Shantae didn't make much of a dent when she debuted on the Game Boy Color. However, with games like Pirate's Curse and Half-Genie Hero, Shantae has become something of an icon for independent games. Shantae's Arabian-like locale, distinctive dancing, and magic transformations differentiate itself from other platformers on the market. Shantae is associated with consistent quality; there has never been a badly-received installment in the series. Shantae and the Seven Sirens is the latest game in the belling-dancing heroine's franchise. WayForward states it is Shantae's "biggest game to date." The company has succeeded. Shantae and the Seven Sirens combines just about everything fans love about the series into one engaging, tropical campaign.
Those who have played previous Shantae games will feel right at home with the gameplay in Seven Sirens. Being a platform game, Shantae can run and jump. Her main attack is her hair whip. In the shop, she can gain access to special weapons, such as homing missiles, and a barrier. These use magic meter. Although not accessible at first, Shantae gains access to Fusion Magic transformations and dances.
The story begins with Shantae taking a vacation at a tropical resort called Paradise Island. Here, Shantae is going to take part in a half-genie celebration. Shantae meets other half-genie heroes, each with distinctive abilities. The performance goes well, until everything blacks out. Once the lights come back, everyone sees the half-genies have vanished... all except Shantae! The young half-genie hero will have to traverse a large, dangerous world and defeat the sinister Sirens in order to rescue her comrades.
Even Non-Metroidvania Fans Can Enjoy This
Shantae and the Seven Sirens returns to the labyrinth gameplay of Pirate's Curse. The world is big and interconnected, but it never becomes too daunting. The backtracking in Half-Genie Hero was tedious, as it did not mesh well with the level-by-level format. Seven Siren's interconnected world is also more fun to play through than in Pirate's Curse. The world is meticulously placed together. Getting through the areas is enjoyable, never tedious. It's big enough for Metroidvania fans, but perhaps not as expansive as something like Hollow Knight for those who don't enjoy the more complex games in the genre.
For platforming obstacles, there are sections like Shantae having to time jumping on moving blocks, and underwater platforms where hitting a spiked enemy results in a do-over. The game could have used more fun platforming challenges like these. For the combat, hair whipping is the same as always. As usual, Shantae gains access to different dances and transformations. For example, she can later turn into a frog for diving into water, or into a tortoise for breaking rocks. These abilities are utilized wonderfully for traversing new areas. Fusion Dances also play a big role. There are four in all, each with a distinctive, fun ability.
Fun Collectible Cards, Though Combat Can Be Too Easy
The big new feature of Seven Sirens is the Monster Cards. These are collectibles that can power-up Shantae in a certain way, like making her crawl faster, or having a higher drop rate for gems. They are certainly fun to sift through and decide which three are most useful to the player. Longtime Shantae players will probably find using them makes the game easier than it already is, though.
Seven Sirens can be challenging, but it's hard to feel like one is in mortal danger since it's quite easy to acquire health items. Gems are easily acquired as well, especially with a particular Monster Card, so most players will have likely cleaned out the shop of the good stuff before the game's end. Also, the Quake Dance makes Shantae overpowered when dealing with the stronger minions. Because of all this, later sections become more about spamming abilities, weapons, and health items rather than using skill. This is prevalent in the opening battle against the Empress Siren. It should utilize skill in a chaotic situation, but comes down more to spamming health/magic items and weapons from the shop.
The boss battles are almost always well-designed, and make use of the magical ability introduced in the level. For example, the frog transformation is needed for dodging the Angler Fish Siren's underwater projectiles, and tortoise is necessary for the Tubeworm Siren. The bosses would be even better if Shantae didn't have access to so many health items throughout the game, but they're still fun regardless. The most memorable is the final showdown. WayForward went all out for this epic battle aesthetically.
Beautiful Visuals
WayForward wasn't kidding when it said 4K-resolution visuals for the most robust consoles. The environments are gorgeous. This is easily Shantae's greatest looking game yet. The soundtrack is solid, giving the main locale an appropriately tropical feel. Good luck getting the excellent Dungeon or Coral Mine themes out of your head.
From the onset, Seven Sirens feels like Shantae's biggest adventure yet. The opening was done by anime company Studio Trigger. Throughout the game, there are fully animated cutscenes giving life to the story (Shantae show, when?). The new half-genie heroines are all fun characters; one can easily see someone like Harmony headlining her own spinoff game.
Get Ready For An Upbeat Adventure
Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an inviting game. From the onset, it's hard not to get sucked in with the tropical setting, and new characters. The humor can be very clever. The action starts right away, introducing players to what could be the greatest world in the Shantae games yet. At six to eight hours for the main playthrough, the game isn't too long, but there are still things to do for completionists. Combat can be easy, but this shouldn't wreck the enjoyment too badly. Shantae continues to show why she is the queen of independent games.
A PC review code for Shantae and the Seven Sirens was provided to TheGamer for this review. Shantae and the Seven Sirens is available now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Apple Arcade.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens