Shadow Fight 4: Arena
- November 3, 2020
- NEKKI
- 19h median play time
Shadow Fight 4: Arena is a fighting game boasting stellar graphics, a wonderful soundtrack, and good mechanics/plot. However, it features excessive grinding, advertisements, and bugs that may dampen the experience. Despite these flaws, it offers engaging PvP and PvE gameplay, allowing you to battle friends or bots in epic 3D battles. Overall, a wholesome story and laughs make it worth trying out.
Reviews
- graphics3,252 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Shadow Fight 4" have received widespread praise for their high quality and impressive detail, often compared favorably to console-level visuals. Players appreciate the smooth animations and character designs, which enhance the overall gaming experience. However, many users have reported issues with lag and connectivity, which detracts from the enjoyment of the graphics and gameplay, leading to frustration during matches. Overall, while the graphics are a standout feature, the game's performance and matchmaking require significant improvement.
“Fantastic graphics and animations, it's easy to see this game has been made with love and a lot of attention to detail.”
“The graphics are great, and the different fighting styles are awesome.”
“The graphics are much better than those of similar games found online.”
“The game doesn't even look good, even worse than Shadow Fight 3 actually (which runs awesome on highest settings on my phone), and still lags more than it on the lowest graphic settings.”
“The only issue would be that even on low graphic settings the game cannot run smoothly even on relatively new phones.”
“I have uninstalled and re-installed the game multiple times and I even tried to change my graphic to the low and minimal settings, but it didn't mitigate the problem at all.”
- gameplay1,649 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Shadow Fight Arena has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its mechanics and graphics but expressing frustration over issues such as slow progression, repetitive gameplay, and unbalanced matchmaking. While some enjoy the combat mechanics and character diversity, others criticize the prevalence of campers and the impact of connection issues on gameplay experience. Overall, the game is seen as fun but marred by technical problems and a pay-to-win model that affects competitive play.
“The gameplay is great, but the queue times are unbearable, +10mins to find a match.”
“Gameplay is very smooth and beautifully made, so props to the developers.”
“The gameplay is awesome, but this multiplayer game has become really bad because of the paid unskilled players with overpowered weapons.”
“One of the most uninspiring games ever, no technical issues just all trash gameplay.”
“The new update has improved nothing about the gameplay.”
“But whatever gameplay 5/10 control are so-so.”
- story1,087 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Shadow Fight Arena" has received mixed reviews from players. While many appreciate the graphics and the potential for an engaging narrative, they criticize the lack of a cohesive story mode, with some describing it as repetitive and lacking depth compared to previous installments like "Shadow Fight 2" and "3." Players have expressed frustration over the difficulty of the story mode, often feeling it is unfairly challenging without significant investment in upgrades or in-game purchases, leading to a perception of the game as "pay-to-win." Overall, while the game has a foundation for a compelling story, many users feel it needs substantial improvements to make the narrative more engaging and accessible.
“Love the story of the shadow world and looking forward to new characters.”
“The story pulls you in, taking you through varied landscapes, and the gameplay keeps you on your toes with unexpected twists.”
“The graphics and story are incredible, making this game a must-play for fans of the genre.”
“The story mode is trash.”
“It's very disappointing 1) no story line 2) same old background 3) players are not online, so no use of special challenges 4) AI fights won't reward you more and thus the game becomes boring.”
“The story mode is near impossible without either spending money or leveling your character like crazy (which is hard to do for free as well).”
- stability595 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, lagging, and connectivity issues during gameplay. Many players experience technical defeats due to these glitches, often occurring just as they are about to win a match. Despite some improvements over time, the persistent bugs and network problems continue to frustrate users, leading to a generally negative perception of the game's stability.
“No glitches, no other issues at all.”
“There are no glitches and lags.”
“It runs great on low-end devices.”
“But the reason why I gave 3 stars is that in 1v1, sometimes the game freezes and before you know it, it fast forwards, the opponent has landed some blows, and half my health is gone.”
“The game freezes while playing with the final opponent in story mode.”
“I have raised many times the issue of game freezes when playing against/with jet, but they haven't fixed it yet.”
- monetization564 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 73 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling that it heavily leans towards a pay-to-win model. Users report being pressured to make in-game purchases for normal progression, and the reliance on watching lengthy ads for rewards is seen as frustrating and insufficient for meaningful advancement. While some appreciate the absence of forced ads, the overall sentiment is that the game is designed to encourage spending, making it difficult for free-to-play players to compete effectively.
“It's very fair, no ads unless you want a reward.”
“Great game, no ads unless you want extra rewards.”
“Good loot economy and monetization, everything feels achievable; AAA companies should learn from this instead of trying to steal every penny from their customers.”
“You are almost expected to make in-game purchases for normal progression.”
“Events are impossible to complete if you won't spend a lot of money; I miss the old Shadow Fight, unfortunately not this cash grab stuff.”
“The in-game purchases are too expensive, and if you choose to play without investing in them, you'll inevitably find it a mammoth task to make further progress in the game.”
- optimization257 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly related to network stability and frame rates, even on high-end devices. While some updates have improved the situation, allowing for better playability on older devices, persistent lag, connection errors, and unresponsive controls remain major drawbacks. Overall, players express a strong desire for further optimizations, especially in network performance and matchmaking systems, to enhance the gaming experience.
“The game is incredibly well optimized and addictive, but I have a few problems.”
“Overall game performance, graphics rendering, sound quality and visuals are fascinating.”
“It has improved optimization really much that it is now playable on old devices too.”
