Shadow Warrior Reviews

Shadow Warrior is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10.0
May 28, 2017

I kept going back to it this time and found myself getting swept up in cathartic violence and juvenile insults for hours at a time.

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77 / 100
Oct 17, 2013

With less spectacular combat or dryer dialogue, this squishy shooter wouldn’t have been the glorious escape it is now, lasting a dozen hours or more. Knock on wood. Wood is also a penis reference.

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Oct 23, 2014

Shadow Warrior is still as savagely brutal, tough, slick and satisfying as ever, but its riotous gameplay has only matured with age. The console version is a great new opportunity to savour the joys of exploring huge levels, finding secrets and annihilating entire armies of ravening demons with ridiculous firepower.

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Digitally Downloaded
Matt S.
Top Critic
Oct 30, 2014

This is a budget production, and it's worth noting that aside from a lack of multiplayer there's a lot of content in Shadow Warrior, so it more than justifies its cheaper asking price. It's worth having on the shelf as a curiosity, but I do hope that the development team at the heart of this game decide to do something more genuine and mature next time around. The talent is there, and it's wasted on a game like this which, fun as it is, doesn't live up to the promise of its screenshots.

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Drew Hurley
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 6, 2016

This is all that Duke Nukem Forever could and should have been. A nostalgic blast, with gameplay that is fast and fun, comedy which while cliché actually delivers laugh out loud moments, and a story which is surprisingly engaging. Definitely, one title worth picking up in order to get ready for the upcoming sequel.

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8 / 10
Jul 7, 2015

Despite Shadow Warrior having its ties firmly set into the no-nonsense first person shooters of old, it also brings to the table a healthy amount of modern gameplay innovations as well as a few tricks of its own

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Dec 7, 2014

There's a lot to love in Shadow Warrior, but some of its problems, such as poor pacing and underwhelming boss fights, hold it back from being more than just a fun throwback to classic first-person shooters. It's still a good game with great combat that's well worth checking out, though, as there aren't many games that offer a similar experience.

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Sep 16, 2016

A fantastic reboot that keeps the spirit of 90s First Person Shooters.

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Unscored
Oct 29, 2014

What you have here is a game that isn't big, nor is it clever, but it really is absolutely a joy to play. It looks good visually and just plays really well. Humour is well placed and doesn't really ever start to get too much. Shadow Warrior is a game that you simply must own, because it represents a by gone era where videogames didn't take themselves at all seriously. And we all need a bit of fun in our lives.

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4 / 5.0
Oct 26, 2014

Even though Shadow Warrior has minor technical imperfections and runs about two hours too long, it's nothing short of a blast. Those seeking a break from deeply emotional narratives and overly serious gameplay should find a nice pallate-cleanser here.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2014

Shadow Warrior's fun factor is off the charts, its swordplay is entertaining and the game's story explores so much more than you might think at first glance. Repetitive level design and technical issues do hinder the experience somewhat and make the later levels a bit of a drag, but then Lo Wang and Hoji will crack a joke and everything is almost forgiven. If you're looking for humor and a bucket load of fun in this busy gaming period, then look no further than Shadow Warrior.

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4.3 / 5.0
Nov 5, 2014

Shadow Warrior successfully takes the best out of the 90's and turns it into a very amusing first person shooter that thankfully doesn't take itself too seriously… remember those serious Doom remakes? This is not the case with Shadow Warrior as it gives the player pure fun in not just the overtly gory violence, one-liners and jokes but the entire gaming atmosphere that is put together with a very amusing storyline with very memorable protagonists from the classic 90's!

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85%
Oct 22, 2014

A wonderful throwback to the 90s shooter, Shadow Warrior is a fine remake that doesn't purport to offer anything more than a rip-roaring blast through hordes of demons. Shadow Warrior is bloody, wilfully daft and rather brilliant.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 29, 2014

While Shadow Warrior is a no-frills kind of first-person shooter, it's one that will certainly stick with you, mainly due to the joy that hacking and slashing enemies brings. The upgrade system is superb, and the presentation is pretty sharp for a  year-old port. It won't change the world like 2014's other brilliant shooters, but it's a good junk food snack while you're waiting for the next big thing. Now go get you some Wang!

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 26, 2014

Between the game's graphics, gameplay, and $40 price tag, Shadow Warrior is a definite buy. It offers hours of gory, hack-and-slash fighting, and focuses on just being a really fun game. If you are looking for developed characters or a story you can really get into, Shadow Warrior might not be for you. But, if you just want to kill hordes of enemies in brutal ways, you should probably pick up a copy.

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7.5 / 10.0
Nov 4, 2014

Harkening back to a bygone era, Flying Wild Hog's nostalgic re-imagining of Shadow Warrior is filled to the brim with bad words, b-grade jokes, buckets of blood, bullets and blades. And sometimes, that's all a gamer needs.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 2, 2013

A gleefully tongue-in-cheek throwback to shooters of yore, Shadow Warrior offers fantastic melee combat and a truly beautiful world to discover and then slaughter in.

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5 / 10
Oct 26, 2014

Shadow Warrior is more than just puerile jokes and demons – there are some quite interesting technical faults in there as well. The personality of the game is enough to recommend to those that enjoy old-school shooters, but it comes with a warning: Wang should probably be taken in small doses.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 27, 2014

Fans of the original should definitely not miss this, and those who still love the twitch feel of old-school PC FPS should definitely give it a whirl.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2014

Shadow Warrior is without a doubt a big, dumb thrill ride. It isn't looking to push the boundaries of what we can expect from a video game narrative, but could have perhaps invested a bit more in keeping its blade sharp through more diverse enemy types and combos. However, even with that said, even a dull blade is fun to swing around at times.

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