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See the Shadow Warrior 3 test
- Nervous fights and nags at will
- Fluid and pleasant movements
- Visually and technically impressive
- Quirky and assumed humor
Clearly not as expected as behemoths like Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring and others, Flying Wild Hog's FPS had still managed to build a good base of followers, including us. So it was with some curiosity that we watched Lo Wang's next adventures, while lamenting the loss of the late Jason Liebrecht, his original voice actor. And one can't help but think that some of the colorful character died with him in the process.
Test carried out on PC (via Steam) using a code provided by the publisher. Shadow Warrior 3 will be released on 1e mars on PC (only via Steam), PS4, Xbox One and in backward compatibility on PS5 et Xbox Series X|S, at the price of 50 euros.
Dojos & Dragon
At the start of Shadow Warrior 3, we find the franchise's signature world, largely inspired by Japanese folklore, utterly devastated. In his gutted home to the four winds, we reconnect with good old Lo Wang, in his underpants, rehashing his past failures in front of the mask of fire Hoji, his best friend (and paradoxically a demon).
Our favorite ninja mercenary had to do battle with a truly titanic dragon that came out of nowhere and destroyed everything in its path. It goes without saying that the confrontation ended in a crushing defeat, and Lo Wang only has his underpants and his eyes left to cry.
But now Zilla, one of Lo Wang's main enemies in previous games, offers our hero a solution to defeat the dragon, using the power of his late demonic friend's mask. To do this, they must go to the lair of Motoko, a powerful witch with a stunning hair style, accompanied by an adorable raccoon… tanuki.
As you will have understood, the completely assumed cliché scenario of Shadow Warrior 3 is clearly not its strong point since it fits on a postage stamp. Fortunately, the title of Flying Wild Hog can pride itself on keeping the uninhibited humor so characteristic of the franchise and displaying an extremely solid and graphically superb artistic direction. Clearly one of the greatest strengths of the game, its technical part is impeccable in beauty and fluidity, at least on our solid test configuration ensuring constant fluidity from start to finish. The PC version can also count on the support of DLSS and FSR for this purpose.
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Cut to the heart of the matter
Lo Wang therefore regains his vigor and his mojo, picks up his katana and guns to kill yokai and dragons. And this is of course where the heart of the game comes in: its gameplay. Might as well cut the demon's purulent abscess straight away: Shadow Warrior 3 is fun, nervous and nag as you wish. Our dear ninja mercenary weaves between enemies with amazing agility and slices and shoots with all his might in a dance as bloody as it is exhilarating.
JVFR
We mentioned that the game is inspired by Ghostrunner and DOOM Eternal, and the parallel is far from trivial. Within different corridor levels with a level design as impressive as it is varied, we will indeed alternate platform phases and arena combat phases.
The first will ask us to hurtle down slopes at full speed, run on walls and play grapple (this gadget is definitely very fashionable at the moment) while occasionally shooting at obstacles to clear the way for us. On this point too, Shadow Warrior 3 is successful thanks to fluid movements and a Lo Wang responding to the finger and the eye.
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As for the fights, we will therefore be locked in vast arenas highlighting the verticality and different elements of the decor to be exploited to slay waves of demons. Spikes on the walls to exploit thanks to the Chi of Lo Wang (a form of Pushing Force), traps to activate to cut the demon in mass, explosive barrels and power-ups are legion.
JVFR
Like id Software's masterpiece, Shadow Warrior 3 offers us, in addition to a large arsenal of classic but varied weapons, a range of options to overcome a bestiary that... will not leave indifferent person? By killing them or by recovering dedicated power-ups, Lo Wang can also access an ultimate ability, allowing him, by the simple press of a key, to eliminate any opponent, a bit like the chainsaw in DOOM. Eternal.
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By doing so, we can recover our entire life bar and briefly access the ability of the demon thus slain. A mechanism to take into account as the power gain is important, which still recalls the kind of tactical chessboard introduced by id Software in the reboot of DOOM.
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They say the shortest jokes are the best
If the action-RPG aspect of Shadow Warrior 2 based on loot to recover to improve his equipment has been neglected, his sequel still offers to improve the capacities of Lo Wang and his weapons. This goes through orbs to collect in the different levels of the game, or by completing several challenges.
JVFR
JVFR
To brave the hard mode, collecting these orbs will not be a luxury, since it will radically change the way of using the various weapons of Lo Wang and improve his health, his abilities and others. A more or less skilful way of encouraging us to exploit all the tricks of the game and look for every little hidden corner in otherwise sadly directive levels.
JVFR
JVFR
If our brief description of the gameplay of Shadow Warrior 3 makes you fear a certain redundancy or a formula that could quickly run out of steam, rest assured (well, if you will). Our journey to destroy the titanic dragon was indeed ridiculously short, as it only took us one evening to get to the game credits. Yes, four hours with Lo Wang was enough for us to complete his new adventure .
A ridiculously short lifespan, especially since the replayability is so to speak absent, unless you want to unlock 100% of Lo Wang's weapon and ability trees. Likewise, while Shadow Warrior 2 featured a solid co-op mode, its sequel inexplicably lacks one, making us feel more like a regression than a sequel. The note of 50 euros is then particularly salty.
Shadow Warrior 3 : l'avis de JVFR
If the uninhibited spirit of Shadow Warrior inhabits this sequel, it is unfortunately sorely lacking in soul and flesh. The whole is however saved by a caustic humor, a sumptuous artistic direction, an impeccable technique, particularly exhilarating fights and sympathetic platforming phases.
Unfortunately, nothing that the title of Flying Wild Hog offers is in itself original, with in particular a universe, as beautiful as it is, secondary as possible. And let's not talk about the price of 50 euros for a truly ridiculous lifespan, without replayability or cooperation, which seems a tad shameful to us. If you are looking for a short FPS, but fun and without the fuss, the game will still satisfy you… provided you wait for promotions. As it is, nothing justifies buying it at full price.
Six years of waiting for a bitter disappointment, and that's good, since that's the rating we give to Shadow Warrior 3.
ShadowWarrior 36
Lo Wang returns after six years in what feels more like a regression than a sequel. Swapping open levels and a hint of action-RPG for a corridor FPS Ã la DOOM Eternal without originality, the game shines with its technique and nervous gameplay, but is cruelly flawed by an uninteresting universe, the absence of coop and a duration shamefully short life.Most
- Nervous fights and nags at will
- Fluid and pleasant movements
- Visually and technically impressive
- Quirky and assumed humor
The lessers
- A scenario ? Can we kill stuff with it?
- Lack of originality
- Ridiculous lifespan that is not worth 50€
- Absence de mode coop
