After months of teasing, WayForward has finally revealed the title for their next Shantae game. The developer took to their official site and dropped the first details for Shantae and the Seven Sirens, the fifth title in their critically acclaimed Shantae series. The game is currently in development for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and – to the delight of many – Apple Arcade. It’s also being sold as the genie’s “biggest adventure yet,” featuring “new locations, abilities, and friends.” While no official trailers have been released, check out the opening animation for Shantae and the Seven Sirens made by Studio TRIGGER.
First announced back in March as just Shantae 5, Shantae and the Seven Sirens sees the return of the belly-dancing, hair-whipping, half-genie hero in an all-new adventure. This one takes Shantae to a tropical island, where she and her friends encounter other Half-Genie allies. However, they soon learn that trouble is brewing, as Shantae ultimately gets caught up in the island’s secrets. With the help of all-new dance abilities and instant transformation Fusion Magic, Shantae sets out to explore the nonlinear, interconnected world filled with multiple towns, treacherous labyrinths, and dangerous bosses. For the first time in the series, Shantae and the Seven Sirens will also feature a unique collectible card system that will allow players to augment Shantae’s different powers to tailor their own playstyle.
The Shantae series originally began with the entry Shantae back in 2002 for the Game Boy Color. While it was met with generally positive reviews, the game sold very poorly due to the release of the Game Boy Advance shortly before the game’s release. It did retroactively gain significant attention in the following years, with some critics ultimately naming it as one of the best games released for the handheld console. It spawned three sequels: Shantae: Risky’s Revenge for the Nintendo DSi, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse for the Nintendo 3DS and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for the Wii U, PS4, PS Vita, PC, and Xbox One.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens will also support 4K resolution for devices that can handle it, as well as including various animated TV-style cutscenes. Here’s hoping that Studio TRIGGER ends up doing those as well.
