Shadow Arena

About

Shadow Arena is a multiplayer role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Pearl Abyss and was released on May 21, 2020. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Shadow Arena" is a brutal battle royale game where 40 heroes face off in fast-paced, action-packed combat. With a focus on strategy and skill, players must defeat their opponents and become the last one standing to claim victory. Engage in intense PvP battles, collect resources, and master various heroes to emerge triumphant in this epic arena showdown.

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53%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,337 reviews

gameplay68 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and smooth gameplay, reminiscent of Black Desert Online.
The combat system is engaging and offers a unique blend of MMO and battle royale mechanics.
The game has potential for growth and improvement, with a dedicated community providing feedback.

The game suffers from severe balance issues, with certain characters being overpowered and others feeling weak.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including desync problems and unresponsive controls.
The monetization model is criticized for being pay-to-win, with high costs for unlocking characters.

gameplay
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
51%
11%
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, with many players praising its fast-paced combat mechanics reminiscent of Black Desert Online, while others criticize the matchmaking issues, bugs, and a perceived decline in depth and balance over time. The combat is described as enjoyable and rewarding, but the game suffers from a lack of players, leading to matches often filled with bots, and some mechanics feel clunky or unbalanced. Overall, while the core gameplay has potential and can be fun, it is marred by technical issues and design choices that detract from the experience.
- “The gameplay is actually nuts, it's like a Nioh PvP with awesome mechanics, with PvE elements to farm for items and to make your own build to become stronger.”
- “Overall gameplay is fun, to be expected from a Black Desert-based combat; it is worth checking out but not sure if it is worth staying in for longer.”
- “I love the gameplay and the mechanics of the game; it has a lot of potential if the proper attention is given.”
- “Gameplay consists of waiting in a lobby to see if there's enough players in your region to start a match (usually not).”
- “Sadly, I can safely say that this game is dead, its charm and soul ripped from its core mechanics.”
- “After a year, this game is barely a shadow of its former self, with reduced mechanics, spawnkilling, permanent maphacks, and most of all with boring and dull gameplay where you just hit mobs for days doing nothing, find the occasional enemy player, destroy them or get destroyed in an instant.”
graphics
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
35%
10%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive high praise for their beauty and detail, often compared favorably to those of Black Desert Online. Many players appreciate the stunning visuals and smooth performance, even on lower-end systems, though some express frustration with limited graphics options and optimization issues. While the graphics are a standout feature, opinions vary on the overall gameplay experience, with some feeling that the visuals are the only strong aspect of the game.
- “Beautifully stunning graphics that aren't too heavy but give very good clarity.”
- “The graphics, characters, and powers look cool.”
- “Graphics are gorgeous, and it runs smoothly even on lower-end specs.”
- “The graphics were shite on my end.”
- “Graphics are absolutely garbage, it literally looks like they lowered the quality from Black Desert by 80%, there's no detail or anything.”
- “Optimisation is probably the worst I have ever seen in a game, fps drops left right and centre with no advanced graphic options to play around with (presets of only low, normal and high).”
optimization
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
46%
25%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including lag and poor UI design. While some users noted that it runs well on mid-range PCs, others experienced severe optimization problems, particularly with the anti-cheat engine and overall system performance. Overall, the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance the user experience and address the various bugs and performance inconsistencies.
- “Game performance could be better across the board, but a mid-range or better PC should get 60+ fps for the entire match on low settings.”
- “Graphics and optimization really live up to the BDO name.”
- “Amazing optimization: this is one of the only games that I don't get any stutters whatsoever.”
- “This game is extremely poorly optimized.”
- “The bad: this game has severe optimization issues and desync from laggy servers.”
- “Oh nearly forgot to say, the performance is terrible for the visual quality the game is giving you.”
grinding
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The reviews highlight a mixed sentiment towards grinding in the game, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it comes to farming for in-game currency and unlocking characters. While some appreciate the balance compared to other games like Black Desert Online, others express frustration over the slow progression and the dominance of players who have invested more time or money into the game. Overall, grinding is seen as a necessary but often unenjoyable aspect that detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The resources and gear on the map are easy to come by, which makes the grinding experience more enjoyable.”
- “You will spend most of a game farming mobs and minibosses in order to get buffs and gold for the item shop.”
- “Commonly shared gripe with the game is the absolute difficulty of farming heroes with in-game obtainable silver.”
- “Even when farming goblins, it'll take around 25 hours to grind one free hero.”
stability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, bugs, and unresponsive interfaces that significantly hinder gameplay. Players experience frequent freezes, particularly in menus and during combat, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. While some acknowledge the game's potential and fun elements, the overwhelming technical issues make it difficult to recommend in its current state.
- “But the overwhelming amount of bugs/glitches/etc. are just too much to keep playing.”
- “All of the menus are broken and unresponsive; I don't know how anyone would think to release a mess this bad. It's so choppy and buggy feeling I just wanted out of it.”
- “Got some technical issues with anti-cheat software; sometimes if you click the wrong thing in the menu, the game freezes and the only way out is a restart of the computer while you're looking at a text warning saying 'game security violation detected.'”
monetization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
27%
59%
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a "cash grab," with many reviewers highlighting the presence of predatory microtransactions and a grind-heavy system that makes unlocking content excessively difficult. While some players appreciate the game's quality, they express frustration over the manipulative business practices and the reliance on a freemium model, suggesting that the monetization detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game could have been great if not for its aggressive monetization tactics.
