Shadow Fight 4: Arena Game Cover

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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Phone
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet

Reviews

50%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,000 reviews
graphics1,190 positive mentions
monetization277 negative mentions
  • Stunning graphics and smooth gameplay.
  • Deep mechanics and variety of characters.
  • Engaging combat that requires strategy.
  • Frustrating pay-to-win mechanics that create an unfair advantage.
  • Frequent network issues and technical defeats, even with stable connections.
  • Unbalanced matchmaking that often pits lower-level players against much higher-level opponents.
  • graphics1,624 mentions

    The graphics of "Shadow Fight 4" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and smooth animations, often described as some of the best in mobile gaming. Players appreciate the detailed character designs and the overall aesthetic, which enhances the combat experience. However, many users have reported issues with lag and connectivity, which detracts from the gameplay despite the impressive graphics. Additionally, some players express frustration with the matchmaking system, feeling that it often pairs them against opponents of significantly higher levels, undermining the enjoyment of the game.

    • “The graphics are stunning, fluid gameplay, and engaging storyline make Shadow Fight 4 irresistible.”
    • “The graphics are amazing for mobile and the mechanics are good too.”
    • “The graphics are great, optimized well overall but I do wish that the ranked mode was actually equal.”
    • “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.”
    • “I have been very disappointed from this game not because of graphics and any technical problems but because of that trash shards system.”
    • “The graphics are mind-blowing but the controls suck.”
  • gameplay904 mentions

    The gameplay of Shadow Fight 4 is praised for its stunning graphics and smooth mechanics, offering an engaging experience with diverse character abilities. However, many players express frustration over frequent connectivity issues, lag, and an unbalanced matchmaking system that often pits lower-level players against significantly stronger opponents, leading to a pay-to-win environment. Additionally, the gameplay can feel repetitive and is marred by bugs and glitches that disrupt the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay is amazing and the graphics are good.”
    • “Great game, phenomenal graphics, awesome engaging gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fun but extremely repetitive.”
    • “Even with Shadowpass, the rewards for gameplay are slim. After a couple of months, the rewards are even worse now. Ads marathon is a joke: 200 gems for 4 ads????”
    • “Frustrating gameplay experience ruined by opponent network issues. I had high hopes for Shadow Fight Arena 4, but my experience playing this game has been nothing short of disappointing.”
    • “The game is lagging a lot even if I have a Wi-Fi router next to me. I made sure that everything is alright, but still, it's the same issue over and over, ruining my gameplay and the fun. It's really not a good experience with this game.”
  • story592 mentions

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the graphics and potential of the storyline but expressing disappointment over its execution. While some find the narrative engaging and reminiscent of previous installments, others criticize the lack of depth, challenging difficulty, and the perception that it is overly reliant on pay-to-win mechanics. Additionally, players have noted issues with matchmaking and connectivity that detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration in progressing through the story mode.

    • “The story pulls you in, taking you through varied landscapes, and the gameplay keeps you on your toes with unexpected twists.”
    • “The stunning graphics, fluid gameplay, and engaging storyline make Shadow Fight 4 irresistible.”
    • “The action, animation, and the storyline all leave a stunning impression on lovers of fighting games.”
    • “The story mode is mediocre at best and the game keeps crashing sometimes.”
    • “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).”
    • “The game has literally became unplayable, you have the stupid matchmaking, they reduced the amount of energy for the story mode, every single event is an impossible cash grab, this game literally has no salvation.”
  • monetization372 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players describing it as overly aggressive and heavily reliant on ads and in-app purchases. Users report frequent pop-up ads, long ad durations, and a pay-to-win model that makes progression difficult without spending money or watching numerous ads. While some players appreciate the option to play for free, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the monetization tactics, which many feel detract from the gaming experience.

    • “The gameplay is good, but the microtransactions are vicious.”
    • “Good loot economy and monetization, everything feels achievable; AAA companies should learn from this instead of trying to steal every penny from their customers.”
    • “Great game, no ads unless you want extra rewards.”
    • “The only solution is to spend hundreds of dollars on them, or buy their ad-free subscription that costs ten times what all those ads would have actually paid them.”
    • “If pay to win was a game, this would be it. Not to mention the horrid amount of ads; this game is a cash grab. The game is designed so that the less money you spend, the more you lose and the harder the game is.”
    • “This game is full of ads; its only purpose is to make money. They have trash servers that are not able to run this, and every time I play, it always shows 'no connection'.”
  • stability314 mentions

    The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent lags, freezes, and server connection errors, even when using stable internet connections. Many players experience technical defeats due to these issues, leading to frustration and a loss of progress in matches. Overall, the game is described as unplayable at times due to its numerous glitches and connectivity problems, significantly detracting from the gaming experience.

    • “One of my favorite games! I like the whole shadow series, but this one was very nice with no glitches and bugs.”
    • “Awesome game! No ads, no bugs, no glitches, fun to play. You can even play with friends.”
    • “No glitches, no other issues at all.”
    • “Despite having a good internet connection, gameplay is often disrupted by lag and freezes with server connection errors.”
    • “The game freezes when I try to match up both in ranked and in tournaments, then there's no going back or forth; we need to close and open the game again to see the match status as 'draw' or 'lost'.”
    • “The game is full of bugs and glitches, and the support is also trash. This has happened to me multiple times that the game just freezes for you and your opponent, and there is no way out except quitting. This has lost me over 600 rubies when playing the expensive challenges.”
  • optimization135 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant network issues, lag, and poor performance even on high-end devices. While some users noted improvements following updates, the overall sentiment indicates that the game still requires better optimization, particularly for lower-end devices and network stability. Frequent connectivity errors and frame drops during gameplay continue to frustrate players, detracting from an otherwise enjoyable experience.

