Shadow Warrior has been around for a long time. This is a series that first made its debut in 1997 before going into a decade-long hiatus. Since its 2013 re-emergence, Shadow Warrior has once again become a household name. Whether you stan Zilla, Lo Wang, or Hung Lo, Shadow Warrior is there for you.

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Mixing Asian stereotypes with some of the best FPS gameplay the world has ever seen, Shadow Warrior has always been on the cutting edge. Whether that's the cutting of the genre or the cutting edge of outrage. We are ranking every game in the series, but as a general rule, if you can’t stomach dated jokes from the nineties, you may want to give some of these a miss.

4 Shadow Warrior (2013)

Shadow Warrior Lo Wang with sword fighting demon

Shadow Warrior was the reboot Shadow Warrior needed. After over a decade of stagnation, Lo Wang came back with a vengeance. This reboot does exactly what a reboot needs to do. It took the outlandish humor and gameplay of the original and updated it across the board. Gone are the racial stereotypes and over-the-top voice clips. That being said, you will still want to slap Lo Wang by the end of the game.

The gameplay is fast, frenetic, and generally pretty good. Mixing the tried and tested sword and gun gameplay of the original with some supernatural and mystical elements gave Shadow Warrior a unique flavor that a straight remake or reboot wouldn’t have had. Alas, one game has to be the worst, and Shadow Warrior comfortably fits that role.

3 Shadow Warrior 2

Shadow Warrior 2 Multi-shot Mod

Shadow Warrior 2 is the third entry in the series, and the sequel to Shadow Warrior’s reboot, Shadow Warrior. Shadow Warrior 2 is a mighty fine game, building on the gunplay, jokes, and octane of the games that came before it.

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The reason for this is that the game is a bit messy. The developers pivoted the game towards the looter-shooter subgenre, and whilst it works, it doesn’t feel like Shadow Warrior - especially if you have a history with the series. Think Asian Borderlands. On the plus side, it hasn’t aged quite as poorly as Shadow Warrior 2013, and is still a blast to play.

2 Shadow Warrior 3

Shadow Warrior 3 railgun

Shadow Warrior 3 is excellent. It’s a bit on the short side, but the gameplay it offers in that runtime is intoxicatingly good. Like with Shadow Warrior 2, Shadow Warrior 3 has another genre shift, only this time it takes cues from DOOM: Eternal.

This shift is exactly what the series needed. Shadow Warrior 3 is by far the fastest game in the series and running, jumping, swinging, and blasting has never felt this good. Not only that, but the gore (a must in any FPS of this ilk) is dialed to perfection. It does stumble here and there, but overall, a cracking entry.

1 Shadow Warrior Classic / Shadow Warrior Redux

Shadow Warrior Lo Wang twin uzis

The original. The classic. The painfully racist. Shadow Warrior is, despite that last point, a fantastic game. It is a game of its time, and you could never get a game published like it today, but that’s almost the appeal. It’s a time capsule of how ridiculous the 90s were. Lo Wang will either disgust you, or he will have you dying of cringe-induced laughter. There is no in-between.

Gameplay-wise, Shadow Warrior still holds up - especially the recent Redux from Night Dive. Build Engine FPS games are some of the best the genre has ever had, and Shadow Warrior stands tall as one of the kings of that already elite group. Gunplay, level design, and weapon roster are all on point. It’s also one of the few games that let you launch nukes at sumo wrestlers - what's not to like?

Next: Shadow Warrior 3: Trophy And Achievement Guide