I’m a big fan of the Shantae games. They’re great looking, slick, and happy blue-skies Metroidvania games, and this – the latest in the series – is no exception.
This time round, Shantae augments her whippy hair with instant transformations into animals, which are unlocked as you progress. A turtle that smashes through rocks, a newt that can climb walls, and a frog who can swim, for example. Where dances in previous games transformed you into animals, these transformations happen when you’re in the right places or press the right buttons, and dances are now triggers for other special powers. For instance, you can activate machinary and turn lights on with a lightning power, or reveal hidden items and areas with a special second-sight ability.
I’ve played all the Shantae games, and I’m pretty sure they’re getting easier. It’s not really a complaint, but Seven Sirens is much, much easier than previous titles in the series. Once you get some of the special dances, you can wipe out most baddies with ease, and the number of health regeneration collectables you get is absurd especially since you rarely need them. In fact, I only used a handful on a couple of the bosses and that was it!
But, it’s a lot of fun. The music is incredible and as always the animation is top notch. Wayforward certainly know how to make pretty platform games which sound amazing.