    • “The game is improving day by day with performance-wise and game mechanics-wise... one of my favorite games of all time! 💙🫶🏻 I love this game a lot!”
    • “Overall game performance, graphics rendering, sound quality, and visuals are fascinating.”
    • “It's an amazing game; the graphics are great but need some optimization in stability on the network. It seems the network goes down only in the game server; all other functions in the mobile network are working except the game. Try to improve and diagnose this error.”
    • “The game is very good, but its optimization is very poor. Even with a good network, it always says to check the internet, and I lose in ranked matches.”
    • “Network optimization is the biggest drawback of the game, as mentioned by other players. It frequently shows connection errors and causes lag during fights.”
    • “This game is not optimized properly; I experience insane amounts of lag during fights, and the frame rate is poor even on low settings. I can play other online games with much less lag.”
  • grinding94 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest significant hours to unlock characters and upgrades without spending money. Many users feel that the rewards for grinding are not worth the effort, leading to frustration and a sense of imbalance, especially in competitive play where pay-to-win elements exacerbate the grind. Overall, while some players find enjoyment in the game, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding detracts from the overall experience.

    • “For a mobile game, it's really good. It's fun, not too grindy, but you can't just go from zero to hero.”
    • “Not too grindy; just trying to win events does feel that way.”
    • “The dynamics and feel of the game are really good, but after you play for a while, it can feel very grindy.”
    • “Unfortunately, they've set it up so that the grinding you have to do is absolutely massive to unlock anything without paying.”
    • “The big issue is the grinding system - I played almost daily for half a year, and I cannot upgrade anything after a certain point.”
    • “It's impossible to enjoy the game when grinding takes a million hours.”
  • music84 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing frustrating bugs such as sudden music stoppages, sound effects continuing despite being muted, and music playing in the background even after exiting the game. While some users appreciate the soundtrack and its contribution to the game's atmosphere, others feel that it lacks variety and has not been updated sufficiently. Overall, the music enhances the gaming experience for some, but persistent technical issues detract from its enjoyment for many players.

    • “Music gives you a war-like feel.”
    • “Outstanding graphics, superb gameplay, and what a background music, just puts me in high energy and thrill every time I play it.”
    • “Music is another thing which I love in this game, including the music of Shadow Fight 2 and 3.”
    • “The game music turns off suddenly, creating a lot of discomfort. I need to quit the game and reopen it for the sound or music effects to work normally again.”
    • “I have a problem when I play the game; sometimes it just stops working, and the music and sound also stop. I have to restart the game to get the music and sounds back again, and it's really annoying.”
    • “I always mute the music, but after I restart the game a few times, the setting resets to 100% again, and the music starts playing. It's very irritating.”
  • humor26 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as unintentional, stemming from frustrating gameplay mechanics and matchmaking issues that lead to absurd situations, such as being matched against significantly stronger opponents or experiencing comical bugs. Players find amusement in the exaggerated character interactions and the game's quirks, like ragdoll physics and AI behavior, though many express that these elements can detract from the overall experience. While some enjoy the humor, others feel it highlights the game's flaws, leading to a mixed reception regarding its comedic value.

    • “Game play is hilarious.”
    • “I was not able to stop laughing when I defeated a team of 2 epics and a legendary with only my one rare.”
    • “It's just funny that you put '3D Ninja' in the end of the game title. Hahahahaha! It is just funny to me.”
    • “Maybe make them attack-based, as in they have to actually hit the person before using their power-up, because right now, it seems pretty overpowered, making it unfunny to play against since apparently everyone has one of those characters on their team.”
    • “Would love to see more positive and funny emojis (taunts).”
  • character development15 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised for its stunning graphics, detailed character designs, and engaging gameplay mechanics, which contribute to an immersive experience. However, players express significant frustration with the matchmaking system, citing imbalances in character strengths and unfair matchups that detract from the overall enjoyment and progression. While the aesthetic and character development are top-notch, the matchmaking issues overshadow these strengths for many users.

    • “The character designs, the rewards, the aesthetic, the background, the fighting styles, the abilities, and everything drives the game forward.”
    • “Really great gameplay and character development.”
    • “Top-notch character design and skins.”
    • “Unfortunately, the area this game gets frustrating is matchmaking and how imbalanced the character strengths are.”
    • “There's no way of excelling in character development.”
  • emotional15 mentions

    Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, often feeling frustrated and disappointed due to technical issues, unfair gameplay mechanics, and a perceived lack of balance. Many users report feeling heartbroken over connection problems and the game's monetization strategies, which detract from their overall experience. Despite the game's beauty and previous enjoyment, these negative aspects have led to significant emotional distress and a desire for improvements.

    • “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.”
    • “So many people are emotionally connected with it.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's fun and engaging mechanics, contributing to its replayability, but express frustration with issues like slow matchmaking and technical difficulties that hinder the experience. The desire for more playable characters and better rewards is also noted, indicating that improvements in these areas could enhance the game's overall replay value. Despite these concerns, many are willing to continue playing due to the game's enjoyable nature.

    • “The pay-to-win concept always annoys me, but I keep pushing because of the replay value.”
    • “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 free 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 enhance the replayability.”
    • “The pay-to-win concept always annoys me, but I keep pushing because of the replay value.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 reducing the matchmaking time, optimizing it, and offering more exciting rewards for free to attract players.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

52hMedian play time
166hAverage play time
5-350hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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