Shantae and the Seven Sirens

In many ways, it feels like Shantae and the Seven Sirens is the culmination of everything WayForward has learned since that initial release a little less than two decades back. Shantae and the Seven Sirens pulls some of the best elements from the titles that came before it – such as the dungeons and fast transformations – while adding in several cool new ones too, like the collectable cards and lovable new characters. A short but sweet runtime, well-drawn visuals, a catchy soundtrack and a well-designed map make this one an easy recommendation to anybody looking for the next must-have Metroidvania for their Switch.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a cute game with funny dialogue and clever puzzles that are interspersed with great mini-games that draw you into the story world at every turn.

Despite some annoyingly prevalent fan-service and clunky fetch quests, Shantae and The Seven Sirens won me over with it’s beautiful realised world, charming characters and thoroughly polished metroidvania design.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens experiments with the metroidvania genre within the series. Some traditional elements of the franchise have been streamlined to reach a new audience, but the experience is still entertaining and one of the best installments in the Shantae series.

Overall, Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a fun and graphically stunning game.

Apart from those complaints--which are minor in the grand scheme of things--Seven Sirens is a wonderful game and might well be the equal of Pirate’s Curse, which is no small feat. The game does feature several ending screens for completing the game in various ways and a second game mode that’s akin to Risky’s Revenge: Director’s Cut instead of Half-Genie Hero. There’s also a nice movie viewer if you want to sample the Studio Trigger cutscenes. Like I said, if you’re itching for a good Metroidvania or just like Shantae games generally, Seven Sirens is a lock.

Shantae returns with her best adventure, at least on the technical side, with some original ideas (like the card system), but at the same time being faithful to the original formula. An entertaining metroidvania that will enjoy, in first place, longtime series' fans, as will the newcomers.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a summer adventure designed for children and casual players, offering a simple but interesting gameplay, nice cartoon graphics and a large world to explore. And this is what you need right now after a long absence of interesting games and quarantine.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens could have been the best game in the series. It is not, mostly because of its undemanding difficulty level, unhelpful map and lacklustre soundtrack, but Seven Sirens is still a very enjoyable game with an overall experience that will welcome both newcomers and veterans alike, a lovely visual presentation and a well designed level structure. Yet another welcome arrival to the Nintendo Switch catalogue.

All in all, Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a well-made and enjoyable addition to the franchise. The gameplay is stronger than ever, and it retains pretty much everything the series was known for, both good and bad. The only thing that makes it difficult to recommend is the low difficulty level, but if you don't mind an easy time, then it will do the job nicely. Wayforward has shown increasing confidence and capabilities with each passing Shantae game, and Seven Sirens gives me a lot of hope for its next one.

All these years after that first Game Boy Color game, the Shantae franchise continues to deliver one of the most delightful experiences in gaming. Shantae and the Seven Sirens is funny, wholesome, and just plain fun.

Shantae has been weaving her magic for nearly 20 years and still feels distinctive amidst the sea of other platformers. Her latest romp might not feel quite as fresh as Half-Genie Hero, but it’s still a worthwhile, highly entertaining adventure.

Sometimes, going away leads to refinding yourself, as Shantae's not so paradisiac holidays show. Her change of look finally accomplished in very high definition, the half-genie appears even more gracious and naughtier, thanks to subtle pens strokes. While it's rather a reinvention than a creation, WayForward focused on the series' fundamentals, through the construction of an arborescent world both massive and complex. A depth progressively revealed by the talents of our famous belly dancer, her seamless transformations proving particularly polyvalent. And the additional skills from the collectible monster cards ultimately enhance Shantae and the Seven Sirens, an almost irresistible call indeed.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a good game for those who want some fun time in a Metroidvania game. The game style returns to the series origins while bringing several quality of life improvements that make the gameplay smoothier. Besides being too easy and having loading screens that show up too often, the game experience is still really enjoyable, and everyone who likes either Shantae's games or Metroidvania games should definitely spend a few hors with Shantae in this tropical paradise.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a very fun game that has a great artistic design and fantastic animations. The metroidvania style together with the new transformations, magic and a good translation makes us enjoy this new adventure from start to finish, being totally recommended whether you are a fan of the saga or not.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a game that is formally enjoyable, but fails to stand out like the chapters that preceded it. The game runs smoothly and apart from a few too many loads, the pace is always strong. However, the general automation of the gamplay and the flattening of the challenge confine the latest creation of the WayForward in the circle of the unsuspecting.

With my disappointment in Half-Genie Hero in the foreground, it's a bit easier to enjoy Shantae and the Seven Sirens's good points in relation to its abundantly minor issues. Controls are fantastic, the pacing is solid, and it harkens back (somewhat) to what made Pirate's Curse so beloved. Some may decry its simple difficulty, but for me, so long as the journey is immersive, other aspects can be excused. Neither a perfect game or a perfect Shantae game, Seven Sirens has enough magic to make it a welcome addition to a franchise with a bountiful future ahead of it.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a fine Metroidvania, but one of the weaker Shantaes. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 18]