It strikes me as amusing to no end just how much better Shadow Warrior 2013 is compared to any of the "Triple-A" First Person Shooters released in the past decade. The humour is playful and intelligent (yes, even though there's a big pile of dick jokes), the story is well crafted and writing is punchy, and the gameplay is quite enjoyable. This modern remake takes a more sophisticated approach to humour than the original, but includes plenty of throwbacks and references to the past. The best jokes come from the 'sidekick' Hoji as he remarks upon Lo Wang's failures. It's so incredibly refreshing to see a protagonist who is the butt to most of the jokes, which simultaneously explains away many of the video game tropes which would plague the storyline otherwise. The final cutscene ties it all together very nicely, explaining why irreverence is such an important theme to the plot. Combat is fast, furious, and full of frustration. However, overcoming that frustration is very satisfying, and it never got so overwhelmed as to urge me to quit. My biggest complaint is that the combat grading system's expectations aren't very clear. Overall I would like to see more games made with this attention to detail and respect for the audience. I look forward to Wild Hog's next work!
It's hard to find folks nowadays who remember this remarkable triumph in gaming history, and harder still to find those who fully acknowledge the unprecedented quality and value Sacrifice had. Though this masterpiece fell through the cracks and it never got the opportunity it deserved to reshape the video game "industry" in a positive direction, it still deserves praise and recognition . . . and, perhaps, some day it will get what it deserves most of all: a second chance. Though subject to a number of bugs that were never patched due to a dying developer, the solid gameplay, bizarre (but VERY fitting) art direction, excelsior voice work and sound, brilliant map editor, and (of course) the striking and poignant story more than make up for the little bugs here and there (mostly in multiplayer). The one biggest complaint I hear time and time again is the difficulty. It's true this game has a VERY sharp learning curve. The difference between the tutorials and first level(s) compared to the first time you are pitted against an AI-controlled wizard is jarring. The one tip I can offer to new players: master the Teleport spell. It's the only spell that AI wizards can't use, and is your best friend for defence. And defence is really key here! When the enemy is bold and tries to attack you, take out his wizard and Manahoars first, then reap the benefits by converting the fallen to your side. Without traditional resource mongering in this game, a solid line of defence will get you a lot further than it would in standard RTS games. If things are STILL too hard for you, edit the campaign in the provided Scapex map editor. You can modify maps so you have MORE than enough Souls and creatures to win. It's cheap, and frankly it's cheating, but if that's what you need to unlock the amazing story, then do it. Just don't expect multiplayer to be so forgiving. Buy this game! Send your support to Shiny and let them know if you loved this game! Help resurrect Sacrifice!
