I still kick myself for not noticing the Shantae series when it started. An Arabian Nights-style aesthetic AND a Metroidvania? How could I not enjoy it? Way Forward has done an amazing job building on each game’s success to make the next one bigger and better. With Shantae and the Seven Sirens, does the series finally hit the big time?
Shantae, our favorite Half-Genie, has been invited along with her friends to Paradise Island to take part in a Half-Genie Festival. Paradise Island is home to several towns, as well as the enigmatic Sunken City that rests beneath it. When the festivities start, the rest of the Half-Genies are mysteriously abducted, leaving Shantae to mount her own investigation/rescue mission. As she explores the Sunken City, she discovers that not only is her nemesis Risky Boots up to something once again, but the Sunken City is home to the eponymous Seven Sirens, ancient enemies of the Genies.
Like other Shantae games, the game utilizes typical Metroidvania gameplay. Players explore a larger world, often taking key items to the right place before entering a dungeon and finding the necessary ability to fully explore the dungeon before facing a boss. What’s changed this time is that the abilities are now split between the series’ traditional dance mechanic and the simple-to-use buttons from what many consider to be the highlight of the series, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse. The end result makes for a game that has fast gameplay with the new transformations happening quickly and the new Dance magic helping once you get space to stand still long enough to cast it. As you get new abilities, the world of Paradise Island and the Sunken City opens up and is filled with plenty of secrets to find. Combined with the fast-paced combat and items, there’s plenty to do and plenty of ways to do it. All of this is helped by some extremely tight and responsive controls, meaning that any mistakes made are entirely the player’s fault.
The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, utilizing incredible hand-drawn 2D animation to bring the world to life. Paradise Island is filled with unique towns and tropical wilderness and the Sunken City’s various areas have unique visual flairs that give them their own identity, ranging from the mines and laboratory of the main hub to the abandoned plant-filled dungeons. The entirety of the Sunken City is reminiscent of Rapture from the Bioshock games, only colorful, without losing any of the claustrophobic tightness. The game also features some amazing animated cutscenes for major moments, all done in the pseudo-anime style that the series is known for. Complimenting this is the soundtrack, filled with tunes that range from fun and bouncy to tense and mysterious. The voice acting during non-animated scenes and the gameplay can be a tad repetitive, but still charming.
As with most Shantae games, there’s plenty of replay value with extras that can be unlocked based on both item collection and speed of completion. Then there’s New Game Plus that’s unlocked after beating the game that not only gives Shantae a new outfit but increases her magic while lowering her defenses and that’s just what’s available in the base game. If it’s anything like its predecessor, Half-Genie Hero, there could be new gameplay elements added with DLC.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens is definitely a highlight for the series, building on the jump to HD from its predecessor while finally finding a way to match the traditional dance and transformation mechanics with the speed and ease of use from Pirate’s Curse. It’s a fun adventure for newbies to the Metroidvania genre to jump into, and possibly the best adventure Shantae has had yet. If this game doesn’t convince you to check out the rest of the Half-Genie’s adventures, I don’t know what will.
A digital PS4 copy was provided for the purpose of review. Shantae and the Seven Sirens is available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS (Apple Arcade), and Steam. More information can be found on the official website. For more of my reviews, check out my take on the return of a classic beat-em-up series, Streets of Rage 4 or my thoughts about the film My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising.
