Shadow Warrior

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 815 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 587 out of 815
  2. Mixed: 165 out of 815
  3. Negative: 63 out of 815

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  1. GolovA
    Sep 8, 2016
    6
    Is OK.

    As many have pointed out the entire game is passing from Arena to Arena, shooting hordes of spawning enemies, which is like only 5 or 6 different types. Level design is nonexistent. The good sides of the game are the story (which is pretty alright), graphics (which are not bad), voice acting and animations (especially some silly jokes the protagonists exchange), and the skill    Is OK.

    As many have pointed out the entire game is passing from Arena to Arena, shooting hordes of spawning enemies, which is like only 5 or 6 different types. Level design is nonexistent. The good sides of the game are the story (which is pretty alright), graphics (which are not bad), voice acting and animations (especially some silly jokes the protagonists exchange), and the skill development/weapon upgrade.

    So this game comes with so much good, that it's a blasphemy to give it a 6/10. However, the designers missed a ton of opportunity here, and obviously went for the shortest, most optimal and minimal path to make money. On the side of constructive criticism - all that this game needs is a flowing level design, not cascading rooms. I mean - come on - first few hours you pass from forest into a town, from town into a forest, and go through a dozen of copy-pasted houses! Come on!

    Fun for a few hours. But ultimately - i'll just go to the beach!    … Expand
  2. Likan
    Dec 20, 2013
    7
    Finally! A single-player shooter managing to provide decent fun without relying on crappy stealth/horror mechanisms or ridiculous pseudo-realism.

    It's by no means perfect, not even close. Both the environments and the ennemies lack variety. The level design and graphics, though quite decent, are nothing to write home about. One could say the same thing about weapons and powers. But    Finally! A single-player shooter managing to provide decent fun without relying on crappy stealth/horror mechanisms or ridiculous pseudo-realism.

    It's by no means perfect, not even close. Both the environments and the ennemies lack variety. The level design and graphics, though quite decent, are nothing to write home about. One could say the same thing about weapons and powers.

    But in the end, it's nervous, frantic, the slashing gameplay is efficient and satisfyingly impactful, the story is surprisingly motivating and the whole thing ends up being just plain fun. Well done!    … Expand
  3. Tomle1202
    Jul 30, 2022
    7
    Many of its facets may lack depth and polish, but at the end of the day, Shadow Warrior feels like something made by people who actually love the medium.
  4. Indrigis
    Feb 1, 2014
    7
    Quite beautiful, yes. But at the same time quite boring. The old school vibes are good, but, you know, Wolfenstein 3D is also very old. And very simplistic. And that is what Shadow Warrior channels.

    The sword is extremely reliable for taking down multiple enemies in melee. It also heals you. So what can be done to make the player feel alive? Right, invulnerable enemies. Some    Quite beautiful, yes. But at the same time quite boring. The old school vibes are good, but, you know, Wolfenstein 3D is also very old. And very simplistic. And that is what Shadow Warrior channels.

    The sword is extremely reliable for taking down multiple enemies in melee. It also heals you. So what can be done to make the player feel alive? Right, invulnerable enemies. Some invulnerable until you've killed all the trash, some invulnerable from the front. Bad game design? Old school!

    Huge levels that are easy to get lost in? Old school! The one tiny problem is that halfway through the game it stops making sense, so when you're lost you keep asking yourself TWO questions - "Where do I go from here?" and "Why the cat did I even come here?". In a certain level you also get complete darkness for free. And, of course, miles and miles of identical graveyard with identical houses, some of which have a lock on the door. And some doors will magically open once you've killed everything (even if you have no idea where that everything is stuck due to some AI glitch).

    Weapons? Well... There's the sword and there are several fartguns. You can upgrade them but their destructive power stays quite meh. But sometimes you have to fight a boss. Solution! You get infinitely respawning ammunition to compensate for the power of your fartguns.

    The process is a cycle. Enter a room. Have the door lock itself behind you. Kill everything. Run around the room trying to activate every object in sight. Kill something that got stuck somewhere. Run around the room again, this time some door or console might actually activate.

    This is all very oldschool and very sad.    … Expand
  5. Nelvar
    Oct 10, 2013
    7
    Nice game, probably a bit underrated.

