For example, magic is built up via a meter, and you can use the attack once before having to refill the meter. Most fighting is going to be done using some simple kick and weapon combos, as they're much easier to dole out compared to other attacks. Movements are deliberate and a bit slow, so every attack you make is a commitment - so much so that players who don't adjust to the slower pacing will leave themselves open.Įvery hit lands hard, so even simple elbow swipes take away a good deal of health from the opponent. The fact that almost everyone uses a weapon in combat certainly makes the comparison easy to see, but the actual fighting is also reminiscent of the SNK classic. The game is presented as a 2D fighter, and while that might instantly conjure up a gameplay style similar to Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, you're given something closer to Samurai Shodown. It makes the shadows stand out more, but having lusher backgrounds would certainly have been preferable. It stands out so much that you'll almost forgive the backgrounds, which use a palette of bland colors and hardly any animations.

It achieves a level of fluidity that's rarely seen, even in fully textured polygon-based fighters or very good sprite-based animated ones.

The characters are large, and without other elements to worry about, the animation for each move is absolutely smooth. It's an interesting aesthetic choice, but it works out in the game's favor when it comes to the graphical presentation. While otherwise inconsequential to the greater scheme of the game, the story explains the title's trademark feature: using shadows in place of fully textured fighters. To atone for his great sin, he sets off on a quest to defeat the demons that are now lording over the land. Those demons tore him asunder, but the power of the gate caused him to survive as a shadow. While seeking out opponents, his hubris led him to opening the Gate of Shadows and releasing the demons trapped there. In Shadow Fight 2, you play the role of a fearsome warrior whose undefeated streak caused him to become very full of himself. Shadow Fight 2 is an exception, as it premiered on mobile platforms to good reviews, prompting the expansion to consoles - starting with the Nintendo Switch. Fighting games, however, aren't a genre you'd normally associate with the mobile space, even though the more successful ones have been re-imaginings of their console relatives. Puzzle games, platformers, racing games, and even a few RPGs have proven that they can originate on iOS and Android and end up being very good platform titles with more physical control schemes. When games originate in the mobile space and then migrate to the PC or a dedicated gaming platform, there are a few genres that make sense.

Shadow fight 3 review