- “For now the battle pass is free, but my guess is it's where the monetization will be when the full game is released.”
- “The game uses the same monetization model that games like League of Legends are using.”
- “As for monetization, it's a bit of a mixed bag.”
- “Yep, this is a freemium cash grab before they even finished it.”
- “Game is a cash grab... it would take the average player about 400 games to unlock one champion.”
- “It's just another lazy attempt to squeeze out some more money from the players with predatory microtransactions the Black Desert was widely known for, using the least amount of resources possible.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players feeling disconnected from the lore, especially if they are unfamiliar with the broader Black Desert Online narrative. While there are side quests and a system that allows players to carry over items from previous matches, the overall storytelling is deemed simplistic and insufficient, leading to a low rating from users. Many reviewers suggest that the game would benefit from more substantial narrative content and character customization options to enhance the experience.
- “Graphics, story, animation—whatever I'm missing, it's just a great game.”
- “Each round is fresh; you can keep one item from a previous round if you won. You can't use the item until you kill a certain number of enemies in-game, and the quest varies each round, so nobody is overpowered at the start.”
- “There's a system that allows you to bring an item over from your previous match. When you bring the item, it gives you a quest to kill a few mobs, which varies based on the rarity of the item. By the time you finish that quest, you probably already dropped something even better. I actually think it's a good system and doesn't make your previous match pointless to play.”
- “A lot of MOBA players might not know where the story or characters are coming from in the game.”
- “Lore/story 2/10 (really nothing going on here, and if you are like me and don't know the full Black Desert Online story, then this falls pretty short of a convincing story). I would look to games like Apex Legends or Fortnite here, which have told a story and pulled off great gameplay.”
- “Since the player cannot customize the character, this game could have been better with a story and PvE content.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
Character development in the game is highlighted by superb character design and fluid animations, drawing positive comparisons to the Black Desert series. However, criticisms arise regarding the interface's functionality and the perceived sexism in character aesthetics, which may alienate potential players beyond a specific demographic. Overall, while the visual aspects are praised, they are marred by significant usability issues.
- “Animation, graphics, character design, skills, all so perfect.”
- “It was once a unique and fun take on the 'battle royale' genre with the awesome character design and combat of the Black Desert series.”
- “Character design is superb, as is the movement (walk/run/climb/jump) and skill animation.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with any of the characters.”
- “There is a lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth, leaving the experience feeling flat.”
- “The character arcs are predictable and clichéd, failing to provide any real depth or engagement.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it genuinely funny and entertaining, others feel that gameplay imbalances detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the presence of amusing bugs adds to the comedic aspect, though some frustrations, like the lack of an uninstall option, also contribute to the humor in a more absurd way. Overall, the game's humor elicits both laughter and existential contemplation.
- “It was so funny!!”
- “I normally write funny reviews, but this game had me laughing while at the same time questioning the future of humanity.”
- “But it's still in alpha, so expect funny bugs.”
- “This game is heavily unbalanced, which makes it not funny to play.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced throughout the game.”
- “I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes are stale and unoriginal.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
While some users note that the game is more playable now, many feel it lacks sufficient content and depth in combat mechanics, resulting in low replayability. The absence of intricate challenges and engaging PvE elements fails to encourage players to return for multiple playthroughs.
- “The game offers a variety of choices that make each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and different character builds, there's always a new way to experience the story.”
- “The dynamic world changes with each playthrough, encouraging players to explore different strategies and approaches.”
- “However, the game lacks content; it has very little replayability value.”
- “I don't think the combat is truly deep enough to warrant replay value and keep the game alive. There aren't enough intricate and dangerous mechanics for players or PvE monsters that require smart plays and separate the good gamers from the bad.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is described as fun and engaging, enhanced by enjoyable characters and cool monsters. While online play can be challenging due to a limited player base during late hours, the presence of AI teammates provides a satisfactory alternative. Overall, players appreciate the game's immersive environment and the absence of pay-to-win mechanics.
- “The atmosphere in this game is incredibly immersive, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
- “The world is beautifully crafted, with stunning visuals and a soundtrack that perfectly complements the gameplay.”
- “Each environment feels unique and contributes to the overall mood, drawing players deeper into the experience.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's music is currently limited, with some users noting sound bugs and a lack of background music during gameplay; however, the startup theme is well-received and complements the game's atmosphere. Future updates may address the music issues.
- “When starting up the game, you will encounter a nice music track that fits perfectly with the game's atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack enhances the overall experience, making each moment feel more immersive and engaging.”
- “The music selection is diverse and complements the gameplay, adding depth to the overall experience.”
- “There are some sound bugs, and there's no music in the game, but it may change in the future.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional investment in their main accounts, feeling a sense of attachment that drives them to engage with the game. However, this emotional connection is marred by frustration and disappointment due to persistent bugs, such as desync issues and the invisible glitch, which detract from the overall experience.
- “The progress towards my main BDO account made me feel a sense of investment that brought me to the arena.”