Brief Hiatus and Next-Gen Consoles

          Hello my fellow readers, this is going to be your notice that I am taking a short hiatus from writing game reviews for a bit. I've got a few games I'd really love to beat that have been sitting in my Steam library for a while that I've neglected too long, chief among those being Arkham City and AC3. My next review will likely be Arkham Origins, though my review of the game will likely be released within the first week of September. I would also like to announce that I will be upgrading to the latest consoles when they are released, which will effectively expand my review library and give me lots more games to play. I will still do reviews for Xbox 360 and PS3 after that, though the majority of my reviews will focus on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Hope to see my readers again soon, game on everyone!

Game Review- Shadow Warrior

          There are a rising number of remakes in the works, much to either the chagrin or delight of respective gamers. The gaming industry and Hollywood are becoming very similar, with more and more studios creating modernized remakes of classics whether anyone wants them or not. This time around the classic in the spotlight is Shadow Warrior, a game that featured more blatant racism, sexism, and violence that would likely be on par with the Saints Row franchise back then. It was a highly controversial game when released, and 3D Realms prided itself on that accomplishment. Now fast forward to 2013 and you have Flying Wild Hog on the scene with their remake of that old-school FPS by the same name. Created in close concert with Digital Devolver (Serious Sam series), the creators of the delightfully retro Hard Reset have given Shadow Warrior a new lease on life. How does this remake stack against fellow shooters and its old-school roots? That is a good question, but I have a better question. Who wants some Wang?!

This guy does!

Story

          Oddly this is one of Shadow Warrior's greatest strengths, something that the original plowed through in a drunken rage. The old SW was more concerned with absurd jokes, naked women, and plentiful amounts of gore, while the new one is absolutely no exception to that. This time however, SW has a rather intriguing storyline that plays out between levels via comic-style cutscenes. This method of storytelling is becoming more common in games lately, though it is effectively utilized here to weave a tale of demonic political intrigue that plays out in the Shadow Realm. You are Lo Wang, an assassin hired by a wealthy collector named Zilla, tasked with acquiring an antique blade known as the Nobitsura Kage. Things quickly go south as the blade's current master is unwilling to part with his prize, sicking his poor henchmen at you in large numbers. I referred to them as poor because they do not realize that Lo Wang is quite the badass and swordsman, easily chopping them to pieces like that mass fight scene in Kill Bill. Upon tracking down the owner Lo Wang finds that there are forces at play here beyond his comprehension, a realm that lies just beyond our own. Trapped, hunted, and forced to fight back against his extra-planar aggressors, Lo Wang is befriended by an Immortal known as Hoji who aids him throughout his lengthy journey. The dynamic between these two characters is extremely well implemented, often bickering and arguing like an old married couple as Wang slices, shoots, and blasts his way through trouble. Wang is not a very interesting character, but that is likely intentional as most of the focus seems to be centered on the different Immortals that he encounters. Hoji and his fellow Immortals are what stood out the most, as they had the most distinct and well-defined personalities. At certain points in the game you can access the memories of an Immortal, allowing you a glimpse into their backstory and motivations. This provides a nice reprieve from the ultra-violence that pervades each level, allowing the player to kick back and watch the unfolding drama before plummeting them back into the fray. I must really give props to the developer's here, they really excelled in the story department for a game that I thought was largely going to be a brainless shooter.

This looks like an ideal vacation spot.

Graphics

          Saying this game is a visual step up from the original would be a criminal understatement. This game looks fantastic on Ultra settings and will definitely test any single GPU rig in heated battles. Everything on display here has been made for the absolute best hardware in mind. Textures are extremely high res, SSAO is accurate to the slightest angle, parallax occlusion mapping gives uneven surfaces needed depth, loads of lights and particle effects assault you during encounters, tree leaves sway realistically and are self-shaded, and the list goes on. Hard Reset really showed what Flying Wild Hog was capable of delivering to the PC, and Shadow Warrior only further cements the fact that these guys are dedicated PC developers first and foremost. The ambient effects match the environments perfectly, creating a truly absorbing atmosphere that you can lose yourself in while slaughtering scores of Shadow Beings. Wang has never looked so good.

