scattered around the forests and cold walkways. We leap into the abyss, and we float during the turbulence.

The advancement in the game is quite linear. The days of semi-open spaces and exploration are gone. There are no vast sections and few nooks and crannies to explore, which is disappointing for a game releasing in 2022. From now on, we'll merely be flying through hallways until landing on enemy-filled arenas. These trip periods enable you to explore a few areas, providing a pleasant reprieve between two intense action situations. The battles are pure fast-paced FPS. When you get into the open space, the route in front or behind you choose, and you must eliminate anything that appears in the arena before you can move further.

In addition, a cut scene is launched, which is pretty standard in this genre and serves to carry the tale ahead a little. While running through the parkour course, leaping on rocks, or even fighting, Lo Wang does not cause any disruptions to the flow of the game's action. Shadow Warrior 3 includes a few new traversal techniques that enhance the enjoyment of the game's set-pieces. Environmental dangers and a grappling hook let you zoom between venues, and you can utilize them to take out your opponents rapidly.

 

As you discover new weapons and skills by completing objectives and challenges, the game will drive you to expand your inventory and your arsenal. Even though the role-playing element from the second chapter has been dropped, the fighting system is still based on katana and weapons, with quick dodges and double leaps to keep the action moving at a furious pace throughout. Lo Wang's weaponry isn't very diversified, but each weapon is a great deal of fun to handle, and the same combat style encourages the player to keep switching between weapons.

However, Shadow Warrior 3's equal footing between pistol and swordplay is admirable. Still, although the gunplay typically feels good, there is a quick uniformity in these fights, even within the first few hours. Environmental traps, such as spinning blade totems and a few others, appear occasionally. Still, their efficacy fails to liven up combat engagements that quickly become more difficult to distinguish from one another.

At its core, Shadow Warrior 3 is an action-packed first-person shooter. The situation with weapons is different as there are just eight of them, which is a lot fewer than in Shadow Warrior 2. But the principle of strengthening the single instrument is in accord, and the upgrades quietly execute their purpose. The small magazines were annoying, and the wheel had to be opened every time a weapon was selected. Lo Wang can use the Dragontail sword as part of a tried-and-true fighting system that cycles between bullets and blades. However, it is exceedingly imprecise, slippery, and therefore unable to deliver a proper impact when used in melee strikes. Despite the rare usage of traps to destroy enemies, they are often foreseeable and tiny loops in which we must fight endless waves of enemies without much difficulty. Except for the rare creature, neither of the enemies necessitates much in the way of strategy.

 

However, certain enemy designs are a bit too basic, even though Shadow Warrior 3 is an improvement over the previous games from a strictly visual standpoint. There is little doubt that Lo Wang's portrayal has matured, albeit maybe not in the sense of more originality. It was a mixed reaction to the game's visual presentation. Graphics lack general cleanliness because of the project's fundamentally old-generation nature, which uses low-definition assets and textures. The gamma setting needs to be increased if your environment is often excessively dark. This also applies to HDR output, which was omitted from the games' final version. Unfortunately, this is only available in SDR, which is a pity since the bright color palette and diverse settings seem like HDR was meant for this game.

In the end, Shadow Warrior 3 felt like a significant step down from the excellent Shadow Warrior 2, and it's a tremendous disappointment and a squandered chance to improve the franchise and get it out of its rut. Even when things go well, Lo Wang's irritating attitude makes it difficult to take pleasure in them. He is constantly pounding our ears with silly one-liners and awful acting, and even the bosses aren't fun to confront. While Shadow Warrior 3's new model provides a few modest advantages, they're outweighed by the many exclusions such as fewer weapons, more uncomplicated gameplay, a more linear universe, and a far too small adventure. It's a bizarre and unexpected turn backward for a series that everyone previously appreciated so much.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Editor, NoobFeed