Shadow Warrior 3 Review: Blades, Bullets, and a Dragon Too Big to Swallow

Shadow Warrior 3 is a first-person shooter that wants to be a comedy, a fantasy epic, and a bullet-hell arcade game all at once. It succeeds at intervals and stumbles at others, leaving behind a game that is often clever and rarely cohesive.

Trailer, via IGN.

The Setup

Lo Wang, the series’ long-suffering protagonist, accidentally unleashes an ancient dragon and watches as demons overrun the world. He retreats into isolation, until his former nemesis Orochi Zilla shows up to convince him to fight again. Together they seek out Motoko, a witch who knows how to defeat the dragon using the residual energy in Hoji’s mask.

The premise is absurd, and the game leans into that absurdity. Lo Wang is a corporate shogun who has become a recluse, and his journey involves tracking down a dragon’s egg, a dead god’s mask, and enough firepower to hold off the apocalypse. It is a setup that rewards the kind of offbeat humor that defined the series’ earlier entries.

Combat and Movement

The core loop remains the same: a punishing mix of blades and bullets. Lo Wang wields a katana for close-quarters combat and a large arsenal of firearms for ranged encounters. The game introduces new movement options, including wall runs, double jumps, air dashes, and a grappling hook. These additions are welcome, even if they do not reinvent the wheel.

The melee combat is where the game shines brightest. Players can execute wounded enemies, and the katana feels sharp and satisfying. The shooting is solid but generic, and the game’s difficulty curves tend to favor aggression over precision. Enemies swarm in numbers, and the game encourages players to move fast and stay mobile.

The Story

The plot is a tangled mess of betrayal, resurrection, and magical contraptions. Hoji, a character Lo Wang thought dead, returns and asks for help restoring his physical body. He then leads Wang to a “Chi cannon,” a device with enough power to destroy the dragon. Unbeknownst to Wang, Hoji plans to use the cannon to drain the dragon’s power and become an all-powerful God.

Hoji’s plan goes wrong, and the dragon swallows the cannon. After confronting Hoji on his treachery, Lo Wang agrees to work with Zilla and Motoko to defeat the dragon. Wang sends Motoko’s familiar, a tanuki, toward the dragon as an explosive bait, but it fails to kill the beast. Wang then jumps into the dragon’s mouth himself, activates Hoji’s Chi cannon from the inside, and kills the dragon.

The ending is a celebration with Motoko and the ghost of the tanuki. It is a fittingly silly conclusion to a story that never quite commits to being serious.

Technical Details

The game launched on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 1 March 2022. It was later released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 16 February 2023. The game’s upgrade system is more streamlined than its predecessor, Shadow Warrior 2, though it still requires players to unlock weapons and gadgets throughout the campaign.

The levels are more linear than in previous entries. The movement system is the highlight of the technical package, allowing for fluid navigation through vertical environments.

Critical Reception

Shadow Warrior 3 received mixed reviews from critics.

The game’s humor is hit-or-miss, and the attempt to blend fantasy, horror, and science fiction into a single narrative is ambitious. The result is a game that is fun in short bursts but exhausting over long stretches.

The Numbers

Final Word

Shadow Warrior 3 is a game that captures the spirit of its predecessor while failing to fully deliver on its promise. The combat is sharp, the movement is exhilarating, and the humor is often clever. But the story meanders, the pacing flags, and the game’s ambitions occasionally overwhelm its execution.

It is a game worth playing for its best moments, but not one that rewards a full playthrough.

arcade · first-person shooter · game review · LOL · Shadow Warrior 3