Shantae Half Genie Hero is the 4th release of the Shantae game series made by Wayforward game company. The game follows the same 1/2 genie girl Shantae presumably sometime after Pirates Curse, and brings back much of the classic formula from the older games back to the equation.
The game is one of the better games funded by Kickstarter, and puts hope that Kickstarter can still be used as opportunities for smaller developers to fund games that they might not be able to do at the time. 1/2 Genie Hero is a great platformer and is a ton of fun with all the fetch quests you can do...but it is unfortunately very small. Smaller than pirate's curse. The difference between the two that doesn't put it down to 3/5 for me is that the game is being updated over time, and soon more elements of the game will be released. Unfortunately Wayforward is a very small company and clearly does not have the resources to handle that consistently so we will have to wait for awhile before the whole game as it's intended form to be will be ready.
GAMEPLAY: The gameplay of 1/2 Hero takes itself somewhat backwards. It goes back to a hybrid of the first and second game in the series. You go around, whipping creatures with your hair, progressing through the levels, and using your belly dances to transform into a variety of animals; or even utilize a number of spells. Throughout the game, you'll acquire gems that you can use to spend on upgrades to enhance your ability to fight and defend yourself. The game's platforming is done very well, and it does require you to observe the surroundings before you attempt anything, and the enemies are dangerous. It falls short due a number of factors. Many times, it forces you to acquire powers that I consider better used as rewards for finding them rather than needed...and some of them require you to explore in areas that just don't make sense to backtrack to. In addition, the magic system in game is just completely broken. If you manage to find all the keys for all the concept and fan art, you are given an item that makes it so you spend no magic to use your spells. Once you acquire the invincible shield spell, its gg you won. You literally cannot be killed aside from environmental hazards. The other major problem is while the game is challenging in the beginning, it fails to become so near the end. Because of all the items you can buy/find, at some point, you'll be too jacked on resources to die. It literally won't happen if you are even somewhat intelligent. And finally...the final complaint of this game (and mind you...this is a big one)...the game is disappointingly short. Too short. I only played it 5 hours and beat the game with 100% completion. Pirates curse and Risky's revenge I got around 7-9 hours in, so this game clearly faltered in length. While the overall game in challenge and theme is lackluster, the fetch quest portion is amazing. Most of the items are hidden very well, and it is hard to spot them at times. If you are going for 100%, you will then be challenged as compared to trying to beat the game. And that part is more fun than the standard game.
It is important to note that at the time of this review, a hard mode was released by Wayforward that does rectify all the issues I have brought up in terms of difficulty. I recommend you try that, as the standard game is too easy. In addition, Wayforward will be adding more chapters over time so a year from now my complaints may not be valid.
GRAPHICS: Wayforward definitely did a good job at making the game look nice. It looks beautiful actually. All of the areas have a 3D environment to them, and the glorious HD does the game justice. Shantae looks extremely pleasing to look at as well as everyone else, and all the particle effects are hypnotizing. If you want a game that looks nice, this is that game.
MUSIC AND SOUND: Okay...just like before, it is abundantly apparent where literally most of the game's budget went to. This soundtrack...kicks...ass! All of the music is on point. From one second you can be listening to smooth jazz that makes you relax, and the next moment your headbanging to the kick ass beats that come from this game. The only fatal flaw of the soundtrack (to me) is that burning town doesn't sound as interesting as it did before...the pirate curse's version sounded much better. And the boss theme...it doesn't sound as upbeat. Still the soundtrack is kick ass...so much so I highly recommend you get the Risky beats version.
The voices are...well...they're good for the lines that are there. It would have been great to see this fully voiced but budgets are budgets. Sound effects fit the setting. Not much more to say.
STORY: It's a Shantae game. It'll be ridiculous at times. Not bad...just way out there. Pirate's Curse had better writing...and even then there was weird crap in there. Just accept whatever the story throws at you.
All in all, Shantae Half Genie Hero is a fun platformer that brings you back to when it was struggling and still putting out high quality games. My hope is that Wayforward manages to release all they promised, but that does not seem like it will happen. Still though, it is a good game and I did have fun playing it, regardless of how short it was.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2016
Style: WiiUVerified Purchase
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a phenomenal addition to the series. I've played all of the games in the franchise over the past six months, so it's easy for me to compare them.
The graphics in this game are a departure from the pixelated, retro influenced look the series has been known for, but it's a nice change. The characters look crisp, and the game feels like a higher budget production.
