Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

 Xbox One
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Brash Games
    Mar 18, 2016
    90
    A joy to play. If you are a fan of old school side scrolling platformers like Metroid and even Aladdin, then you will definitely enjoy Shantae. Everything from its graphics to its difficulty is straight from the 90s, but luckily for us brought into the future.
  2. We Got This Covered
    Mar 15, 2016
    90
    If you're looking for a great, retro-styled platformer/Metroidvania game, then you can't go wrong with Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. It stands out above the crowd, thanks to smart and polished gameplay, and is a welcomed addition to the Xbox One's library.
  3. ZTGD
    Mar 16, 2016
    85
    Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a gem of a game that deserves to get more attention on its second time around. Those that have nostalgia for platformers from the 16-bit era owe it to themselves to check out this quirky experience. There is a lot to love about the half-genie, and certainly not enough of these types of games currently available on home consoles.
  5. ICXM
    Mar 11, 2016
    85
    An exciting and charismatic adventure. It has attitude, vivacity and has an above average quality at all levels.
  6. MondoXbox
    Apr 29, 2016
    80
    A very entertaining and humorous metroidvania platform game, capable of delivering a captivating even if not too innovative experience.
  7. COGconnected
    Apr 1, 2016
    74
    Pirate’s Curse succeeds as a solid sidescroller but doesn’t reach the heights of other classic and modern fusions of the genre like Shovel Knight, although is still a thoroughly enjoyable experience if your looking for a sidescroller.
  8. GameSpew
    Apr 3, 2016
    70
    It’s plain to see that Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a deep and instantly inviting adventure.
  9. XBLA Fans
    Jun 2, 2016
    60
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse embodies the spirit of classic platformers while furthering its own identity as a franchise. Though there are some missteps throughout the journey, Shantae shows that she ages like a fine bottle of wine and only gets better with time.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best Xbox One Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 34
  3. Negative: 5 out of 34
  1. vipera1bianca
    Jul 11, 2023
    8
    Excellent entry of the Shantae's Saga, the Pirate's Curse adds and fixes the formula of their own version of platforming metroidvania. TheExcellent entry of the Shantae's Saga, the Pirate's Curse adds and fixes the formula of their own version of platforming metroidvania. The narration is easy to follow, characters are well defined even if their backstory is a bit forgotten in the previous chapters. Technically is a vell rounded pixel art game experience where rarely you'll miss a platform or an enemy out of your gaming skills, and the flow is kept relaxed with lots of savepoints and safe respawn. Follow Shantae, the Genie of Scuttle Town dive into another big adventure, led by the skilled crew of WayForward devs.… Full Review »
  2. neomoonsevin
    May 21, 2023
    1
    Another garbage game that looks like it stepped off a Gameboy advanced hand-held with shert 1980s graphics
  3. VaaskyVeldt
    Jun 28, 2022
    8
    This game has a lot of charm. It pixel art is beautiful to look at, the environments are varied and the characters do have a very video gameThis game has a lot of charm. It pixel art is beautiful to look at, the environments are varied and the characters do have a very video game charm to them. The structure is simple. You go to an island, find a dungeon, find a new item that'll aid you in your adventure, defeat a boss that'll test your understanding of the new item and you'll continue to the next island with the occasional forced backtracking.
    The game itself is very easy. You need to be very inattentive to get killed. If you have some skill you rarely have to heal yourself, while your overloaded with healing items. Especially later in game the difficulty gets turned to eleven by making foes annoying by showing up at the last second and putting death traps everywhere that you'll just have to know they're there. Especially the last dungeon is guilty of this.
    The creativity of this game does hold up though. It's always fun to experiment with the new items gained from the dungeons, to pretty much break all the platform challenges. Definitely recommend when you like cute but flawed platformers.    … Full Review »
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