Shadow Warrior: a slice of old-school nostalgia

Shadow Warrior made waves when it first released in 1997, and now over 16 years later, Wang is making another vengeful return to the gaming world, but is the reboot a success or a chopping disaster?

The PC-exclusive game is currently sitting on a Metascore of 70 and a 74.92 percentage on GameRankings.

What are the critics saying though?

IGN: 8.6/10

“’Come for the shooting, stay for the swordfighting,’ quips Lo Wang in one of his huge vocabulary of one-liner taunts. It’s good start for a description of the appeal of Shadow Warrior, but it leaves out the surprisingly good story and impressive length (get your minds out of the gutter!) of the campaign. This is an old-school shooter that actually gets what made old-school shooters work, and it gives us some clever new ideas on top of them.

NowGamers: 8/10

“Like Spinal Tap said, there’s a fine line between clever and stupid. Shadow Warrior treads that line carefully, but not before chopping everything to bits. Good stuff.”

GamesRadar: 3/5

“It’s exciting, guts-spilling fun in short bursts, but the campaign feels too long and dramatically self-indulgent for its own good. That said, if you want to sever limbs and cleave through torsos using bullets and a blade, you’re bound to enjoy yourself. Just don’t expect to get your brain or your heartstrings involved.”

Videogamer: 6/10

“This is pure throwback FPS fun, an updated take on the ’97 3D Realms original. As such, the objectives are barely removed from that of the archetypal Doom: kill everything, find the key and get to the door.”

Gametrailers: 6/10

“The game is fun, at least it starts out fun, but repetition eventually morphs into boredom and killing demons changes from a guilty pleasure to a chore. By the game’s mid-point the joy of combat has faded, the humor has worn thin and the characters and storyline aren’t strong enough to carry the game. Shadow Warrior does stay true to its 1990s roots, but never truly moves past them.”

The Escapist: 7/10

“Shadow Warrior isn’t free of some design flaws that can take away from the experience, but as an action game, its combat is solidly put together. While not the easiest to use, the various weapons and sword fighting combos you have really make you feel like a badass warrior whenever you pull off a gruesome decapitation.”

Hardcore Gamers Magazine: 8/10

“Shadow Warrior has big guns, deadly blades, enemies ranging from small to enormous and enough explosions to satisfy even the most pyrotechnically enthusiastic gamer.”

GamingTrend: 88/100

“It’s hours of mindless, bloody, expletive-filled fun in an action-packed fantasy world illustrated with gorgeous graphics, a good variety of unlocks, and enough challenges to make completionists feel as if they got their money’s worth.”