    It could have used a bit more optimisation, but other than that, pretty much all the game does, it does it nicely. A nice old school oriented action game. I didn't get to finish the game tho, I got bored of it by the time I got to Zilla Industries in that snowy map, I felt by that time it should have been over, all the mechanics and pretty much    Nice game, probably a bit underrated.

    It could have used a bit more optimisation, but other than that, pretty much all the game does, it does it nicely. A nice old school oriented action game.

    I didn't get to finish the game tho, I got bored of it by the time I got to Zilla Industries in that snowy map, I felt by that time it should have been over, all the mechanics and pretty much everything was shown and I got bored of just shooting and slashing.

    Nice game nonetheless    … Expand
  6. EchoBlack
    Sep 27, 2013
    5
    A decidedly linear romp much in the modern style of FPS, despite all claims of it being "oldschool". There are secrets hidden off the beaten path between big combat pieces, but no significant exploration or freedom of movement otherwise. It plays and progresses much like Hard Reset did, even though there's now a focus on melee combat (or at least serious attempts to coax the player intoA decidedly linear romp much in the modern style of FPS, despite all claims of it being "oldschool". There are secrets hidden off the beaten path between big combat pieces, but no significant exploration or freedom of movement otherwise. It plays and progresses much like Hard Reset did, even though there's now a focus on melee combat (or at least serious attempts to coax the player into using the sword), with enemies that are suitably bullet-spongey, allowing them to clear the distance to the player and last long enough for the sword to become an asset. There's a skill tree system in play, and upgrades can be purchased both in the form of character skills (such as new melee attacks or more efficient use of medikits) and improvements for your firearms. Lo Wang's return to form does not do anything wrong, yet also nothing remarkably well. Shadow Warrior is a competent enough reboot, if not as good as its inspiration.… Expand
  7. dougfur
    Sep 27, 2013
    7
    Not a bad game. Looks very nice maxed out, gameplay is pretty spot on I feel not being able to jump while sprinting hinders the game and also how jumping is implemented just feels weird for me). Using the katana is very satisfying once unlocking more moves. Although not expensive, I still feel it is more a game worth a lower price. It does have a few humorous comments (some not so funny).Not a bad game. Looks very nice maxed out, gameplay is pretty spot on I feel not being able to jump while sprinting hinders the game and also how jumping is implemented just feels weird for me). Using the katana is very satisfying once unlocking more moves. Although not expensive, I still feel it is more a game worth a lower price. It does have a few humorous comments (some not so funny). If you just want a run and gun, simplistic game this is great.… Expand
  8. Slipper
    Sep 28, 2013
    5
    This is not a bad game, but for my taste it is. Bloodbath is very nice, enemies are ok. I maybe missing the point of this game, always have that feeling that something is missing. In my opinion Hard Reset is way to much better. This is my opinion, so don't get offended.
  9. ElHard
    Sep 27, 2013
    5
    Pretends to be old school, get and is very funny. I think it's a good buy for the money and the hours of fun it offers. But keep your feet on the ground and realize that it is an unpretentious game should not be measured with a higher note than 6. Rate it with 9 is preposterous.
  10. MikComposer
    Sep 30, 2013
    7
    Good game. Not exactly oldschool thought. .Mayhem is good, graphic is nice. I'm missing more elaborate level design although it does gets better with every stage. Other complain would be the movement speed. It could be just bit faster. Also I just can't get used to stamina. Can we bring back sprinting from the old days? Weapons could be more powerful with exception of katana which isGood game. Not exactly oldschool thought. .Mayhem is good, graphic is nice. I'm missing more elaborate level design although it does gets better with every stage. Other complain would be the movement speed. It could be just bit faster. Also I just can't get used to stamina. Can we bring back sprinting from the old days? Weapons could be more powerful with exception of katana which is powerful enough. But I prefer shooting then melee personally. Story and jokes are bad.

