SHADOW WARRIOR
The Official NeoGAF Thread
What is Shadow Warrior?
It is a remake by Flying Wild Hog, creators of Hard Reset. Devolver Digital is doing the distribution through GOG, Steam, and Humble Store; links below!
Humble Store
Steam Link
GOG.com
(descriptions from Steam)
About
Shadow Warrior is a reimagining of the classic 3D Realms shooter from independent developer Flying Wild Hog (Hard Reset) starring the legendary and quick-witted warrior Lo Wang. Combine the brute force of overwhelming firepower with the elegant precision of a katana to annihilate the merciless armies of the shadow realm in an exhilarating and visually stunning transformation of the classic first-person shooter.
Story
Shadow Warrior tells the offbeat tale of Zilla Enterprises corporate shogun Lo Wang as he is ordered to acquire a legendary blade of limitless power by his deceitful employer. Betrayed and left for dead, Lo Wang learns of the blades connection to ancient gods from another realm preparing to push our world to the brink of destruction. Now the reluctant hero must become legend through a masterful combination of gun, blade, magic and wit to uncover the truth behind the demonic invasion and banish evil back into the darkness.
(Ashodin's note: The original story was similar to this, except it was just "aw shit Lo Wang you got betrayed, time to kill everyone")
Features
Shadow Warrior Reborn A bold new vision of Shadow Warrior elegantly blends classic first-person shooter gameplay with thrilling action, inventive combat, and a contemporary retelling of the hilarious legend of Lo Wang.
Elegant Swordplay Unsheathe your legendary katana to slice enemies apart with precisely targeted swings or unleash fluid combos and special attacks to cut down hordes of enemies with one swift pass through the enraged hordes.
Upgradeable Arsenal Utilize every gun in your formidable armory from stylish revolvers and quad barrel shotguns to explosive-tipped crossbow bolts and laser-guided rocket launchers. Each weapon offers several unique upgrades to increase power, speed, and add devastating alternative firing options.
Mystical Powers Call upon mystical powers to protect yourself and paralyze your enemies or use their own severed heads and still-beating hearts to bring them to their knees.
Ashodin's Recount of the Original
I used to play the original a HELL of a lot back in the day (1997). I loved Duke 3D; Shadow Warrior appealed to me more because of the katana swordplay (even though it's just kind of a reskin of punching or booting, the slicing of enemies just felt satisfying regardless). The game itself was terribly fun; the humor mildly slapstick and/or bordering on silly jokes, but the quips from Wang when you kill enemies are nonetheless enjoyable "It is natural to die". Hearing that while gibbing an enemy into a thousand pieces was hilariously fun. And the game is FAST. Faster than even Duke Nukem, I think. Run speed was incredibly fast.
One of the biggest things the game had going for it was the Duke 3D crowd that released mods and TCs for the game moved over and you had some amazing TCs for the game come out. I remember playing this one level where it was a bamboo forest, and it was pretty amazing. The big mechanic added to this game over Duke was the vehicles, a precursor to modern shooters where you can just hop in a vehicle and really tear into enemies if you wanted to (or drive over them!).
I have super fond memories of the original game, and its badass soundtrack.
Including the title theme!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_yovneHbOA
"Haha, you no mess with Lo Wang!"
The game just oozed fun, and I loved it. Now there's a remake, and we're back to see if the game's re-envisioning can hold up to the test of time.
Have a couple screenshots!
QA
Ashodin, what platforms is it on?
Only PC, son. Through the three links at the top.
Ashodin, why should I buy this?
Ashodin, is the swordplay really that good?
It's being compared to Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and its ilk. (I keep thinking of Red Steel 2, which had some good swordplay too)
Ashodin, can I beg for a console port?
That's all folks, let's have a good time! MASTER LEEP WOULD BE PROUD.
