May is a......strange month so far. Originally I had planned for it to be light on content, as I’ve got something special planned for this summer, and if you remember what I did last year, you might have an idea as to what I’ve got coming. 2 of the posts I had are going to be late, and the subject of today’s happens to be off by a few days as well. Unlike my 2 other belated retrospectives, I didn’t miss this one, but it’s off by a couple days. The subject of today’s birthday & retrospective happens to deal with the legends that are 3D Realms. How ironic that their flagship game Duke Nukem 3d turned 20 years old last year, and another classic happens to turn 20 this year. For a time it was popular, then for what seemed like ages, it fell off the radar. What shooter from this company went through this process? Why, none other than Shadow Warrior of course!
Ah, Shadow Warrior. In recent years this franchise has gained a resurgence in popularity, and has regained it’s place in the realm of first person shooters for a new generation. How did it manage to regain it’s spot on the totem poll, when other FPSs seem to be higher up? Well, that’s what this post is for! So sharpen your sword, grab your bag of throwing stars, and take a look at my birthday/retrospective of the (Stereotypical) Asian-spiced Shadow warrior. Enjoy!
Shadow Warrior (1997)
“Development of Shadow Warrior began in early 1994 as Shadow Warrior 3D, and preliminary screenshots were released with Hocus Pocus in May 1994. George Broussard in 1996 stated: "We want Shadow Warrior to surpass Duke Nukem 3D in features and gameplay and that's a TALL order." To this end, more tongue-in-cheek humor was added to the existing game in order to better match the style of the popular Duke Nukem 3D. Shadow Warrior was published in North America by GT Interactive Software on May 13, 1997. At E3 1997, an area in the GT Interactive Software booth was dedicated to Shadow Warrior.”
Reception for Shadow Warrior was generally mixed upon release. Users & fans gave generally favorable scores, but critics were a little harsher. Thierry Nguyen of Computer Gaming World commented that "Shadow Warrior is an average action game. While there are some good enhancements to the BUILD engine and some good level design and enemy AI, the rest of the game is mediocre.", and Soete of GameSpot says that "in the end however, Shadow Warrior's only merits are its gameplay". GamingOnLinux reviewer Hamish Paul Wilson had the harshest view on the game, stating that “Shadow Warrior was the weakest of the three major Build engine games, stating that its gunplay was the least balanced and its levels the most likely to descend into tedium or frustration”.
Best Aspect? If you liked the formula that Duke Nukem 3d established, you may be pleased to know that Shadow Warrior hardly deviates from that formula. You’re still a wisecracker, you still run & gun, and the action never seems to stop. Whereas Duke Nukem was a parody of action & alien movies, and Blood payed homage to gothic horror, Shadow Warrior lampoons martial arts & action features, and has more than it’s fair share of anime painted all over. This mix of things could have only come from the 90s, but it has managed to weather the year surprisingly well.
Secondly, there’s Lo Wang himself. Much like Duke, the man named Wang is a goofy & silly individual. Like Duke, much of Lo Wang’s lines come from pop culture (Some of which is anime-based), and is the embodiment of all things stereo-typically Japanese. His accent is thick, and you’d almost expect him to stutter with his L’s. This was actually something of a issue when it came out, as it actually caused something of a stink among politically correct people of the late 90s (Especially among Japanese people.....loooong story). However, Lo Wang being so politically incorrect is the source of his charm. You know you’re not supposed to laugh at some of the jokes he says, but when you do, you loosen up yourself, and enjoy life a little......especially when you find the anime girls (No spoilers!!).
Third, Shadow Warrior marked the first time that there was 3d vehicles/turrets in a Build engine game. Granted, there isn’t that much versatility to them (See below), but it’s remarkable to see them. When a vehicle/turret happens to be in a level, you’re going to do an impressive amount of damage. I do have to laugh at one thing: sometimes a vehicle or turret will be broken, and you have to fix it with a repair kit. If you try to use it before it’s fixed, you’ll hear Lo Wang say this “Oh, must be American Made”. I laughed.
Fourth good thing about this game are the levels. Shadow Warrior’s design team was basically the team that worked on Duke Nukem, so it should come as no surprise that the quality of the levels is pretty damn good. In a interesting twist, a majority of Shadow Warrior’s levels take place in some sort of realistic/quasi-realistic location, with only a few levels dedicated some something fantastic or over-the-top. There’s just something about this game’s collection of locales that makes the game come across as more believable than the rest (With maybe the exception of Redneck Rampage), and as such stick a little more in your mind.
Finally, Shadow Warrior was no stranger to the phenomenon of expansion packs developed by 3rd-party companies. However, this is where things.....get a little interesting.