“Very dissatisfied and disappointed; no optimization and runs very poorly. Why, if my opponent's network isn't working, does my game mess up?”
“The game is not optimized at all. Even when I'm connected to Wi-Fi, it says the match was interrupted and I lose.”
“This game is not optimized properly in fights. I get an insane amount of lag sometimes, and other times it's good. I can even play big online open-world games with 70% less lag compared to what I get from this right now.”
- music163 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback from users, with many praising its quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, while others report frequent glitches, interruptions, and a lack of variety. Players express a desire for more original tracks, particularly from previous installments like Shadow Fight 2 and 3, and suggest that the music should better match the action during fights. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated, significant improvements are needed to address technical issues and expand the musical selection.
“Its graphics and music are awesome.”
“Outstanding graphics, superb gameplay, and what a background music, just puts me in high energy and thrill every time I play it.”
“The music behind it makes this game even more intense and leaves a mark of good impression.”
“After playing the game for more than one year, the music and sound effects need to be improved. This game should have arcade-style music and sound effects to make it feel more exciting like famous AAA fighting games on consoles. Other than that, this game is awesome. Hope they fix it.”
“I have a problem with sound; it cracks sometimes. When I try to open some event, the music gets disturbed and continues until I restart the game.”
“The game music turns off suddenly, creating a lot of discomfort. I need to quit the game and reopen it for it to work normally again with sound or music effects.”
- grinding147 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
Grinding in the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, often leading to player frustration and a sense of futility in progression. Many users feel that the rewards for grinding do not justify the effort, especially for free-to-play players, and express a desire for a more balanced and less grind-heavy system. While some players find enjoyment in the grind, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a major drawback that detracts from the game's fun and competitiveness.
“For a mobile game, it's really good. It's fun, not too grindy, but you can't just go from zero to hero.”
“The dynamics and feel of the game are really good, but after you play for a while, the game just gets pay-to-win or very grindy. I would love a game mode where everyone has no competitive advantage!”
“Not too grindy; just trying to win events does feel that way.”
“Grinding every single day to get essentially nothing.”
“The grinding is therefore worth nothing.”
“It's impossible to enjoy the game when grinding takes a million hours.”
- humor44 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its absurdities, such as unbalanced matchmaking, quirky AI behavior, and the amusingly exaggerated reactions of characters during gameplay. Players find themselves laughing at the game's inconsistencies, like defeating stronger opponents with weaker characters and the oddities of the game's mechanics, which can lead to frustrating yet comical situations. Overall, while the humor can be entertaining, it often highlights the game's flaws, making for a mixed experience.
“It's a funny game; I use kite and no one has beaten me yet because the combo is very tricky.🤣”
“I was not able to stop laughing when I defeated a team of 2 epics and a legendary with only my one rare.”
“Nice matchmaking; whoever designed it must be laughing at me very hard.”
“The humor in this game falls flat; it feels forced and lacks genuine wit.”
“The jokes are repetitive and often miss the mark, making the experience less enjoyable.”
“I expected more clever humor, but instead, it feels like a collection of tired clichés.”
- character development25 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Overall, character development in the game is praised for its unique designs and engaging gameplay, with many players appreciating the detailed aesthetics and abilities of the characters. However, frustrations arise from matchmaking issues, where players feel they are often pitted against opponents with significantly higher levels, undermining the character development experience. While the graphics and character design receive high marks, the imbalance in character strengths and matchmaking detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“Really great gameplay and character development.”
“Great game, good character development; each one of them is unique in their own way. This is by far the best PvP game on mobile. Still waiting on more characters though; I know they will be amazing. You guys never disappoint.”
“The character designs, the rewards, the aesthetic, the background, the fighting styles, the abilities, and everything drives the game well.”
“There's no way of exceeding in character development.”
“The character design doesn't really appeal to my taste.”
“Unfortunately, the area this game gets frustrating is matchmaking and how imbalanced the character strengths are.”
- emotional23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express significant emotional distress related to gameplay issues, including bugs, connectivity problems, and perceived unfair mechanics that lead to frustration and disappointment. Many fans feel a deep connection to the game, but recent updates have exacerbated feelings of sadness and anger, particularly regarding the game's balance and the introduction of online elements. Overall, the emotional impact of these frustrations has led some players to abandon the game entirely, highlighting a strong desire for improvements and a return to a more enjoyable experience.
“This game totally messes up with your mental and emotional health.”
“That part truly made me shed a tear.”
“And especially was just so truly heart touching; words cannot describe the series of emotions I felt.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Players find the replayability of Shadow Fight 3 appealing, despite frustrations with the pay-to-win model and technical issues. The ability to play as bosses and the overall fun factor contribute to its replay value, but concerns about matchmaking times and the desire for more playable characters suggest that improvements could enhance the experience further. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, players hope for optimizations to make it more engaging and accessible.
“It's one of the most impactful RPG games that I've ever played in my life, but I think they can make this game a bit more playable by optimizing matchmaking time and offering more exciting rewards to attract players.”
“The game is very fun and enjoyable, but the matchmaking takes so long to find a person to play against. I hope you guys fix this issue in the coming days because it will make the game more enjoyable.”
“The pay-to-win concept always annoys me, but I keep pushing because of the replay value.”
“It truly is a fun game and I love the fact that Shadow Fight 3 bosses are playable characters, but since I have lost a lot of progress because of some technical difficulties, then I am quite done with the game.”
“The game is very fun and enjoyable, but the matchmaking takes so long to find a person to play against. I just hope you guys fix this issue in the coming days because it will make the game more playable; I don't want to play with AI, I want to play with real humans.”