Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
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  1. Push Square
    Jan 3, 2017
    70
    A very solid Metroidvania-esque platformer that caters to fans old and new. Everything that is loved about this series remains, while a brand new art style and a simple story put the barrier to entry very low.

Awards & Rankings

57
#57 Best PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 106
  3. Negative: 15 out of 106
  1. SuperkenGaming
    Dec 20, 2016
    6
    Shantae Half Genie Hero
    Shampoo simulator.
    The game starts with a cryptic message from the genie realm. There’s a dark force wanting to use    Shantae Half Genie Hero
    Shampoo simulator.
    The game starts with a cryptic message from the genie realm.
    There’s a dark force wanting to use the genie magic for evil.
    And naturally it’s up to you, Shantae to save the day.
    This is a metroidvania styled 2d platformer…
    But unfortunately the emphasis is on the metroidvania part and not the platforming
    this was my first Shantae game and it immediately made a great impression…
    The game doesn’t take itself seriously it all…
    It’s hilarious...
    I was laughing throughout my journey
    You’re first tasked with going to save this village being attacked by pirates and it’s a fairly enjoyable experience.. A great tutorial level...
    Learning your willow smith styled combat whipping your hair back and forth, collecting gems along your way to spend at shops for new attacks like fireballs... and taking out your first boss…
    Then you get back to town with the stolen blueprints.. Your uncle works on this machine to stop this dark force and in the meantime you go help the town’s people…
    Don’t let the colorful, happy first level fool you…
    This is when the game really starts...
    This is a fetch quest trade Item a for item b and then item b for item c and item c for item you get the point…
    You trade items for other items you need to progress through the story and build this machine…
    The search for these items will take you to different levels in the world…
    and sadly there are only 6.. yet reaching the end is going to take you around 7 hours…
    Because this game forces a rinse and repeat gameplay loop…
    There’s an insane difficulty spike from level one to level 2.. Its brutal…
    Explore these levels for new upgrades and new magic forms to reach new areas of the other levels…
    The game relies on this to offer any bit of substance…
    It wants the player to revisit each of the 6 levels numerous times and it isn’t as simple as waiting until you hit a hard boss or level and going to explore for something to help you…
    No, the items requested in these trade deals are in a level you already beat in an area previously inaccessible… but is now accessible thanks to your new transformation
    its basically get ability in level 1 to reach an ability in level 2
    Use level 2s ability to reach an ability in level 1 to get to an ability in level 3 that you need to get to an item in level 2…
    Its constant back and forth between the same 4 levels.
    None of which are fun to re explore…
    And only 1 being fun the first time... that being level 1 with the pirates…
    That isn’t to take away from the gameplay though... its fun…
    There’s a variety of forms shantae can switch into like a monkey to climb walls, and a mermaid to swim under water…. And there are a handful of moments where you have to switch through these forms platforming and attacking…
    These are the best moments in the game…
    But getting from checkpoint to checkpoint isn’t so fun….
    the checkpoints are extremely inconsistent and frustrating…
    Their placements make 0 sense.
    There are very challenging moments in this game with no checkpoints in sight that if you slip up once you’re going to have to redo.. While the simplest and shortest platforming sections will be sandwiched in between 2…
    I’d much rather have a shovel knight system where the checkpoint is placed randomly in level rather than when you exit an area…
    Especially in the volcano level
    there’s an extremely cheap spot in that level that will definitely test your patience as it seems illogical to the games mechanics and feels like something you’ll need to get lucky with to pass
    Shantae the half Genie heroes is a charming game, it’s an addictive and fun game…
    But it’s a shallow experience padded with forced replays.
    I Give Shantae Half Genie Hero
    a 6.5/10    … Full Review »
  2. SMICH55
    Dec 20, 2016
    10
    If there were one word to describe Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, it would be magical. The atmosphere this game creates backs that statement up. IfIf there were one word to describe Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, it would be magical. The atmosphere this game creates backs that statement up. If you are unfamiliar with the Shantae series, they fall under the Metroidvania genre; a 2D, exploration based puzzle platformer. The controls are tight, the music is fun, the graphics are gorgeous, and the story is charming as heck; this all makes for a masterpiece of a game. I want to touch up on the graphics a bit; simply put, this is one the most beautiful games I have ever played. On par with the games made with the Ubi Art engine (Rayman Legends, Child of Light), the style breaths life into the game. Backgrounds and platforms are beautifully hand drawn and shaded in a vector / watercolor style. Character models are drawn similarly, but with an extra dimension added to make them come alive. The game performs very well, with little slowdowns. Unfortunately it is not locked at 60 frames per second, as I encountered a few frame rate drops here and there during hectic sequences, but nothing that detracted from my experience.

    For $20 bucks and a 6-12 hour story with plenty of replayability, buy this game. It is a masterpiece, and any gamer will be doing themselves a disservice by not giving it a try.    … Full Review »
  3. ShioriMate
    Dec 21, 2016
    10
    The last masterpiece of 2D action games in 2016.
    Improved music and sound, graphics, stage design and character animation are all excellent.    The last masterpiece of 2D action games in 2016.
    Improved music and sound, graphics, stage design and character animation are all excellent.
    Simple difficulty is rather an advantage of the game.
    I hope the series will continue to come.    … Full Review »
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