Let’s start of with the weird story of Wanton Destruction. Developed by Sunstorm Interactive, it was original tested by 3D Realms themselves, but never got physically released by the distributer, with the reason (I believe) being cited as poor sales of the main game. So it sat unreleased for nearly a decade, until a curious thing happened. On September 5, 2005, former Sunstorm Interactive president Anthony Campiti contacted 3D Realms, and said that he found the expansion on an old hard-drive, and it was released 4 days later as freeware. Taking place after the original game, Lo Wang was visiting his folks in the U.S., when Zilla strikes once again, forcing the great ninja on a new journey. While there was no new materials as far as guns & enemies (There were 2 re-skinned enemies), there was a host of new levels to go through, and given the nature of Sunstorm, they’re a nice mix of maze-like & simplistic.
Then there’s the other official expansion pack, Twin Dragon. Release on the 4th of July in 1998 for free, the expansion wasn’t developed by any company, but instead was made by Level Infinity and Wylde Productions over on Planet Quake (A site that still exists today). Taking place sometime after the events of the original game, we find out that Lo Wang has a evil twin brother (Conveniently named Hung Lo), and he’s amassing a horde from the remnants of Zilla’s old army, and our fearless ninja has to stop him. While there’s no new content as far as enemies & weapons are concerned (The final boss is just a re-skinned Zilla), you have access to 13 fan-made levels that are pretty impressive for being made by the public.
There was even supposed to be a 3rd pack! Titled Deadly Kiss, it was originally supposed to be about the journey of Tensi Yoka, who was Lo Wang’s baby sister. It was getting developed by SillySoft (Spin-Off of Simply Silly Software?), and there were screenshots released in January of 1998, but as of now it has still not been released. There have been rumors about it in recent years about it, but that’s all they are.
Worst Aspect? As great as the original is, at the end of the day it’s just a Duke Nukem clone. Wisecracking hero, invading force, wacky weapons, keycards & inventory, etc. The formula exactly is the same as well: wander around, kill enemies, look for keys/keycards, and so fourth. To be perfectly honest, Blood & Redneck Rampage follow this formula as well, but like Shadow Warrior they had small little variations to the formula established by Duke.
Apart from that, there’s really only 2 other small issues I would have with Shadow Warrior. The first is Lo Wang’s inventory of items. He’s got a medkit like Duke, as well as night vision goggles, but from there things are a bit different. There’s caltrops that’ll do minor damage to foes (and yourself if you aren’t careful), repair kits that’ll fix broken vehicles (one-use only), smoke bombs that’ll turn you invisible for a brief period, gas bombs that’ll damage enemies in a small area for a few seconds (Again.....you as well if you aren’t careful), and flash bombs that blind foes. It’s a very cool kit, but it’s also incredibly gimmicky as well. I often found myself not really using anything, with the exception of the medkit and 1 or 2 of the bombs. Curiously, there’s no scuba gear-like item for Shadow Warrior’s underwater areas, although in defense of this, there aren’t as many when compared to the other 3 games in the big 4 of the Build engine.
The other small issue I have is the vehicles. Like I said earlier, they were actually really remarkable given the circumstances. The problem is that you really can’t do much with them. Whether it’s on land or on the water, you’re not really give much room to use them. They’re put into a really small space, and to make matters more disappointing they’re often put in a space just for use as a tool. For example: in the 4th level of the 1st episode, there’s a wall blocking your path, and a tank placed not far away. You could theoretically blow the wall down with your explosive weapons, or you could repair the tank. After you did the 2nd option, there really wasn’t much else you could do with it apart from blow up a few enemies that were behind the wall.
Shadow Warrior. Maybe too much of a Duke Nukem clone, but a fun clone regardless. If you want to relive another FPS legend of the 90s, this game is for you. Next!
Shadow Warrior (2013)
Shadow Warrior 2013 story is surprisingly good: once again we find that our friend Lo Wang working under the serpentine gaze of Orochi Zilla. After a deal to acquire a priceless katana goes south, and demons from another dimension begin coming in to look for the blade. After joining forces with the demon spirit Hoji (Who was originally working for the 1st owner of the katana), they begin the journey to acquire not just the original katana, but 2 others to form a weapon that can stop the ruler of the demons. Along the way, the two become friends, and a bigger & surprisingly clever story unfolds around them.
Reception for Shadow Warrior 2013 was far more favorable than it’s 97 predecessor. Reviewers focused on the old-school flavor, fast-paced & visceral combat, and the humor, story, and characters as the high points of the game. The only complaints that seemed to have been brought up were the bosses (Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot commented that while they "make for a fearsome presence" visually, he noted the overly straightforward strategy for all of them, causing them to "drag" and become "slogs"), Paul Goodman of The Escapist also called the combat "enjoyable" yet took issue with the "flow-breaking" loading transitions between areas and felt that the openness and exploration aspect of the levels caused "needless backtracking", and Edge Magazine on the other hand felt that the pausing to the upgrade menu was "pace-breaking" after saying "that unless you’re willing to hop back and forth between these back-end menus frequently... you’ll be at a severe disadvantage throughout". Review scores were pretty consistent as well, ranging anywhere from 7/70s to 8/80s.
