It isn’t everyday we see studios take risks like the Flying Wild Hog took with Shadow Warrior 2 this year, ditching the franchise’s linear roots to create a narrative-driven loot shooter, but we hope the Shadow Warrior sequel will convince other companies to do the same. Shadow Warrior 2 may not bring in quite as many new fans as the studio was hoping for, but it broadens the franchise in a way that should still appeal to anyone just looking for a fast-paced first-person shooter.
Shadow Warrior 2 is a direct sequel to Flying Wild Hog’s 2013 franchise reboot. The game stars Lo Wang, the foul-mouthed antihero from the first Shadow Warrior, who left Zilla Corporation after learning its founder, Orochi Zilla, had allied himself with demonic forces. Shadow Warrior 2 is set five years after its predecessor and Wang’s world is a much different place than it was the last time we saw it. In the future, mankind isn’t just aware of the Shadow Realm. Humans and demons live side-by-side, in a futuristic cities that wouldn’t look out of place in Shadowrun or Deus Ex, and mankind has largely accepted that its new neighbors are here to stay. Everyone except Lo Wang, who moved to the countryside after the conclusion of Shadow Warrior in an attempt to extricate himself from the violent life he once led. Unfortunately, as is generally the case in these stories, leaving that life behind isn’t as easy as moving to a new town.
Sadly, the mischievous Hoji doesn’t return in Shadow Warrior 2; however, there’s a new resident in Lo Wang’s consciousness. This time, the assassin hosts the spirit of Kamiko, a Zilla scientist betrayed by Orochi after synthesizing a new recreational drug (Shade) that’s wreaking havoc on Japan. We’ll let the Shadow Warrior 2 campaign explain the exact circumstances that lead to Wang playing the role of soul hotel again. But suffice it to say you’ll be shooting and slicing your way through hundreds of demons in another quest to transform Wang’s inner conversations back into monologues. And there will be plenty of new and familiar faces to see along the way.
The name and personality of Wang’s personal heckler aren’t the only big changes in Shadow Warrior 2 . Flying Wild Hog has thrown out the wholly linear campaign of its predecessor in favor of a stage-based campaign featuring a combination of mandatory story missions and optional side quests that reward the player with extra cash and weapons. Completed stages can also be revisited in “Free Roam” mode, with or without friends, to hunt down extra powerful Champions and earn more upgrades for Lo Wang’s growing arsenal. One thing that hasn’t changed are the frenetic battles that make up the core of the Shadow Warrior franchise. The action is faster than ever in Shadow Warrior 2, especially if/when you switch to melee weapons, and you’ll have to keep a close eye on Wang’s surroundings (and his health bar) if you want to survive for long.
Shadow Warrior 2 is also one of the few modern shooters to ship with a campaign supporting four-player co-op on Day One. Players can even find/equip upgrades that only take effect when you’re joined by other members of the Shadow Warrior 2 community. The game scales up based on the number of players present and can even be kept tuned for a solo run if your crew just wants some cannon fodder. The inclusion definitely helps give Shadow Warrior 2 the classic loot shooter feel Flying Wild Hog was aiming for, providing the same kind of mindless action that make Borderlands, Destiny and Diablo appealing to friends who game together. The difficulty options in SW2 don’t scale as well as Blizzard’s iconic dungeon-crawler, but its four settings do at least provide the basic sense of progression needed for the game’s loot shooter hooks to sink in.
Flying Wild Hog’s latest game is no slouch in the eye candy department, either. Shadow Warrior 2 lets players explore truly gorgeous city and wilderness environments, despite building levels on the fly. And Lo Wang leaves a disturbing trail of body parts and and demon blood in his wake. The demonic detritus is made possible by a new procedural gore system that lets players slice and dice their foes into surprisingly tiny pieces. It also enables decapitation, which can force Lo Wang’s enemies to alter their plan of attack and even stop using certain skills that require four (or more) limbs. Both additions encourage brutal efficiency when the shooting begins.
That said, the game has its problems. Flying Wild Hog made an admirable attempt at transforming the Shadow Warrior franchise into a loot shooter but there are a handful of shortcomings that will make it difficult for SW2 to win over fans of bigger loot games. There are more stages to explore in Shadow Warrior 2 than Destiny, even after multiple expansions, and the game’s procedural level generation should keep them feeling fresh for many hours. But the game’s collection of blades and firearms isn’t big enough , creating a situation where the players only need to rotate new weapons into their rotation upon discovering one that’s named.
Shadow Warrior 2 is badly in need of something equivalent to the Adventure Mode from Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls; a series of levels that mix and match resources from the campaign to create new scenarios without sending players back to the main menu. The upgrade system is also far too big a chore to be considered anything but a headache. Even the game’s comedic writing, which wouldn’t feel out of place in a Kevin Smith movie, fails to compete with the character banter in competitors like Borderlands . None of these are particularly damning, but they will make it difficult for Flying Wild Hog to lure fans away from more-established fare.
The game is a bit short relative to its competitors, as well. We finished the campaign, and every available side mission, in a little under 20 hours. We’re not exactly bored of Shadow Warrior 2, but its potential for post-campaign entertainment will largely hinge on your willingness to revisit stages with the difficulty turned up and/or a few friends by your side. With consistent post-launch support, it’s not hard to imagine fans sticking with the game for weeks (even months) after launch. Even if you don’t, Shadow Warrior 2 is a bit cheaper than the average new release, at $40 instead of $60, so anyone wishing there was more content can at least take solace in a cheaper price tag.
Shadow Warrior 2 probably isn’t going to win any Shooter of the Year awards, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on the latest offering from Flying Wild Hog either. The studio may not have succeeded in creating the loot shooter to beat all loot shooters, thanks to a handful of small problems that make it hard to compete with established competitors. But Shadow Warrior 2 is an enjoyable follow-up to an unlikely success and an easy recommendation for any fan of the 2013 reboot. The game’s mission and narrative structures have changed, along with the voice inside Lo Wang’s head, but the spirit of the Shadow Warrior franchise is alive and well in the sequel. Those with friends who also plan to buy the game are likely to find the most joy in SW2, thanks to the co-op support and balance options, but even lone wolves should find plenty to love.
Shadow Warrior 2 is now available on PC. The game heads to PS4 and Xbox One in early 2017.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Shadow Warrior 2 news throughout 2016 and however long Flying Wild Hog supports Shadow Warrior 2 in the months following launch.
