Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 55
  3. Negative: 6 out of 55

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  1. GregLobstery
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    best game in the Shantae series. the soundtrack absolutely slaps as well. No transformations but the pirate gear is just as good
  2. BasilZero
    Oct 27, 2018
    9
    Game: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
    Genre: Metroidvania Platformer
    Developer: WayForward Publisher: WayForward System: Steam (PC) Year of Release: 2015 Length of Playthrough: 10 Hours Total Score: 87/100 Value Score: 8.7/10 • Story: 9/10 • Characters: 9/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 8/10 • Sound: 9/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 8/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value:    Game: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
    Genre: Metroidvania Platformer
    Developer: WayForward
    Publisher: WayForward
    System: Steam (PC)
    Year of Release: 2015
    Length of Playthrough: 10 Hours

    Total Score: 87/100
    Value Score: 8.7/10

    • Story: 9/10
    • Characters: 9/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 8/10
    • Sound: 9/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 8/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +Two endings
    +Pirate mode lets you play the game with all the upgrades (must beat the game once to unlock)
    +Great character and environment design
    +Good OST

    Cons
    -Graphic options are very bare bones
    -No warp system means a lot of traveling back and forth however there is a item that allows you to go back to the ship for travel    … Expand
  3. iipotato
    Sep 9, 2017
    10
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the third installment of the series, is NEAR PERFECT of a game. Definitely improves functionality wise, graphic wise, and so so much more!!

    My first shot at the series was the original GBC game, and then Risky's Revenge. These two games are charming in terms of characters and soundtrack, yet the slow controls and too-close sprites against the screen made    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the third installment of the series, is NEAR PERFECT of a game. Definitely improves functionality wise, graphic wise, and so so much more!!

    My first shot at the series was the original GBC game, and then Risky's Revenge. These two games are charming in terms of characters and soundtrack, yet the slow controls and too-close sprites against the screen made it a bit difficult to enjoy at times.

    HOWEVER! Pirate's Curse is such a great balance of a game, oh my god.

    Story: 10/10. Possibly my favorite out of all the games! I think this game has the strongest plot; it really drives the gameplay and Shantae's role.

    Characters: 9/10. Similarly to the story, I think the characters are REALLY interesting in this game out of all of the series. Almost all the characters play a memorable role for a portion of the game, and the dialogue is witty and cute. I love it.

    Graphics: 9/10. The pixel art is similar to that of Risky's Revenge, but come on, Shantae has had outstanding pixel art since it's first game! Very animated, intricate, and the color schemes are beautifui.

    Difficulty: 8/10. This game, I think, is not so much difficult when it comes to bosses, but can be when it comes to the levels. A select amount of the levels can be very, "tricky". But the backtracking in the game is tolerable! In fact it's fun discovering new items when you go back with new abilities. Speaking of which...

    Mechanics: 9/10. ...the abilities in this specific game is so much fun! I could understand how many fans prefer the mechanics in this game out of all the series, but I played GBC, RR, HGH, and then Pirate's Curse. Half Genie Hero really improves the dancing abilities which made the mechanics really fun, but Pirate's Curse's abilities--which is Risky's Pirate powers, is charming as well! I would say that this game is the most fast paced of the series, and what's really cool is being able to perform the power ups at almost any given time.

    Soundtrack: 10/10. I LOVEE the music of all the games. All composed by Jake Kaufman. Catchy, upbeat, fun. Enough said.

    I wouldn't miss out on this game! You can tell there's so much heart put into making Pirate's Curse. The story is strong, the characters are entertaining, and the mechanics are rhythmic! The second game I've ever 100%ed, next to Half Genie Hero! Shantae is just a great series in general. Just play it!    … Expand
  4. Govnodav
    Sep 16, 2015
    9
    Awesome game, very good and detailed pixilated animation, sometimes it looks so adorable, perfect soundtrack, nice story and characters, decent and responsible controls for a gamepad, but not for a keybord.
  5. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    9
    Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the third and most refined entry of the series thus far, forming what is now called the “sprite trilogy”. In this installment, Shantae teams up with longtime series antagonist Risky Boots on a quest to tame an ancient curse that threatens all of Sequin Land. Bereft of her genie magic, Shantae must instead make use of powerful pirate items: Risky’s pistol,Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the third and most refined entry of the series thus far, forming what is now called the “sprite trilogy”. In this installment, Shantae teams up with longtime series antagonist Risky Boots on a quest to tame an ancient curse that threatens all of Sequin Land. Bereft of her genie magic, Shantae must instead make use of powerful pirate items: Risky’s pistol, hat, boots, scimitar and cannon, to traverse the world. The overworld and warp points of the earlier games are replaced with a free-roaming stage select, where Risky’s ship takes you to each of the levels, and she can be talked to at almost any time to leave your current island and travel elsewhere, up to the very end of the game. Easily twice the length of Risky’s Revenge, Pirate’s Curse retains most of the advances made in that game and also brings back a number of elements not seen since the original GBC game, most notably, the bathhouse in Scuttle Town that lets your recover health for free. Also, reloading a save will refill Shantae’s health. Pike balls are once again consumables as in the original, and the storm puffs and fireballs are gone, but Risky’s Pistol provides unlimited ranged attacks and can be upgraded, like Shantae’s hair, for more damage. Shantae can use the hat to glide, the scimitar to pogo-jump enemies a la Shovel Knight, the boots to do a Super Metroid-style boost run, and the cannon to do up to three additional jumps, altogether making Shantae her most maneuverable self yet. The same great sprites seen in Risky’s Revenge are augmented with new character art, new music, and a variety of new environments and enemies that revisit those seen in Shantae 1. Other new editions include consumable items that boost Shantae’s attack damage, food items that drop off enemies and restore various amounts of health, and “pirate flares” that allow you to return to Risky at any time, so long as you are outdoors. Overall, Pirate’s Curse is considerably more challenging then Risky’s Revenge but not to the point of frustration- falling into a death pit or touching the spikes merely removes a single hit point and returns you to the entrance of the current room, and you can have a total of forty, and carry enough health items to render an actual game over a near-impossibility- thanks to the addition of auto-potions that trigger automatically upon losing all your health. It is not however, anywhere near as cheap as the first game, and for that I am thankful. If you liked the previous Shantae titles, Metrodivanias or platformers of any kind, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a treat for your eyes, ears and fingers that should not be missed.… Expand
  6. VipernationTV
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    Shantae and The Pirate's Curse is a pretty unique take on the series. Shantae loses her powers and the end of the last game. it's up to her to get back her powers and despite losing her powers, the gameplay is still good.
  7. hoviadko123
    Sep 10, 2022
    9
    Probably best from Shantae series. I can’t decide between PC and SS. Excellent soundtrack for each area, great characters and story. Gameplay and combat is way better than in risky’s revenge. Pirate weapons are fun to use and I really love these cool fights with bosses.
    Also this game is not too long but at least longer than previous one.

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. 4P.de
    May 15, 2015
    82
    Shantae is high spirits in gaming form. While you can see the 3DS source within the rough visuals the mechanics are as enchanting as ever – a beautiful open MetroidVania platform adventure.
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  2. 3DJuegos
    May 5, 2015
    80
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a very good arcade adventure game, with a beautiful sense of style and good level design.
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