![]() The incredibly self-aware and knowingly idiotic dialogue can carry the plot across plenty of bumps, but Shadow Warrior 2 stumbles here too, at times seemingly afflicted by the same disease which convinced writers of The Simpsons that everybody loved Homer the most when he was an utter prick. This is rather a shame, because the cast of characters (many of whom return from Shadow Warrior) are bizarre enough to deserve better than being relegated to NPC mission vendors half the time. Combat with multiple, equal-sized foes is by far the most satisfying, allowing you to dart about, vanish, taunt, slash, harry, and ultimately vapourise through systematic locational damage (or crazed flailing, your choice), numerically superior forces. There is a melee parry key (which, brilliantly, serves as a ‘clean your blade’ animation outside of combat), but Shadow Warrior 2 thrives as a game where you’re in near-constant motion rather than tarrying to slog it out one on one. But while the combat in Shadow Warrior 2 has a certain weight and impact to it too, it’s not the heavier parry-and-counter style found in Dark Messiah. The ridiculous number of ways you have to mess with hapless opponents reminds me of that Arkane title. On top of that, it’s possible to develop a range of Chi-based skills abilities that enable Wang to vanish for periods of time, impale foes on earthen spikes, or Chi-blast people away in the manner of Dark Messiah’s infamously sturdy boot. Your collection of swords have an inherent range of Vortex (wide, sweeping spin), Sting (powerful stab), and Force Slash (charged Chi attack) to deploy with straightforward mouse and keyboard combos. Once you’re in close, Shadow Warrior 2 offers an embarrassment of choices. The novelty isn’t endless, but the drive to seek out and test new weapons lasts for the bulk of Shadow Warrior 2’s 10-15 hour length (dependent on skill and difficulty). It’s less of an arsenal, more of a menagerie. The guns aren’t just standard edition revolvers either, but magical Chi-essence infused future-tech, and Videodrome-esque bio-mechanical demon pistols that shriek with the pain of bound souls when fired. They all have unique weapon models and – as much as is possible when you’re considering the differences between six different types of shotgun – enough little specialisations to justify their inclusion.įor melee purposes, you don’t just have Wang’s dependable Lil’ Wang sword at your disposal, but a series of force-shock-firing blades, bestial talons, whirling ninja-star type things, dual katanas, and ever more pointy objects. This large collection of guns and swords is an example of the game getting variety and quantity just about right. Seventy is the official count found through killing stage bosses, story progression, and purchasable in the Dragon Mountain hub stores. It’s gone a little bit Borderlands, basically. Shadow Warrior 2 keeps the first-person perspective and the blood-drenched combat (with, of course, a few additions and changes), but this time houses it inside an optionally co-operative, loot-driven structure with a dash of procedural level generation. Flying Wild Hog’s remake was a melee-and-guns FPS along broadly traditional (that is to say quite linear) shooter lines. If there does turn out to be another game after this one (fairly likely), it’s anybody’s guess what direction it might take. Remember: when you find yourself in possession of a fresh Wang, always act responsibly. If we don’t act now to preserve the dwindling supplies of Wang jokes, any follow-up to Shadow Warrior 2 could be in serious trouble. ![]() Between their first Shadow Warrior (itself a remake of the 1997 original) and this sequel, they’ve run dangerously close to exhausting every possible pun on protagonist Lo Wang’s name. Flying Wild Hog have a major problem for Shadow Warrior 3.
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