Best Aspect? Lets start off with the graphics, and holy cow is this a major improvement over the original game! Flying Wild Hog took the legacy of Lo Wang from the days of 2.5d, and plopped him into a fully 3d world. Textures are detailed, colors are crisp, character models seem real, and the animation is exquisite. The levels come across as incredibly realistic, and like the original Shadow Warrior, the more realistic levels seem incredibly believable, and you’d almost expect to find some of these places over in Japan. The supernatural levels are awesome as well, although they’re few & far between as they’re used more for boss encounters (With 1 story-focused exception).
Secondly, the new version of Lo Wang is rather interesting. On the one hand, he’s still somewhat like the original: rude, crass (Though nowhere near as racially sterotypical), and knows when to use some pop culture references in his jokes. What’s different is his mindset: Lo Wang 2013 still rushes into things frequently, but he’s a little smarter. A little more clever. A little more likely to plan things out, even if said plans collapse. He’s also seems to have a little more morality to his attitude, and this seems a little more like a hero than his predecessor (Although he’s still selfish to a degree). His relationship with the demon Hoji at first is a little rocky, somehow the two mix incredibly well, and it comes across as a genuine friendship. The old Lo Wang might try to kill him, but that’s me.
Third, there’s actually quite a bit of versatility when it comes to the skills, powers, & weapons of Shadow Warrior 2013. As far as the skills are concerned, they’re spread out over a variety of skill trees. Luck, Restoration, you name it. You gain upgraded versions by slaying enemies & gaining Kharma Points, and gain things like increased damage to smaller enemies or increased health. You increase your chi powers’s effectiveness by locating Chi Crystals, and they boost & alter the abilities that Hoji gave you. The various guns you obtain are great, but by finding money throughout each level, you gain funds that can enhance your weapons in many ways. Increased fire-rate, bigger explosive radius, multi-barrel firing, etc. All of the upgrades cost various amounts, some more expensive. The only thing I can complain about the weapon upgrades is that you can’t un-sell them to get cash back. Higher end weapons like the rocket launcher have upgrades that cost quite the amount of cash, and an alternate source of income would be helpful..
Fourth & finally good point, Shadow Warrior 2013 has a surprisingly good story. You’d expect Flying Wild Hog to go with something like what the 1997 game did, but nope they didn’t! They actually took time to flesh out Lo Wang and all the other characters in many ways, and it’s done very well. You learn how things started, how things might go, and how it might all end. There’s plenty of moments for comedy, but there’s also moments that are more serious/thoughtful. As for the ending.....well, I can’t spoil it, but I will say it managed to get me to shed a tear or two.
Worst Aspect? I’ll start off with the lone minor issue, and that’s the lack of multiplayer. In defense, Flying Wild Hog wanted to recreate a solid singleplayer experience, and they most certainly did. However, the action that took place (at least for me) screamed for even a teamplay mode (More on this below). We were given a horde/survival mode a little after the game was release, but that’s all there was as far as extra content is concerned.
However, the biggest issue with Shadow Warrior 2013 is how incredibly linear the game is! In comparison to the original Shadow Warrior, you’re given far less to explore & look for secrets. It wasn’t taken out entirely, but there’s nowhere near as many opportunities to search the various nooks & crannies of the levels. Worse, when you go to another stage of the level, you can’t go back to look for anything you missed at all! You better be sure that you found everything, otherwise you could have missed out on some extra cash or bonus ammunition. There’s really no need for a 2nd or even a 3rd playthrough, unless you’re trying to find all of the secrets.
Shadow Warrior 2013. A damn fine return of a 90s classic, with a lot of respect put into the product. If you’d like to see Lo Wang in a different & more modern light, this game is for you. Next game!
Shadow Warrior 2 (2016)
Much like it’s 2013 incarnation, reception for Shadow Warrior 2 is pretty consistent with it’s 7/70s to 8/80s scores. Lief Johnson from IGN gave it an 8.6 out of 10, and summarized his review by saying this: “Wang's stupid wisecracks kept me smiling from start to finish, and the variety of melee and ranged combat and the loot that dropped from it was satisfying enough that I came back with friends for more. It's great fun in solo or in co-op, and its small degree of randomization is enough to keep the action fresh for at least a few runs”. It should also be noted that Shadow Warrior 2's sales were quadrupled in comparison to SW 2013, and Flying Wild Hog stated that “We could not be happier with the reception of Shadow Warrior 2. Our fans and critics have largely applauded our efforts means the absolute world to us”.