    But as I said in the beginning, the game is good because the gameplay holds it all together. Well worth money and time.    … Expand
  11. Seryin
    Dec 16, 2013
    6
    I am a huge fan of first person slasher games. I would list them all, but I don't think that is appropriate for this review. In any case, when I seen this swordplay game available for pre-order, it was a must-buy for me.
    The graphics are impressive, the dialogue is entertaining enough, Lo Wang and Hoji are both very likeable characters, and the epic large scale boss battles were quite    I am a huge fan of first person slasher games. I would list them all, but I don't think that is appropriate for this review. In any case, when I seen this swordplay game available for pre-order, it was a must-buy for me.
    The graphics are impressive, the dialogue is entertaining enough, Lo Wang and Hoji are both very likeable characters, and the epic large scale boss battles were quite well done.
    ...So why was I so rushed and eager to end the game? I felt like there was really little to do, that it was extremely linear, and that it had some of the most repetitive and monotonous combat I have played recently.
    I cannot deny the quality points of the game, but I expect a whole lot more depth from games I spend 40 bucks on. This game offers nothing other than moving from point A to point B while mindlessly hacking at hordes of similar enemies, and the combat is not even very impressive.

    I give this game a 7/10 for its decent performance at delivering a polished generic slasher game, but remove another point because of its lack of content for its price.    … Expand
  12. kramed
    Nov 20, 2013
    6
    I signed up to Metacritic to write this review, I feel this strongly about this game. I was so excited for this game but ended up being extremely disappointed. As primarily a FPS PC gamer and fan of the original Duke 3d and Shadow Warrior when they were first released, this is a poor recreation. I dare say Duke Nukem Forever was a more loyal sequel to Duke3d than this is to Shadow Warrior.I signed up to Metacritic to write this review, I feel this strongly about this game. I was so excited for this game but ended up being extremely disappointed. As primarily a FPS PC gamer and fan of the original Duke 3d and Shadow Warrior when they were first released, this is a poor recreation. I dare say Duke Nukem Forever was a more loyal sequel to Duke3d than this is to Shadow Warrior.

    Lo Wang in this game is not likable, his jokes are rarely funny, the demon/almost satanic theme is horrible and there are bugs galore. Instead of a "baseball wrong, man with four balls cannot walk" we get a fortune cookie that says "there is only wang". WTF! This is only a single example but I could go on for an hour about how this game is completely inferior to the original. If you are in to horror type FPS games I could see you liking this game for what it is and not for a Shadow Warrior remake.

    I did enjoy Hard Reset as a FYI and I do think the sword combat is good in this game but all the other faults make this a definite pass. Instead of solid combat with an equal opportunity to use guns and the sword, this game forces you to use the sword for everything along with the lame sword powers. Half the time you fight your character is dancing around as you try to remember movement combinations to activate the super sword powers. Oh my word. If Steam had the ability to gift used games I would give this away, I dont think I can play it anymore honestly.    … Expand
  13. The_Ommadawn
    Sep 26, 2013
    7
    There's no denying Shadow Warrior is 'FUN', but is it worth the asking price? I don't think so. If you're after a repetitive FPS which will make you laugh and embrace swordplay combat, look no further. Shadow Warrior is a nice game to dip in and out of for sure. I've just played two and a half hours straight, but the game began to lose it's appeal. If it had more gameplay variety andThere's no denying Shadow Warrior is 'FUN', but is it worth the asking price? I don't think so. If you're after a repetitive FPS which will make you laugh and embrace swordplay combat, look no further. Shadow Warrior is a nice game to dip in and out of for sure. I've just played two and a half hours straight, but the game began to lose it's appeal. If it had more gameplay variety and they built upon the combat, it could have been great instead of good. I'll go back to SW in a day or so to release some day to day stress. Enjoy.… Expand
  14. Brutalitops1
    Sep 30, 2013
    7
    Really drawed me in. Went in expecting nothing but couldn't move away, Just enough story to get you pushing through some repetitive gameplay.

    Probably the most fun i've had with a shooter in a while.
  15. FacundoCritics
    Jul 10, 2016
    6
    Muy buen precio, buenos gráficos, la jugabilidad es muy divertida y espectacular. La historia es muy mala pero en un juego así no se puede pedir mas. En lo personal me aburrí muy rápido y sufrí para continuarlo, estos tipos de juegos no son lo mio.
  16. sgthombre
    Sep 26, 2016
    5
    I'm just writing at least 150 characters because I wanted to save this review in a more convenient way to look back at scores that I had given stuff as a user.
  17. RazorSamurai
    May 26, 2020
    5
    Completed the game from first try on insane It was tough not from the hardest difficulty but because of boring gameplay. Enemies are repeated and bosses too. Guns are weak, deals zero damage, katana is overpowered especially the W+W+Left Mouse combo.
    Lots of texture stucking bugs and desync of subtitles. I don't regret my wasted time because I'm dumb af to waste my time into useless    Completed the game from first try on insane It was tough not from the hardest difficulty but because of boring gameplay. Enemies are repeated and bosses too. Guns are weak, deals zero damage, katana is overpowered especially the W+W+Left Mouse combo.
    Lots of texture stucking bugs and desync of subtitles. I don't regret my wasted time because I'm dumb af to waste my time into useless things so if you're reading my review I higly recommend you to not to play this game. And I forgot to tell about the cringy jokes of MC and other characters. 5/10

