Shadow Warrior 3 Reviews
Shadow Warrior 3 is an ok time. I don’t personally think it is worth its launch price as there is little to no replayability and the story only took me 5 hours to get through, but your mileage may vary.
Shadow Warrior 3 is touted as the next step for the franchise, but the end result feels like several in the wrong direction. Lo Wang’s terribly brief outing fails to fully find its rhythm, although it does occasionally glimpse a better version of itself. The lackluster dialogue, platforming, and campaign all hold back the newest installment, providing us a watered-down gun-toting, sword-slinging adventure that tosses aside the loftier ambitions of its predecessor. If fast-paced FPS action is what you crave, your appetite is better satisfied elsewhere.
The thing is, it doesn’t really do much to stand out. The fast pace, the focus on maneuverability, even its adherence to old-school FPS style, all of it has been done well (and in some cases better) elsewhere in recent memory. Does this make it a bad game? No, not by any means at all. But when the only real gimmick it has going for it is weird humor that doesn’t really stick the landing, there’s not really anything else that will make it a go-to pick for FPS fans looking for something to sink their teeth into. Shadow Warrior 3 is an interesting title and a fun playthrough. But I can’t say it’s one to go out of your way to get your hands on. However, if you have the opportunity to play it, it’s a worthwhile ride.
Shadow Warrior 3 represents a true return to the series roots, rekindling the very reason why many loved the first as well as the classic titles it inspires from. There are plenty of small and big improvements, and while I am disappointed by the fact that I won’t be able to experience this with a friend or two, it’s compensated by what Flying Wild Hog was able to deliver on. It’s a fantastic game that calls back to the mindless fun that we all had when we were growing up, filled with the crude humor that modern day gaming dares to no longer do.
If you sometimes get tired of plodding, greyish-brownish-greenish pseudo-realistic military shooters, this is the antidote. Dazzlingly colourful, unrelentingly fast-paced, unrepentantly zany and bursting with potential for player creativity, Shadow Warrior 3 is absolutely joyous to play from start to finish. So after 25 years, do I STILL want some Wang? You’re damn right I do!
I absolutely enjoyed every minute of Shadow Warrior 3 and for myself I really liked they decided to go back to that linear story focused design from the first game. However, I would have liked to see more of a blend of one and two shine through here because when it comes to weapons and abilities it does feel like a step back from two. Luckily, the new additions to the combat with the gore weapons and interactive arenas always kept me engaged and entertained. It was nice to have Wang back in my hands.
Over the last decade, Polish developer Flying Wild Hog has taken the Shadow Warrior shooter series originated by 3D Realms in 1997 and made it very much their own. With each new entry, the studio has felt free to make big changes. Now that the long-delayed Shadow Warrior 3 is finally here, it’s clear that the developers have given the formula its most aggressive rework yet. The result is a startlingly stripped-down sequel that focuses exclusively on its short but sometimes glorious single-player campaign.
Shadow Warrior 3 is a great return to form for Flying Wild Hog, and a much-needed comeback for the series after the middling reception of the second game. While the gameplay can falter early on due to the lack of challenge and intensity, it soon ramps up to create a bombastic experience that beautifully borrows from retro and modern shooter design. While your mileage may vary on the game's sense of humour, and the full package feels a little underdeveloped due to a lack of replayability - it's undeniably a whole heap of fun.
Lo Wang's return is a joy to play, with all the systems combining seamlessly. Movement, weapons and well-designed arenas are the centre marks for this experience, an experience that would be enjoyed best over a day or a weekend.
Shadow Warrior 3 is not a bad time, it just isn’t as forward thinking as its predecessors. It’s a mess of ideas with a flawed execution that leads to disappointment. There’s a healthy armory of fun weapons to shoot, upgrades to acquire, and finishers that are fantastically bloody to keep you entertained. Lo Wang’s movement and world traversal is the best it’s ever been. Flying Wild Hog gets so much right, but the parts they don’t overshadow the whole experience. Shadow Warrior 3 is so staggeringly linear and short, and without any real replayability to speak of, is a game that falls on its own sword.
Shadow Warrior 3 is a fun, hilarious nonstop adrenaline rush of a game and a fitting cap to the trilogy.
Shadow Warrior 3 is a fantastic shooter that shows a great sense of focus. Its creative enemy designs, excellent progression, tight pacing, and satisfying combat continue to keep the series fresh. Lo Wang is better than ever and managed to make me laugh more than once. It’s held back by occasional bugs in both combat and traversal, but nothing that was too detrimental to the experience.