GORE BLIMEY
Not silent, very deadly. Shadow Warrior2 reintroduces gaming’s fastest motormouth for his latest katanarama
Wailing guitar, lovably cheesy one-liners and more guts than an abattoir during BBQ season. Following the exploits of Lo Wang, set five years after the events of his 2014 reboot, Flying Wild Hog’s ludicrous but enjoyable ninja extravaganza returns for a second round of relentless slaying and punning.
Wang’s a ninja solely by title. In reality, he’s as gung-ho as they come. This isn’t such a bad thing – it’s full of silly moments, even if they make you question the sanity of the script writer. This deranged absurdness makes it stand out, though, and more often than not, it comes across as asinine fun in the craziest
of ways. Hopefully, that effect won’t wear off – we’ve already heard “boom goes the boomstick” too many times.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of variety when it comes to gunplay. Weapons take centre stage as you swiftly switch between a medley of firearms: shotguns, pistols and automatics fill out the basic categories, while otherworldly alternatives – such as an electrocuted grenade launcher – look straight out of a ’70s sci-fi flick. Then there’s some Wolverine-esque blades that allow you to glide like a ballerina painting a canvas of blood.
It’s about how you utilise each weapon, rather than sticking to one or two. They level up separately, forcing alteration, while each provides plenty of encouragement for mixing-itup, with every weapon proving a useful tool in a certain situation.
WANG OF FOUR
Let’s not forget that Wang is bringing some buddies. Each procedurally generated level can also be played with three friends in the new online co-op mode, which is bound to keep the
anarchy reigning. The knock-on effect is that areas are also far less linear than in the past – open areas enabling swathes of enemies to descend on you in a split-second, demanding quick changes and a level head. RPG elements, meanwhile – including level ups and buffs – are present, as well as damage numbers that shoot out of enemies like an unexpected sneeze.
With spades of character and a crazy premise, Shadow Warrior 2 should make for a brash distraction from the current crop of über-serious shooters.
“GLIDE LIKE A BALLERINA PAINTING A CANVAS OF BLOOD WITH WOLVERINE-LIKE BLADES.”