    Now I'm going to check the second part.    … Expand
  18. hileger
    Oct 19, 2022
    6
    ДУМ 2 и оля бородина на на на на кратко как можно назвать эту игру .....
  19. UltimateCD
    Oct 21, 2013
    6
    It's exciting, guts-spilling fun in short bursts, but the campaign feels too long and dramatically self-indulgent for its own good. That said, if you want to sever limbs and cleave through torsos using bullets and a blade, you're bound to enjoy yourself. Just don't expect to get your brain or your heartstrings involved.

    YOU'LL LOVE Goretastic swordplay and shooting Great    It's exciting, guts-spilling fun in short bursts, but the campaign feels too long and dramatically self-indulgent for its own good. That said, if you want to sever limbs and cleave through torsos using bullets and a blade, you're bound to enjoy yourself. Just don't expect to get your brain or your heartstrings involved.

    YOU'LL LOVE

    Goretastic swordplay and shooting
    Great presentation and slick graphics
    Not feeling like a racist for enjoying Lo Wang's antics

    YOU'LL HATE

    Campaign overstays its welcome
    Some underwhelming weapons and boss battles
    No incentives to keep playing once you've won    … Expand
  20. Liteit
    Nov 17, 2013
    7
    This is just old-fashioned action. Combat is a bit monotonous, but funny. Ranged combat is a bit useless, rushed the game with my katana and it was really bloody and funny. The humour of this game is what makes it so interesting. really reminded me of 80s movies.
  21. HyperXHyperX
    Oct 18, 2013
    7
    This game can be both fun and tedious/boring. The conversations are funny and interesting, fortune cookies have always some stupid advice and, surprisingly, the story itself is actually quite good, atleast for an FPS. Stupid jokes can be compared to Blood Dragon, but they occur less frequently and personally I found Blood Dragon's ones more hilarious.

    Now, there are a few problems in    This game can be both fun and tedious/boring. The conversations are funny and interesting, fortune cookies have always some stupid advice and, surprisingly, the story itself is actually quite good, atleast for an FPS. Stupid jokes can be compared to Blood Dragon, but they occur less frequently and personally I found Blood Dragon's ones more hilarious.

    Now, there are a few problems in terms of gameplay. First of all, it's very linear, you have a strict leveldesign that you have to follow. It basically feels like being in a corridor. Also, the enemies are some dumb demons that run in your direction trying to deal damage (only a very few exceptions), and playing on "HARD" you'll find that spamming LMB is very effective and can be used many situation against nearly every enemies. This made the fights rather uninteresting.
    Also, it's not quite an oldschool shooter, you have for example a healing power you can use any time which is basically regenerating health.

