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Ted Hentschke |

Dec 19, 2014

Shadow Warrior (Video Game)

Developed by Flying Wild Hog

Published by Devolver Digital

Rated M for Mature

In a time when games were made exclusively for boys and misogyny was the rule instead of the taboo, a man named Duke taught us how to kick ass when bubblegum wasn’t an option. The Duke was a foul mouthed mega-macho ball of cheese, and behind Doom levels of splatter and a whole Schwarzenegger of one liners beat a golden heart of cheeky fun. 3D Realms created an icon with Duke Nukem 3D (commonly referred to as the only Duke Nukem), and it would take 15 years to deliver a proper sequel. Riding the success of Duke Nukem 3D, 3D Realms cranked the cultural insensitivity up to 11 and released Shadow Warrior a year later. Chronicling the adventures of asian swordsman Lo Wang, players must battle an army of demons during their quest to take down the evil Master Zilla. The game was innovative for the time, featuring vehicle segments and weapons with multiple firing modes, which wouldn’t become standard in games for years.

It is a bit funny that for a game that was originally so innovative, the remake would go for an explicitly “retro” feel. The 2013 Shadow Warrior is a reimagining rather than a remake. While the game still stars Lo Wang and features frantic first person sword and gun play, this game is noticeably different in that it contains both a decent story and clever jokes. Sure, there is still a heavy dose of immature boy humor here (the character is named Lo Wang, after all), but the heart that beats at the core of Shadow Warrior is one of sentiment rather than just pure cheese.

Early in Lo Wang’s quest, he befriends a demon named Hoji, who for unknown reasons has been banished to the mortal realm. Together the two embark on a quest to stop Zilla from taking over the world and defeat the evil demon lord Enra. To figure out how to defeat Enra and learn the history of the Shadow Realm, Lo Wang hunts down mechanical golems called whisperers. He learns that he must assemble the pieces of the Nobitsura Kage, an ancient sword capable of killing gods, or else lose the world to Enra’s demon armies.

If you played Flying Wild Hog’s previous game Hard Reset, then you know what you are in store for with Shadow Warrior. Wave after wave of demon materialize for you to chop, shoot, burn, and magic heart crush. Limbs fly off, heads roll, and chests split open in a fountain of gore that will prove orgasmically satisfying for any splatter fan. Larger demons can be decapitated, and their heads used as laser cannons, while minor demons hearts can be used as an instant kill against all demons in the immediate area.

Along with your katana, the arsenal of guns include a piston, shotgun, uzi, rocket launcher, etc. Money can be found throughout the game to purchase new upgrades, while karma earned in combat or found in shrines can be used to upgrade your powers on a multi-tiered skill tree. Ki Crystals can also be found, allowing you to learn new attacks like a shockwave. In classic video game fashion, secrets abound, but with the modern design wisdom to not have any of the more ridiculous feats that Doom required to access hidden weapons or rewards. Overall, there is an enormous amount to both see and do in Shadow Warrior, and will remain interesting even after many playthroughs of its lengthy campaign.

Environments are varied enough to be stay interesting, and a combat rating system will constantly push you to figure out more diverse and bombastic ways to kill your enemies. This is, however, a retro shooter, so beyond the linear levels mixed in with some open multi-objective ones, don’t expect the level design to revolutionize anything. The game sticks to a safe spot, but one that it executes with expertly.

There’s really not much more to say about the combat. Sometimes a turret section here or there will break it up, but mostly you will be chopping demons in twain till the credits roll. This is something I am totally fine with, as long as the combat is satisfying, and for me at least the game never felt like it was becoming repetitive. Even if it was at times a bit samey, the challenge was great enough and combat viscerally satisfying enough to leave me always entertained.

That being said, there are reasons I can see people being turned off to the game. It is certainly a bit of a boys game, and juvenile dick jokes abound. As I said before, however, what sets Shadow Warrior apart from its predecessor or contemporaries is that the humor has heart. While it might be initially difficult to believe that you could ever care for a character whose name means large penis or his sarcastic demon companion, by the time the credits role you will feel loss, triumph, and perhaps even a few man tears. Yeah, when you enter Lo Wang’s secret hideout and find out hes a huge comic book nerd, it feels a bit like pandering, but overall the jokes work more to create a sense of camaraderie and chemistry between the two main characters to better flesh out the narrative.

If you are a fan of the old Duke Nukem style shooters, this game is for you. If you need to watch fountains of blood and limbs pile up to become fully erect, consider this game your Viagra. If you want a decently told story that mixes humor with drama, you surprisingly won’t be disappointed with Shadow Warrior. If you worry about games becoming too simple or care more about accurate depictions of minority cultures, this game is not for you. If sexist jokes turn you off, you will not like Shadow Warrior. If you are looking for something closer to the original Fallout in complexity than Fallout 3, then Shadow Warrior will seem like a waste of time.

Overall, Shadow Warrior offers up a bloody good time that might move you more than you expected it would. Flying Wild Hog really went above and beyond adapting a classic style to the modern era in a way more than just straight replication. A surprise favorite of mine, take with a grain of salt in this review my bias. I love splatter shooters, and this game delivered on that promise and then some. If Shadow Warrior were a real boy, I’d kiss him under the bleachers for the whole pep rally. Yeah he’s crude and dark and a bit of a guy’s guy, but hes got a great heart and if you just get the time to know him you’ll see it too, mom and dad.

Oh, and it’s only $4 right now. From $40. For the next day. I love PC gaming.