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“I like sword. That’s a personal weapon.”
I was a bit worried when I loaded Shadow Warrior. Many years after its release I picked up Shadow Warrior Classic Redux after noticing its similarities to Duke Nukem. I was not disappointed (it was made by the same company after all) and discovered a fast-paced FPS with bad 90’s humor, overly done racial stereotypes and a challenging difficulty level (at least for newcomers). Some of the jokes were better than others (I generally felt uncomfortable when stumbling upon the naked adolescent) but with such a copious torrent of Lo “Wang” jokes much was forgiven. This was why I was worried though–SW Classic managed to pull something off that walked precariously along the edge of good and terrible, and in spite of crossing onto the wrong side a few times, by the end it emerged as something pretty decent. To try and create a reboot of something like this just seemed very risky (RIP Nukem). So–they didn’t. They made something new. And it is filled with awesome.
SW features the familiar character of Lo Wang in an unfamiliar way. Whereas Classic Lo Wang came off as sort of that crotchety old man who made a lot of pervy grandpa jokes, new Wang is a lot younger and more fiery. He still has that same irreverent attitude as before, but now it’s… well it’s actually funny. That might sound weird, but old Wang was usually funny because of how stupid what he was saying was. New Wang is a young aggressive punk that doesn’t take shit from anyone, but has a biting witty humor about him. He’s very cock… err… wang-strong, grossly self-confident and singularly driven to accomplish whatever his goal happens to be. I’m not saying he’s a nice guy or even a good guy, but he’s extremely likeable in the manner that he doesn’t give a fig about what anyone else thinks.
Speaking of good and bad, Lo Wang works for Zilla in this one–or at least he starts out that way (Zilla was the villain in SW Classic). This is one of many references to the original game that makes an appearance and they are all worked in very well. Maybe I find it too funny, but I cracked a smile whereupon picking up your katana in Chapter 1, Wang says, “Hmmm… Sword. For when you want to make it personal.” Add to this rebooted monsters, weapons, fortune cookies and even an arcade machine and those who enjoyed the older game will at least find something to laugh at from nostalgia.
By no means is this game all (or even in the majority) throw-back. Combat has been completely revamped in lieu of a pseudo-level up system that features many skills weapons and upgrades. I’m actually surprised that they managed to cram so many different options onto one X-Box controller, but through the double-tap of the L-Stick and some shoulder buttons, everything you need is accessible on the fly without the use of a menu. I found the combat to be a bit non-challenging and perhaps simplistic, but that also meant that it didn’t drag and let’s be real, you just play this game to hear the next thing that comes out of Wang (or Hoji’s[?]) mouth, not for the combat. That’s not to say that slicing up demons and humans alike into deli meats isn’t fun, albeit I lean towards gun-toting ranged combat as a stylistic choice. Oh right–and you make a deal with a fox-demon named Hoji. That’s a thing.
Recently I rated D&D:Daggerdale at Tier 1, explaining that even though it was unfinished and simplistic, I still really enjoyed the gameplay. D&D:D carried many stipulations that indicated its poor quality but I submitted that if you could enjoy it for what it was, then it was worth it. Shadow Warrior on the other hand is something I think would recommend to a much wider audience with much less stipulation. So far, this has just been a fun game. The pacing has been fast and fun. The skills and combat has been fun. The characters have been fun.
I’m not trying to say that this kind of game or story hasn’t been done before (after all, it feels very 90’s–early 2000’s action hero-y, but if I can use Lo Wang’s cell phone from the beginning as a reference point, I think that this game is supposed to take place in the late 80’s) but I am saying that there don’t seem to be many obstructions to the game’s entertainment. The humor and setting is in the same key as the Deadpool film and who doesn’t like that? Tier 1 for now–I’ll be very disappointed (and a little sad) if I have to lower it later.