    All in all, it was a fun game which I enjoyed, but it has it's problems.    … Expand
  22. Idiocracy
    Oct 20, 2013
    7
    Fun, Interesting, aesthetically appealing, but it got stretched out too long, would have given it a 10 if it were only 5 hours long, but instead I got bored of going from room to room slicing up x amount of guys then moving on, its fun initially but it just gets old. I hardly ever had to use anything besides the sword, the only power that (IMO) was remotely useful was healing, so one hourFun, Interesting, aesthetically appealing, but it got stretched out too long, would have given it a 10 if it were only 5 hours long, but instead I got bored of going from room to room slicing up x amount of guys then moving on, its fun initially but it just gets old. I hardly ever had to use anything besides the sword, the only power that (IMO) was remotely useful was healing, so one hour in i had all the upgrades i needed, only gun i upgraded was shotgun and that was just because. Also the humor is so halfhearted, like they pulled a bunch of jokes off the internet then added Wang to the end, they weren't crude or anything, just boring.… Expand
  23. DeusXCom
    Dec 16, 2014
    7
    Not as good and fun as the original, but still pretty solid reboot and return of Lo Wang in a very good form. Visually it's beautiful, yet well-optimized, so it runs fast and smooth. There is plenty of action. Lots of weapons, skills and powers. Nice details such as arcade machines with the original game, even love rabbits are back, but most importantly - secrets! They are not ancient andNot as good and fun as the original, but still pretty solid reboot and return of Lo Wang in a very good form. Visually it's beautiful, yet well-optimized, so it runs fast and smooth. There is plenty of action. Lots of weapons, skills and powers. Nice details such as arcade machines with the original game, even love rabbits are back, but most importantly - secrets! They are not ancient and Chinese anymore, but secrets nonetheless. That's one of the good things about this game that despite the modern look it feels pretty oldschool. No hand-holding, tough difficulty and loads of jokes. It even tries to do it's own story that is not entirely bad. I liked levels in the first part of the game quite a lot and it was shaping up to be an 8/10, but unfortunately by the final third, the game looses it's breath. I see there was a big inspiration drawn from Serious Sam, with total carnage of monsters everywhere and I must admit that it gets a bit boring after a while, not a huge fan of this over the top approach. Still, really a good piece that does Lo Wang a justice and it's definitely way better than what Duke showed us in that disaster DNF. Wondering if the final and the best of the build engine trilogy games - "Blood"gets rebooted one day.7/10… Expand
  24. RMDsilva
    Nov 3, 2014
    7
    So much fun.
    For the gore fest that it is, my main complaint is that the guns aren't that interesting and the best weapon is the upgraded sword.. that we only get to use for 5 minutes!
  25. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 3, 2018
    7
    Shadow Warrior
    Samari Doom
    Shadow Warrior is a first person doom styled shooter where you play as lo wang after an ancient sword for your boss… and surprise homies aint letting it go easy so you gotta slice everyone up with your sword.. I reall loved the first few hours of this 11 hour total game, and I really loved the final few hours.. But things start to get pretty bad in the    Shadow Warrior
    Samari Doom
    Shadow Warrior is a first person doom styled shooter where you play as lo wang after an ancient sword for your boss… and surprise homies aint letting it go easy
    so you gotta slice everyone up with your sword..
    I reall loved the first few hours of this 11 hour total game, and I really loved the final few hours..
    But things start to get pretty bad in the middle..
    At the start this is a very linear game..
    Its essentially call of duty with with swords..
    Though as you progress the game youll find new weapons and even a demon budy to accompany you on your journey that lives inside your head and with help make for some great comedic moments…
    The 2 have great chemistry..
    Levels are pretty straight forward..
    Look everywhere for money and ammo and progress through the glowing door…
    And then demon creatures are introduced that reward you with karma…
    And this is where a bit of puzzle solving is introduced..
    AND BY PUZZLE SOLVING I MEAN THE DOORS HAVE SEALS AND YOU HAVE TO FIND 1 TO 3 STATUES AND DESTROY THEM BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE ON..
    I DIDN’T MIND THIS AT ALL AT FIRST, YOU CAN ALSO FIND TUBS OF KARMA AND CRYSTALS WHILE YOURE ON YOUR SEARCH FOR ITEMS AND STATUES..
    AND YOUR MONEY, KARMA, AND CRYSTALS ALL GO INTO UNLOCKING NEW MOVES WITH YOUR KI AND UPGRADING YOUR WEAPONS..
    YOUR KI CAN BE USED AS A SHIELD IN BATTLE AS WELL AS HEALING YOURSELF FOR EXAMPLE..
    SO UPGRADING THESE SPECIAL MOVES IS WORTH IT AND GIVES INCENTIVE TO EXPLORE..
    BUT THE GAME SLOWLY STARTS TO LOSE ITS LINEAR FEEL AND GET A BIT MORE MAZY TOWWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME…
    AND THIS STRETCH IS SO HORRIBLY PACED THAT I WAS TEMPTED TO QUIT PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE TIME..
    HERE THERES WAY TOO MUCH CEAL BREAKING AND OPEN FEELING BACK TRACKY WORLDS INSTEAD OF THE FUN LINEAR KILL EVERYTHING IN YOUR WAY STYLE OF GAMEPLAY UP TO THESE POINTS…
    YOULL BE SEARCHING AND RETRIEVING ITEMS..
    THROWING SWITCHES, RETRACING YOUR STEPS…
    BUT THE PACING HERE IS THROWN OFF BY HOW CONSTANTLY THIS GAME SPAWNS IN ENEMIES AT YOU
    ITS PRACTICALLY LITERALLY EVERYTIME YOU TURN A CORNER ITS ENEMIES TO FIGHT…
    IT JUST DOESN’T STOP AND YOU HAVE TO KILL THEM ALL BEFORE YOURE ALLOWED TO MOVE ON…
    THIS ISNT AS BIG OF A DEAL WHEN THINGS ARE FUN AND LINEAR..
    BUT WHEN YOURE ASKED TO PROBLEM SOLVES, FIND STATUES, AND REMEMBER WHERE THE CEAL YOU BROKE WAS..
    IT GETS ANNOYING THAT YOUR CONCENTRATION IS CONSTANTLY BEING BROKE WITH BATTLES..
    THERE ARE SOME MASSIVE BOSS BATTLES THROWN IN HERE AS WELL TO EASE THE PACE A LITTLE
    BUT AS HINTED EARLIER…
    THE FINALY3 OR SO CHAPTERS FIX THIS… SO ITS WORTH GETTING OVER THIOS SPEED BUMP FOR..
    THE GAME GETS BACK TO ITS BEING GOOD TERRITORY….
    PRACTICALLY EVERY PROBLEM THIS GAME HAS IS FIXED IN ITS SEQUEL AND YOURE NOT MISSING MUCH BY SKIPPING AND GOING RIGHT TO SHADOW WARRIOR 2…
    THIS IN A WAY IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GAME, BUT STIL LGOOD IN ITS OWN RIGHT..
    I GIVE SHADOW WARRIOR
    A 7/10    … Expand
  26. dandalis
    Dec 2, 2020
    6
    Shadow Warrior 2013 reboot impresses with suprisingly high production qualities for a AA work from a relatively (at the time of release atleast) unknown polish studio, and while it starts out as strong, the more you play, sadly the more it's pretty face starts to wear off.

