Posted on: March 3, 2023

mchartman

Games: 764 Reviews: 27

Good game but flawed port

The original Shadow Warrior is great, and along with Duke 3D and Blood (and now Ion Maiden) it’s among the best retro FPSs to feature the legendary Build engine. Highly recommended for fans of retro FPS action… But this port, while not terrible, has some technical issues that prevent it from being the best way to play this classic title. For one, there is some very noticeable input lag on the mouse when using vsync or a frame rate limiter. There’s also persistent micro stutter, which makes the action appear far choppier than the DOS original. On the other hand, with vsync off, you get constant screen tearing. I’ve tried it with multiple rigs and setups and there’s simply no reliable way to get this version running the way it’s supposed to. It also features a few bugs that aren’t present in the original DOS version. Honestly, you’re probably better off getting the free DOS version and just playing it via DOSBox (with the bmouse mod for full mouselook) or if you want a modernized version, use a source port like BuildGDX. Either way you’ll get a superior version, that also happens to be free.

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Posted on: July 17, 2021

MadPilgrim

Verified owner

Games: 381 Reviews: 209

Blast from the Past

It's like a time machine to a better era. When offensive jokes were not treated like criminal offence.

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Posted on: March 18, 2025

cmdrtic

Verified owner

Games: 78 Reviews: 2

Well executed redux

One thing I defintely loved about this version: I started up the game and had to adjust nothing apart from mouse sensitivity. Screen resolution set to my desktop, I really had to touch nothing. Awesome. The game is still very enjoyable, my only annoyance is with level design: sometimes things you need to get ahead are hidden way too much. Or maybe I'm too old. Anyway, if you are after issue free nostalgia, this is a good one to get

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Posted on: December 10, 2019

Spellsweaver

Verified owner

Games: 337 Reviews: 34

So innocently stereotypical, I love that

A true artifact of its age. Nowadays it'd probably cause an outrage among more sensitive audience.

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Posted on: May 4, 2023

Unfallen_Satan

Verified owner

Games: 600 Reviews: 78

Build engine nostalgia

Weird. I only played Duke Nukem 3D and no other Build engine games before Shadow Warrior. Yet, Shadow Warrior somehow made me feel like I was reliving fond memories of simpler, happier times. I confess. I started to play because I have fond memories of booties in Duke Nukem 3D and I knew there are some in Shadow Warrior. There are a few girl npc in the game, fully voiced even, though entirely for minor comical effect. What got me hooked on the game turned out to be the grenade launcher. Despite being one of the easiest weapons to kill yourself with and one of the harder ones to use on enemies, I found a lot of fun, natural ways to use the grenade launcher. This is the strength of Shadow Warrior: how well the levels are put together. Even in modern day AAA games, grenades often feel like an afterthought, with limited opportunities to use them naturally. There are so many places in Shadow Warrior that make you think, "I need to lob some grenades!" Into windows. Around corners. Over obstacles. In the ugly face of cheap-ass, fireball-firing, insta-kill, cloaked ninjas. Between grenade fun, there are eight other weapons to play around with. A sword that slice enemy into meat chunks like that guy in Resident Evil 1 movie. Dual wielding Uzis that gave me a Neo vibe. A rocket launcher that can fire a nuclear missile. An orc head that can unlease different patterns of burning depending on which of three holes in the back of its skull you stick your finger into. Yeah. In addition to killing the shit out of the baddies, you will spend a lot of time looking for secrets, solving intuitive puzzles, swimming, platforming, avoiding volcanic rocks and sumo farts. They are diverse and fun. Even the platforming is fun, and I don't like platforming in any game. And everything feels so smooth, including quick saving and loading which are instantaneous. So why buy this version when there is a free version? The remastered visuals appeal to modern aesthetics.

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