Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Reviews
WayForward clearly took their time to complete this one, but in the end, the wait was worth it. The game is fantastic, and a lot of fun. The graphics are colorful, charming and vibrant, showcasing a very high level of polish. You feel like you’re playing a cartoon! Something else worth mentioning is that the music from composer Jake “Virt” Kaufman is excellent, as always, perfectly complementing the action on the screen. I highly recommend that you get this one today. I had an absolute blast playing it for my Shante: Half-Genie Hero review and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time with the game from the moment you play the opening sequence!
All in all, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a solid and polished, if not overly risky, addition to the franchise. In some ways, it feels like a soft reboot that goes back to the franchise's core mechanics and refines them. That makes it a strong introduction to the series for newcomers and a great game for existing fans . The only really flaws include some unnecessary padding and backtracking and its short length, neither of which is enough to be more than a minor blemish. If you're a fan of old-school platformers, Half-Genie Hero is a game for you.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an orchestra for the sense, yet a bully to the mind. While it's a delight to look at and listen to, much of the gameplay feels like it should have been left in the path. Fortunately, clever boss fights that manage to fuse simplicity with depth save this from being an otherwise tiresome affair. If difficulty is a turn-off, though, steer clear. Other than that one could do a lot worse than this little game.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero brings the series to the best place it has ever been, thanks to some fantastic visuals, a catchy soundtrack and a loveable cast of characters.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a visually striking platformer with top notch production values.
Whilst it starts off somewhat slow, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero quickly kicks into top gear and stays there right until the end, making for one of the most engrossing 2D platform adventures of recent times.
If it was not for the music and the superior graphics, Half-Genie Hero would be viewed even less favourably for the simple fact it is not fun. Much of the goofy charm of the series has long been extinguished, and the main character is grating at this point. The platforming, despite having previous in the series that was great, is shockingly bad. Pretty graphics cannot hide the fact that after one too many trips to the bottom of the endless towers they climb, this game is simply not good, especially when the company, and the genre as a whole, offers so many better options.
Some of the meta-humor in Half-Genie Hero had to be explained, since this happened to be my first Shantae game. It definitely won't be the last – I've got all four now on various Nintendo systems, and I'll definitely dive into the ones I've missed. But you never forget your first, and I'm definitely "RET-2-GO" if WayForward brings it back.
This is a superb entry in what has become a remarkable platforming saga. The lush visuals are impressive to behold, and Jake "virt" Kaufman has outdone himself with yet another phenomenal soundtrack. The game itself finely balances both the action and adventure elements. With the amount of abilities involved, there could have been a little more creativity in how they're employed. Still, it's a mild complaint considering the amount of care that went into everything else. The pacing is efficiently handled. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero doesn't benefit from having checkpoints that must be repeated dozens of times, or thousands of shiny objects to collect. Everything has a purpose, and nothing wears out its welcome. All in all, this is a can't-miss title of the holiday season.
Playing as a genie has never been more fun. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a wonder to behold, and can be enjoyed by players of all ages.
After nearly three years of anticipation following the success of it's Kickstarter, Shantae: Half-Genie shows us why it was worth the wait.
In the six hours I spent on my first play through of Half-Genie Hero, I found myself smiling at the creative level design, laughing at the whimsical characters, and striving to get better whenever I missed a challenging jump. It’s rare that I ever want to play a game to completion twice, but I absolutely intend to throw myself back into Sequin Land to uncover all the secrets I missed in my first run—maybe I’ll even tackle the “Hero Mode,” which is designed for speed runs. Whether you backed the game on Kickstarter or have been on the fence with the series for a while and waiting for a time to jump in, there’s a lot to love about 1/2 Genie Hero.
While the game is light on extra content right now, the promise of free DLC that will expand the game dramatically could easily lead to this being the biggest 'Shantae' yet. It might not be the half-genie's best adventure to date, but it's an upbeat, extremely fun game that's well worth checking out for anyone who likes platformers.
This game’s obvious new feature is its HD art, and, more than just being beautiful, the ability of this art to enhance the characters and world makes Shantae: Half-Genie Hero the most impressive take on the whole fantasy Middle East setting since the utterly brilliant Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is an amazing game with unique art style, Beautiful level design, nice music and various boss fights. Gameplay is the game's strongest element and is fun, challenging, diverse and exciting. Various modes, each one of them different from the other, is why this game can be played multiple times and not be boring. Of course thre are problems like not so good story-telling and difficulty unballance in some parts of the game, but in the end, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is a very good choice for long time fans of Shantae series and for every gamers that are looking for a valuable platforming game with some good challenges and beautiful art style.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero was a blast to play. Gameplay is near-perfect, the platforming sections were challenging, and the bosses were creative. When the only thing you can complain about the game is some grammar mistakes, you know you’re having a lot of fun actually playing it. If you are a fan of the previous games or like good exploration based action-platformers with a Metroidvania twist, then this is the game for you!
WayForward proved its considerable talent at creating fun, colorful, retro-inspired platformers long ago and each Shantae title has simply reinforced that reputation. It should come as little surprise that Half-Genie Hero continues that tradition. While some longtime fans might be somewhat turned off by the more contemporary visuals and streamlined level design, others will undoubtedly enjoy these changes.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero provides the same great sidescrolling action and charm of previous entries, though it also retains the series' awkward progression mechanics and suffers from a short length.
Old-school gamers and newcomers alike will find a lot to like in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. It’s unique blend of humor, detailed art style, creativity, and platforming will appeal to most any type of gamer.
Shantae: Half Genie Hero is a fun platformer with a lot to love. Shantae continues to prove her worth as an important character in gaming, eager to stand alongside characters like Mario or Mega Man. It’s definitely a game that will stand the test of time, many years from now as a classic.