    Going right to the meat of the game that is the gameplay, or the FPS mechanics, the gunplay is quite average even    Shadow Warrior 2013 reboot impresses with suprisingly high production qualities for a AA work from a relatively (at the time of release atleast) unknown polish studio, and while it starts out as strong, the more you play, sadly the more it's pretty face starts to wear off.

    Going right to the meat of the game that is the gameplay, or the FPS mechanics, the gunplay is quite average even by 2013 standards, genre staples like the SMG, revolver, shotgun barely have any feel or feedback, they feel rather numb, made more lackluster by unimpressive gun sound effects. Shotgun especially felt pretty damn underwhelming. The crossbow felt more satisfying to use, as it had actual weight behind firing it and in how tears apart enemies, like in the charged mode.
    The katana which is the game's signature weapon was a mixed bag too. It's fun when it works, slicing up demons is on the of better parts of the game, but it's also kinda unrefined, and even when upgraded, the sword just doesnt feel that powerful, it's best noticed when dealing with the skeleton demons, they block your katana attacks ridiculously often and are quite resistent to body attacks from it aswell. Against bigger foes it also is quite useless, unless you spam the combo strike attack.
    I didnt find much use for most of the special combos either, i didnt use them all that often as i kept relying mostly on standard attacks, just my playing style i guess. There's a decent enemy variety which manages to feel different as new enemies get thrown at you throughout the game, each requiring a unique approach in tackling them.

    Level design felt old schoolish, but not necessarily in a bad way. Since there are no hand holding mechanisms telling where you have to go, it can be challening making out where you need to go and what you need to do, but thats the kind of challenge i'm ok with. I only got majorly confused once, during the ship yard level, when it wasnt clear how you need to scale a gap in the ship's interior, turned out the solution was pretty obvious. While the level design is quite linear, it still offers a reasonable amount of freedom for exploration. Even though i tried to explore as much as i could, i still couldnt find all the secrets they had, so devs put an effort into making it a completionist's pain in the arse.

