As is required, we have to start with a bit of history. The original Shadow Warrior dates from 1997 , in full boom of the 3D games in which he shared bookshelf with other classics such as Quake or Duke Nukem 3D . This last title was what made the 3D Realms studio great, the 3D section of
Apogee that would eventually engulf its parent company. Shadow Warrior is the attempt of this company to do something bigger and better than the Duke that at that time was already considered one of the best and most charismatic titles in history.
In their development they cast the rest, seeking to innovate technically in the design of scenarios, weapons and characters, while trying to maintain the burden of bad mood and black humor how well they had worked with Duke Nukem.
According to the Meristation analysis of May 1997 , we would find ourselves in the best FPS game to date, noting innovation in issues such as maps with two practicable heights, transparent water or reaching 800×600 in the most powerful PCs, with a resolution recommended 320×200. It even had edition on CD, in addition to a 3.5 “floppy disk. However for what happened to the story this Shadow Warrior was for being excessive, in everything , but mainly in regard to
blood and dismemberment. In addition to very “gore”, that Shadow Warrior was conceived to be great and he wanted to provide everything that the general public could demand. A story that mixed mafia intrigues with fantastic mythology, human and demonic enemies and, above all, weapons to destroy them; many weapons He did not want to do without anything.
From bladed weapons such as katana and shurikens, to double submachine guns, rocket launchers … and last but not least, magic to each more destructive. At that time betting on the excess and the public responded, so 3D Realms had no doubt where to go.
Both nostalgic and those who have not known the first steps of the FPS, can fully enjoy “free to play” of the original title through the Steam platform.
Sixteen years later 3D Realms, hand in hand with the study Flying Wild Hog ( Hard Reset ), goes back to betting on the franchise and reissues the classic.
As it can not be otherwise, it is a completely new development, given the tremendous technological leap since then. Contrary to what happens with other re-releases like Rise of the Triad, also a son of 3D Realms and recently reissued under the original Apogee label, Shadow Warrior is not the literal adaptation of the game to our systems.
The update has gone much further to the point that it could have been sold like any other current title. Returning to the aforementioned reissue of Rise of the Triad, this recreates the scenarios, frenetic movements, shooting mechanics, health, artificial intelligence … identical to the game of the 90s, giving the possibility of playing today exactly as we did then . On the other hand,
Shadow Warrior offers a product whose mechanics correspond to the most modern, limiting itself to recovering from the original the essence of that demon slaughtering assassin.
We have history in what has remained unchanged. Lo Wang, a killer in his commentaries as skilled with weapons, is involved in the search for an almighty katana capable of stopping the invasion of our world by the horrible beings who are destroying it, while unraveling a story in which they mix mafia organizations, business interests and the revenge of the dead master ,
as in all good oriental production. As in most games of this type, the story could be merely anecdotal, but it is to assess the success of the mixture of the plotmore serious, happened in the past and that gives rise to the current evils and where all the Japanese topics of sacrifice,
honor and revenge are praised, opposed to the current plot, where the protagonist takes to messing around all these topics and will tear us away more from a laugh, to the “Duke”. The problem, in fact, will come by the opposite, to give too much weight to this story.
There will be few who skip the intermediate cinematic scenes, arriving at the end of the game wondering what the hell happens (never better said) with Koji, our assistant demon, the sword of yore or the master of white beards that always ends up dead.
