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Shantae & the Seven Sirens is Split Into Two Parts for Apple Arcade

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with:
Sep 202019
 

The next Shantae game is called Shantae and the Seven Sirens, and it looks like it’s on track to fix all the things I disliked about Half-Genie Hero.

It’s got an interconnected, non-linear world and dungeons are back, and even the basic description suggests there’s more of an overarching plot than Half-Genie Hero had.

Will the story be as good as Pirate’s Curse? That remains to be seen, but everything else sounds fantastic.

Now, Shantae and the Seven Sirens had been announced for the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and the new Apple Arcade service, with no release date given yet.

But on Wednesday, WayForward made an announcement that left fans a bit confused.

“Part 1” of Shantae and the Seven Sirens would be releasing soon for Apple Arcade.

Some fans were annoyed about Apple Arcade getting the game first, but most people were just confused about it being Part 1. No one had said anything about a Part 1. How many parts would there be?

(The fears of a more segmented game structure were perhaps rising up again.)

WayForward wouldn’t say anything, but it seems like that must have been due to some sort of NDA, because they’ve clarified everything now.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is only split into two parts for the Apple Arcade release. The PC and console versions will be a single release. Part 1 is longer than a demo, but is less than half the game and only includes up through the first two dungeons.

So Shantae and the Seven Sirens is not an episodic game, the other versions will be a single release, and it seems likely that they just wanted part of the game to be available alongside the launch of Apple Arcade.

I’ll admit I felt a little nervous when I saw that “Part 1” in the tweet, but now I’m back to feeling confident that Shantae and the Seven Sirens will be the return to form I hoped for after finishing Half-Genie Hero.

Dancing Through a Smaller World in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

 Reviews, Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with:
Aug 092019
 

Last week, I finally played Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.

It took me a long time to get around to playing it, mainly because I lost some of my enthusiasm after learning it had changed the gameplay formula.

As you might remember, I enjoyed Shantae: Risky’s Revenge for its Metroidvania exploration and almost Zelda-like dungeons, and I loved Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse even more because of its humor and stronger story.

Pirate’s Curse was one of the best games I played in 2017, and despite my claim that I wouldn’t re-buy the Switch version, I have a physical Switch copy now.

But while Pirate’s Curse retained its exploration-driven focus despite being split across multiple islands, Half-Genie Hero feels much more segmented.

In Half-Genie Hero, you visit several worlds more like in a traditional 2D platformer, complete with finishing the level when you reach the end instead of being able to travel through it freely (although you can leave whenever you want). Gaining new transformations and upgrades does let you overcome obstacles, but instead of opening up entire new areas, it’s usually just a room with an upgrade or collectible.

The world feels much smaller as a result, and while I don’t mind backtracking to unlock new things, here it felt like I was retreading the same levels over and over again.

As for the story, it barely exists. Your reasons for visiting the levels are a series of unrelated events loosely connected through Mimic building a new machine. Finding parts for his invention is the closest Half-Genie Hero gets to having an overarching plot, which was disappointing compared to the previous games and especially Pirate’s Curse.

Of the three Shantae games I’ve played, Half-Genie Hero is definitely the weakest. However, it still has charming moments and a fantastic soundtrack. I can’t say I disliked it – I ended the game with 97% item completion – but I’m in no hurry to get the DLC.

Here’s hoping Shantae 5, about which we still know very little, will be closer in style to the previous games.

Have you played Shantae: Half-Genie Hero? What did you think of it? What are your hopes for Shantae 5? Let me know in the comments.

Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse is Now on the Switch

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Mar 212018
 

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is now available from the Switch eShop.

This is the third game in the Shantae series, and since it’s available on so many platforms already, this isn’t a big surprise. But it’s another chance to play it if you haven’t gotten to already!

In my review of Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse last year, I described it as a great 2D platformer that is both fun and funny.

(I also mentioned that I was looking forward to playing Half-Genie Hero, which I still haven’t done. For once, it’s not just my backlog holding me back. I’ve gotten the impression that Half-Genie Hero is considered one of the weaker entries in the series, so I’ve been reluctant to start it. I’ll play it eventually, though.)

The Switch version of Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse also includes the “Super Shantae Nab” mini-game that was previously available only in the retail copy.

Anyway, it’s a fantastic game, and even though I probably won’t buy it again since I already played it, I’m happy to see it on the Switch. Are you interested in Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse for the Switch?

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