    The premise revolving around Wang getting involved with mythical eternal ancient power struggles across realms is interesting enough, but the plot itself of the game not so much. It's often tough to follow what's going on as the game progresses. Though by the end of the game the story got actually kinda emotional, in a good way.
    Taking away from the interviews done with Flying Wild Hog, it was revealed that the writing in the 2013 remake wont be as edgy as in it's 90's counterpart, which at first begs the question why'd you want to remake it in the first place ? Politically incorrect edge was a big part of the charm of those 90's shooters in the first place. However truth be told, Lo Wang and Hoji in the game still dont shy away from humour that would severly upset many of the modern fragile video games journalists and other their like minded imbeciles, but knowing it could've been more impactful is certainly somewhat disappointing.
    The cutscenes in the game were handled in quite a sub-par way aswell, character faces are never in focus in them and you view, listen to them from a hefty distance, making it at times difficult to make out what the hell they are actually saying.

    Like i mentioned before graphically the game is quite impressive for what it is, especially in the earlier stages that are set in the traditional japanese gardens and bamboo forests. Pretty good attention to detail is also paid even to rather marginal objects of the game's world, aswell as allowance for a reasonable amount of destruction of them.
    No complaints to be found in the performance department either, game ran pretty smoothly.

    All that said, the game is still pretty decent fun and if you're looking for a action game / FPS that doesnt follow the tired modern ''gritty & realistic'' trend, and doesnt take itself super seriously, you might wanna give SW 2013 a try.    … Expand
  27. macncheesus
    Feb 24, 2017
    7
    good game
    ~7hrs clocked
    not much replayability, but fun to play and worth the reduced price
    brings back memories, not afraid of being silly and gory
    recommended
  28. RagingPoet
    Aug 6, 2018
    7
    Shadow Warrior is a great game when it comes to melee combat, but the gunplay is very weak compared to something like Serious Sam or Painkiller. Sadly, player is forced to use ranged weapons periodically(e.g. in boss battles) and at those moments are very boring.
  29. grihajedy
    Mar 23, 2022
    7
    7,3/10

    Я поначалу подумал, что это новый эталон в жанре мясного шутера, что-то на уровне нового "Painkiller", только с мечом, проходил я игру на сложности на 1 пункт выше средней, но до максимальной было ещё 2 варианта. - Но, в итоге, геймплей оказался достаточно проблемным, хоть и неплохим, мечом драться прикольно, монстров красиво разрывает, прикольные приёмы, нет надобности в    7,3/10

    Я поначалу подумал, что это новый эталон в жанре мясного шутера, что-то на уровне нового "Painkiller", только с мечом, проходил я игру на сложности на 1 пункт выше средней, но до максимальной было ещё 2 варианта.
    - Но, в итоге, геймплей оказался достаточно проблемным, хоть и неплохим, мечом драться прикольно, монстров красиво разрывает, прикольные приёмы, нет надобности в каких-то сложных комбинациях, но есть особые приёмы, которые можно прокачать, и их очень неудобно использовать, во время выполнения спец удара тебя 5 раз уже успеют ударить, а нанесёт он не очень много урона, нам также предлагают магию, и у неё точно такая же проблема, слишком она бесполезная.

    Продолжение обзора (не помещается сюда): https://steamcommunity.com/id/grihajedy/recommended/233130/    … Expand
  30. vova22379
    Dec 18, 2021
    7
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  31. CodaHensley
    May 29, 2023
    6
    A shooter that barely rises above being completely mediocre because of it's self-aware and campy vibes and its buckets of blood. Don't even attempt however if you have no patience for annoying, unfunny comedy because this game heavily dates itself with references to memes and jokes that were long out of date, even when the game was released.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
47
#47 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    84
    Shadow Warrior is highly 90’s in a very good way. Pace is fast, health kits are in, guns are powerful, action is great, puns are bad and there is lot of flying blood and boy parts. The letdown is level design: they are too bland. [Nov 2013]
  2. PC Gamer
    Dec 5, 2013
    80
    A successful revival of the mid-90's shooter. Shadow Warrior's combat is fun despite an irritating sense of humor. [Jan 2014, p.66]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 25, 2013
    50
    No matter which way you slice its solid shooting mechanics, it still doesn't feel like Shadow Warrior. [December 2013, p.90]
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