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!
Overall and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has all the qualities to become of gaming’s best platformers. With its enjoyable gameplay and classic characters, as well as a fantastic story and exceptional soundtrack, this is no doubt a must play title for anyone who enjoys the platforming genre.
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.
It’s clear to see WayForward put their Kickstarter funding to good use. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero features some of the best platforming of recent years, and it’s easy to recommend to anyone that’s a fan of platformers or Metroidvania style games, though a couple more levels to combat the game’s repetition would have been perfect. Wayforward will have to settle for almost reaching that mark instead.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an easy recommendation to any fan of the genre with its lush visuals, memorable soundtrack and varied environments, making it one of the best 2D platformers of recent times.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is fun. The platform game developed by WayForward is a true blast to play, thanks to a beautiful presentation, great writing and an excellent, varied gameplay experience that never feels stale, with plenty of optional content that makes everything even better. Topping some of the previous entries in the series was very hard, but WayForward managed to achieve it with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, releasing one of the best platform games of the year, if not the very best.
This is the most polished Shantae game yet, and we can't wait to see where the Half-Genie Hero goes from here.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a beautifully made, wonderfully crafted, and totally fun adventure. It's got great characters, fun gameplay that'll keep you entertained throughout, epic bosses that'll keep you on your toes, and plenty of collectables that'll have you going back through the levels multiple times.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an enjoyable experience and although Shantae doesn’t necessarily bring anything brand new to the table you can see the respect, love and polish the developers have for the genre that led them to create a game like this in the first place. With strong platformers already on the Switch such as Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Blaster Master Zero and Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero stands strong and proudly amongst them.
If you’re a platforming fan, or just a gamer that’s looking for some straight-up fun, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is definitely a title that should be on your radar.
On a whole Shantae Half-Genie Hero clocked in around the five hour mark for the first play-through with about seventy-five percent of the collectable items and the good ending. This leaves more time for completionists, speed running challenges, the new mode that opens up thereafter, and those wonderful platinum trophies that the more elite covet. With lovable and detestable characters alike making their return for the latest adventure there's no reason not to explore Sequin Land with our Half-Genie Hero Shantae.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition returns with a massive amount of content that’ll bring in new and returning players. The platforming is smooth, the character designs and the world are incredibly detailed, and the gameplay is a blast. Without a doubt, this ultimate edition will leave everyone smiling and shaking those hips.
Oddly up until this year I'd only consistently heard good things about Shantae but I'd never had the chance to indulge for myself...
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is exactly what the series needed; a gorgeous-looking, classic-feeling, adventure that was made to be played 1080p at 60fps on current consoles and even PC. It's light-hearted but fun story will take players to multiple areas that will feel open for exploration, boss fights that will feel outmatched yet unique, and interactions that will be funny and pretty meaningful. It all works together perfectly and gives players a truly fun adventure to dive into, almost playing out like a cartoon show. If you're a fan of the side-scrolling platform games, a fan of the Shantae series, or just interested in enjoying a colorful and lighthearted game, this title is a great option to add to your collection sooner or later.
Going into Shantae: Half-Genie Hero as someone who had no experience with the series has left me feeling impressed by the undeniable charm of the titular heroine, and has all but guaranteed that I will be going back to check out the earlier games in the franchise for some more half-genie action.