Yup, still beautiful.

 Gameplay 

          It goes without saying that a new rendition of an old game should perhaps add a little modern flair to its gameplay formula. While staying true to its old-school roots, Shadow Warrior adds many new intriguing features that were not included in the original or included features that can be more properly utilized with a fresh engine. The primary focus this time is the flow of combat, which is leagues more chaotic than its predecessor. SW offers you many killing tools of the trade including a katana, SMGs, shotgun, rocket launcher, etc. All of these weapons can be upgraded by purchasing upgrades from a specific menu that can be accessed anytime in-game. Along with money that can be collected, the player will sometimes come across Ki crystals that can be used to improve certain powers. These powers range from creating stunning shockwaves, healing yourself, immobilizing area of effect attacks, and shielding yourself from incoming damage. While keeping the formula simple, they add much needed depth to the combat and provide reliable fallback tactics should you be overwhelmed. Be careful when using your powers, as they add a chance of causing demons to enter a raging frenzy when activated, increasing their health, damage, and movement speed immensely. To add even more complexity the developer's have added passive skills that can be unlocked and upgraded via collecting Karma by killing enemies and pulling off exquisite combat maneuvers. All these upgrades really give you a sense of progression and allow you to tackle the other difficulty modes after your initial playthrough. Melee combat is also a huge focus here and has been refined immensely; swinging your blade feels like it has real weight behind it, severing limbs and heads with disturbing ease. Best of all the game does not force you to change your style of play, you can stick to melee the entire game if you so wish or go guns blazing without giving your katana a second glance. I personally found myself switching it up after every major battle, keeping things fresh and investing in various upgrades. Engagements play out in waves usually, with weaker demons spawning first while the ranged and higher ranked monsters follow. Do not assume this is the same for every encounter though, this game will find ways to surprise you with its small but flexible roster of shadow denizens. Over the course of the game you will spill lakes upon lakes worth of blood and organs, which actually improves the amount of karma you attain. The more carnage you create, the better rewarded you shall be. Sticking to true retro standards, you will often be tasked with finding keys to unlock doors and progress through the level. What is nice about this throwback is that many doors in levels have padlocks and are entirely optional, containing loads of goodies and secrets to plunder. Shadow Warrior has an unusual emphasis on exploration, something that a lot of shooters today could benefit from. While being mostly linear in progression, there is always a hidden path to find that leads to greater rewards. Keep your eyes open, you will like what you find. Gunplay is extremely polished and works as well as you could hope for; mowing down demons and blasting them into gory hunks of meat as you continuously upgrade your arsenal. Everything here works as it should, providing a stellar gameplay experience that will stick with you whether you are on your first run through or your third.

Everyone want some Wang!

Sound

          This is one area of the game that actually did not stand out all that much to me, mostly due to how busy my eyes were with ogling the gorgeous visuals. Weapons sound great with the rocket launcher packing one hell of a "boom" that will rock your headset or speakers, with the other guns sounding pretty much exactly how you would expect them to. The dialogue between Wang and Hoji is brilliant and definitely made the lengthy campaign more enjoyable while the ambient sound effects do great jobs of selling the realism of the highly detailed environments. Enemy grunts, roars, and squeals are forgettable and rather generic; once you've heard one demon you've heard them all here. Overall this area of the game is passable; not remarkable, but passable. You will be too busy gawking at the visuals and too knee-deep in corpses to even care.

All villains need a lair like this.

 Conclusion

          I went in to Shadow Warrior expecting a mindless, nostalgic romp symbolic of the older days of gaming. What I got instead was a complex shooter with a bit of brains, style, and finesse. Best of all it didn't lose its sense of purpose. Flying Wild Hog knew exactly what they wanted this game to be and they made it so. Though the $40 price tag may seem steep, do not fool yourself into thinking this game is not worth the asking price. It is packed with content and a long campaign that switches to an Extended mode after your first playthrough, allowing the player to retain all of their weapons, powers, and upgrades. Shadow Warrior is a fantastic shooter that somehow manages to take itself seriously without seeming goofy, while at the same time delivering a heavy dose of dark humor to keep you entertained. Everybody needs Wang! 9/10 (PC version available only)