The music is beyond incredible and is perhaps my favorite in the series. Jake Kaufman returns again and has created tracks that are catchy and impressive on a technical level. The production and mixing is clean, and the chord progressions are jazzy and complex. A physical soundtrack is included on a CD which is a fantastic bonus. I'd buy this game purely for the soundtrack.
The writing is good in Half-Genie Hero, but I don't think it's the best the series has to offer. I found Pirate's Curse to be wittier, but the writing in this current game is far from bad. A few jokes landed flat for me, but I still find the game to be charming and funny in a style Nintendo games present.
The controls are incredibly tight, and I never felt that I died unfairly. Genie transformations make a return and are bountiful, ranging from useful alterations to comical ones.
I was initially a bit worried about purchasing this game for the Wii U. Shantae, for me, belongs on a Nintendo system, and I'd love to see her in an iteration of Smash Bros. However I was afraid that the Wii U edition might not run smoothly in comparison to the PS4 version, but the gameplay is fluid and enjoyable.
My only gripe specific to the Wii U edition is that Risky's Revenge and Pirate's Curse use the gamepad for quick access to the map and inventory screens while Half-Genie Hero does not take advantage of this. I don't know how difficult that is to implement, but I find that Shantae and Zelda games do benifit from a second screen.
The Metroidvania progression system present in all prior games is found in Half-Genie hero, but I would not call the game open world. Shantae flies on a large bird to "worlds" that can be revisited again throughout the campaign as you uncover transformations, but you cannot walk past the edge of an area to reach a new region like previous titles allowed. This is a step in the wrong direction to me as it makes for some awkward save screens with just a plain black background and the old man that allows you to save. I miss running through a forest to find an old man in a random, but useful, spot that allowed me to save. It was comical but also helped build the world of Shantae.
My gripes with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero are slim. If you've played any of the games in the series, you know what to expect and will likely be satisfied with the experience. If you've never played a Shantae game, this is a love letter to the platforming genre and a welcoming place to enter the series.
The graphics in this game are a departure from the pixelated, retro influenced look the series has been known for, but it's a nice change. The characters look crisp, and the game feels like a higher budget production.
The music is beyond incredible and is perhaps my favorite in the series. Jake Kaufman returns again and has created tracks that are catchy and impressive on a technical level. The production and mixing is clean, and the chord progressions are jazzy and complex. A physical soundtrack is included on a CD which is a fantastic bonus. I'd buy this game purely for the soundtrack.
The writing is good in Half-Genie Hero, but I don't think it's the best the series has to offer. I found Pirate's Curse to be wittier, but the writing in this current game is far from bad. A few jokes landed flat for me, but I still find the game to be charming and funny in a style Nintendo games present.
The controls are incredibly tight, and I never felt that I died unfairly. Genie transformations make a return and are bountiful, ranging from useful alterations to comical ones.
I was initially a bit worried about purchasing this game for the Wii U. Shantae, for me, belongs on a Nintendo system, and I'd love to see her in an iteration of Smash Bros. However I was afraid that the Wii U edition might not run smoothly in comparison to the PS4 version, but the gameplay is fluid and enjoyable.
My only gripe specific to the Wii U edition is that Risky's Revenge and Pirate's Curse use the gamepad for quick access to the map and inventory screens while Half-Genie Hero does not take advantage of this. I don't know how difficult that is to implement, but I find that Shantae and Zelda games do benifit from a second screen.
The Metroidvania progression system present in all prior games is found in Half-Genie hero, but I would not call the game open world. Shantae flies on a large bird to "worlds" that can be revisited again throughout the campaign as you uncover transformations, but you cannot walk past the edge of an area to reach a new region like previous titles allowed. This is a step in the wrong direction to me as it makes for some awkward save screens with just a plain black background and the old man that allows you to save. I miss running through a forest to find an old man in a random, but useful, spot that allowed me to save. It was comical but also helped build the world of Shantae.
My gripes with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero are slim. If you've played any of the games in the series, you know what to expect and will likely be satisfied with the experience. If you've never played a Shantae game, this is a love letter to the platforming genre and a welcoming place to enter the series.
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Eric Lucier
Shantae was born on Nintendo.
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2017Style: WiiUVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Shantae is underappreciated I found I enjoyed the game and the last few game that came ...
Reviewed in Canada on January 29, 2017Style: WiiUVerified Purchase