Best Aspect? Much like Shadow Warrior 2013, SW2's graphics are a plus. While I wouldn’t call it a massive improvement over SW 2013, Shadow Warrior 2 looks pretty damn good. Like the previously mentioned game, there’s a lot of detail put into everything. It looked pretty damn good on my machine, but everyone in a while I had it stutter & stick. Not enough to ruin the experience, but enough to the point I knew it was there. There’s essentially a brand new set of textures used, from the rustic Japanese countryside, to the more urban stylings of Calamity Town & the various areas occupied by the Yakuza, to the more demon-tainted ruins & netherrealm, and the neon-cyberpunk attitude of Zilla’s city & headquarters. If there is anything that’s repeated as far as graphics or textures, it’s usually something small.
Secondly, Shadow Warrior 2 is a far more flexible game when it comes to structuring Lo Wang. The chi powers & skills are back, but instead of getting Chi Crystals for upgrading your powers, you simply use Karma points. Unlike SW 2013, you can upgrade a skill or power up to 5 times (In most cases), increasing it’s effectiveness in some way. They cost more Karma points as you upgrade, but the benefits are often worth it. Guns have received the biggest overhall in this new game: the selection of guns has been heavily expanded, and they’ve been divided into 8 separate categories. From pistols all the way to special weapons, Lo Wang has far more options than he did in his previous outing. Some guns & melee weapons eventually eclipse one another in terms of quality, but all are viable to use in someway. Finally, Lo Wang also has access to item mods that not just enhance & alter your weapons, but also enhances & alters your powers. I really must commend Flying Wild Hog in creating such a surprisingly flexible system, as I find myself changing out modifications frequently as the situation calls for it.
Finally (& tying in with the previous paragraph), Shadow Warrior 2 has an impressive world for Lo Wang to go through. As you complete the main story, numerous side quests open up for the player, allowing him to explore the world further. These side quests allow you to see other parts of the landscape in one of the 4 previously mentioned settings I talked about earlier. And there’s no pressure in completing the missions, as you’re given an unlimited amount of time to do them, allowing you to explore & kill enemies at your leisure. What’s really cool is how dynamic the world can be. You could enter one mission & it would be nighttime, while it might be raining in another one. It really makes Shadow Warrior 2 feel more like a living setting, compared to the more static (But still nice) one that SW 2013 had.
Worst Aspect? Unlike Shadow Warrior from 2013, the (Previously Mentioned) expanded world & flexible nature gives SW2 a degree of control that’s far greater than it’s predecessor. That said, if you play through again you’re still going through the same content again. Even certain areas of the world don’t reform, and it’ll feel like deja vu a lot of the time. In SW2's defense, there’s far more incentive to going through a 2nd or 3rd time, thanks to the Orbs of Masumune (Special material for upgrading weapons) & potential missed special enemies. There’s even a greater incentive to go through again if you didn’t pick certain items, as they’re still available as a quest reward if you missed it the first time. Even special enemies you missed on your first playthrough will drop a weapon you didn’t get before. Speaking of weapons & upgrades......
This brings me to the 2nd fault of the game. Like I said above, you’re given a wide variety of weaponry to use, and upgrades to improve yourself and your arsenal. On the one hand, such a variety of things really gives the players a big degree of control. Mixing & matching upgrades for yourself and your implements of destruction really makes it feel like you have more say in how to play. On the other hand, you eventually get too much in your inventory. You’ll get a horde of upgrades over your playthroughs, and by the time you get all the guns, you will either get confused on which guns to use, or tightly focus on just a small handful of guns (That’s what I did).
Finally, there’s the relationship between Lo Wang & Kamiko. Where Lo Wang & Hoji felt like a natural fit, and you really felt a connection between the two almost immediately, the relation between Lo Wang & his female spectral companion is more flawed. It’s not to say that the pair doesn’t work, because it does. The problem is that they seem to be constantly in conflict with each other, and they only truly connect towards the end of the game. The other factor is that for a majority of the time Kamiko is something of a brat, and is really irritating in certain circumstances. Her turnaround towards the end is heavily welcome, but for some people that might be too late.
Shadow Warrior 2. Maybe a little rough around the edges in some places, but still provides for an enjoyable time. If you liked Flying Wild Hog’s offering from 2013 but wanted something a little more in-depth, then this game is what you’re looking for.
Well fellow Otaku & Metalheads, that was a look at the franchise known as Shadow Warrior. Definitely one of the more lighthearted game series out there, and if you want a glimpse into the past & the present at the same time, the journey of Lo Wang is for you. I’ll do the best I can to get the rest of Catchup Month’s content up as soon as possible. I just hope there aren’t anymore delays.
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