Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition

Shadow Warrior 3's primary strength is probably in its combat, which feels the most 'consequential' of the series. It's the most challenging game of the series from what I can tell, a big plus from SW2 which I enjoyed but felt was too easy. Guns have a level of oomph to them that the series previously struggled with and enemies in this game are probably the most distinct they've been for the series, contrary to SW2 where all enemies felt like the same kind of cannon fodder, requiring no change of strategy on the part of the player. The game clearly borrows from DOOM Eternal's gameplay, which may delight some players and annoy others. Like Eternal, the combat relies on the management of resources, tasking the player with keeping their limited ammo pool stocked and frequently replenishing their health, both of which have to be regained through different means, health via gun kills and ammo via sword kills. The level designs are lovely to look at but suffer from a strictly linear design, a disappointment for fans like myself who like to explore the environment. There are some hidden little nooks off to the side which hide upgrade points for your weapons or character, but aside from that, the game is practically on rails, ferrying you from one arena to the next, again, similar to DOOM. Much has been said about the game's length which is indeed on the shorter side, though didn't bother me as much as others, given my recent preference for shorter experiences. Still, it IS a pretty short campaign for a game with near-AAA pricing. Every game in the series is different. In alI, I enjoyed my time with SW3 and its increased stakes in the combat, even if I yearned for greater exploration. It's probably my pick for weakest entry of the series but I still enjoyed them all. It's not everyone's cup of tea but if you're in the market for a sillier DOOM Eternal, Shadow Warrior 3 just might scratch that itch in a way that, let's face it, few other games other than DOOM itself can.

All in all a fun shooter with solid mechanics that have been mostly borrowed from Doom: Eternal. Doesn't overstay its welcome like SW1, which it's way more similiar to than SW2. Lots of goofy dialogue. A bit janky and glitchy during platforming sections. All in all it makes for an entertaining weekend of gaming and has a bit of replay value for people who want to dive deeper into the mechanics and challenge themselves on higher difficulty settings.

-it doesn't hold up to its predecessors either. It's certainly pretty, but SW2 still looks great today, and with the success and revival of retro boom shooties, it's not like looks are everything either. For context, I've been playing through the entire Shadow Warrior franchise, so my comparisons are directly after finishing the first two. (The original Build Engine game is its own thing). Going with a more linear experience after SW2 isn't inherently bad. I loved SW1 and its blend of progression, open maps and linearity, but I liked the speed, accessibility and variety of SW2. The prospect of something that plays a bit like SW2 with less loot/randomization and revisiting the same 3 maps sounds great. This isn't that game. If you thought battles in SW2 could get chaotic, this just amps it up to 11 and half the time you won't know what the hell is going on. The levels are gorgeous, the animations are gorgeous, but everything is too damn fast in combat to follow any of it. You're constantly swarmed by enemies two feet from your face (or inside you) or the burrowing enemies you have to wait forever to kill while you ignore the eternally respawning cannon fodder zombies. More isn't always better. I'm glad the campaign length addressed that, because it -is- short, and this design would have gotten extremely tiresome stretched out - but it's still pretty tiresome as it is. (as a personal gripe, I don't know why FWH loves suicide bomber enemies, but they're obnoxious in any game, and that goes triple when everything else already swarms you. This isn't Serious Sam. If I wanted that game I'd play it. It's far from this game's biggest problem, but I groaned audibly when I saw and heard them screaming) I still enjoyed my time with SW3 and I'd still recommend it on sale, I want the franchise to continue but...not in this direction.

Console Heatbox Port that is horrifically terrible at everything. Graphics are miserably low, like from 1980s, no good sounds or music either. Gone are the good puns of SW 1 & 2. None of the weapons intrigue & upgrades of 2. Floor is lava or air, who likes crap like that ? Yes, you will die plenty, no fighting, just to get from point A to point Z. At which point you're locked into a combat where you beat the mob or they beat you, some with bosses and flying units all thrown in. Kinda like player abuse. I ended up dropping the game after a few levels, not sure which. Too frustrating and un-enjoyable, this is not SW. Do Not Buy, Stay Away !

It's a fun short game, centered around arena fights were you're forced to stay moving and juggle enemies. Doesn't quite have the polish of Doom Eternal though. Still disappointed that the franchise doesn't come into its own and instead keeps aping other games on each installment, but for what it is, I did enjoy it.