Shadow Fight Arena

About

Shadow Fight Arena is a multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Nekki Limited and was released on October 29, 2025. It received neutral reviews from players.

Shadow Fight Arena is a fast-paced PvP fighting game featuring a roster of unique Heroes, each with distinct combat styles and special abilities to master. Players can compete in ranked battles, level up their characters, and climb the Leaderboard while also enjoying a story-driven PvE mode. The game offers intense duels against friends and a variety of tactics to explore.

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 384 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

monetization14 negative mentions

The game features smooth and engaging combat mechanics, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate martial arts and tactical gameplay.
The graphics and character designs are visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
The PC version offers improved performance and responsiveness compared to the mobile version, making it a more enjoyable experience for players.

The game is heavily pay-to-win, with players often matched against opponents with significantly higher levels and abilities, making it frustrating for free-to-play users.
The matchmaking system is flawed, frequently pairing players with unbalanced opponents, leading to unfair and unenjoyable matches.
The user interface and controls feel clunky and are not optimized for PC, making gameplay less intuitive and more challenging than necessary.

gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
51%
9%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by tight mechanics and smooth controls, with many players appreciating the fluid animations and character designs. However, it suffers from significant issues such as pay-to-win mechanics, frustrating matchmaking based on hidden balancing systems, and a lack of offline progression, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find it addictive and enjoyable, others criticize the slow pace and excessive mobile game elements that hinder competitive depth.
- “The gameplay feels smoother, the controls are more precise, and the visuals look stunning on a bigger screen.”
- “You’ll love the fluid animations, deep character mechanics, and that signature shadow fight style we all know and enjoy.”
- “Crazy gameplay, so addictive.”
- “Plus the worst offender, no offline gameplay with progression... wow.”
- “It's the game part that continues to suffer because of limitations imposed on the gameplay, such as roguelike mode, levels, perks, weapons, rarities, weird movement, annoying gimmicks, monetization, and so on.”
- “Until these systems are dismantled and replaced with fair, transparent mechanics, Shadow Fight Arena cannot be considered a legitimate PvP experience.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
59%
11%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that the PC version feels like a direct port of the mobile version, lacking significant visual upgrades. While some appreciate the game's aesthetic and character designs, others criticize the graphics as outdated and lacking detail, particularly on larger screens. Overall, there is a strong desire for improved graphics and optimization to better utilize PC capabilities.
- “Amazing graphics and a wide range of heroes.”
- “Great graphics and play style.”
- “The visuals are stunning; character designs and animations are top-tier, easily rivaling bigger fighting titles.”
- “Also, they didn't upgrade the graphics for the PC version; it looks the same as the mobile version.”
- “But when I played on my computer with maximum graphics settings, I realized that the character models are truly questionable, and some don't even blink.”
- “Graphics are absolute garbage for PC.”
monetization
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
30%
61%
The monetization in this game is heavily criticized for its reliance on microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics, making it unwelcoming for new players. Users report a frustrating experience with constant ads and a grind that necessitates spending money to progress meaningfully. While some improvements have been made, such as ad skip options, the overall sentiment is that the game feels like a cash grab, particularly in its PC port, which retains many of the intrusive monetization practices from the mobile version.
- “The only minor downside is that some players might find the grind a bit long or the in-game monetization slightly intrusive, but it doesn’t take away from how enjoyable and polished the experience is.”
- “To get new heroes or upgrades, you literally have to either watch ads (there's no ads on Steam but they give you advertisement coins to count as watching one, and they only give 5 per day) or buy something from the store.”
- “There are microtransactions that do actually impact how players damage others.”
- “This game is definitely not beginner friendly, the game has potential, but a fighting game having a level system where you get matched with late game players is not fun, definitely pay-to-win. The game also encourages you to bombard with ads before you start a game. I guess the only way to enjoy this game is if you pay until your max level so that both you and the opponent have the same tier, but until then, if you have no money, don't bother touching this game.”
- “The gameplay and monetization feel unchanged, and it still leans heavily toward pay-to-win mechanics.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed to negative feedback, with many players expressing disappointment in its execution and lack of engaging content. While some elements and character ideas show potential, the overall narrative is criticized for being shallow, lacking dialogue, and offering little satisfaction upon completion. Additionally, the absence of cinematic animations and a perceived focus on monetization detracts from the storytelling experience, leaving players wanting more depth and reward from the story mode.
- “The reworked story mode feels more engaging and replayable.”
- “Some of the story bits and character ideas are interesting.”
- “Don't get me wrong, events and the story are great but it's just not enough.”
- “I don't recommend this game because it's so bad. There's literally no balance between heroes, especially one that just came out. The game is just pay-to-win; without money, upgrading heroes is very hard because it costs so many coins and cards to level them up. The game has the most wonderful matchmaking I have ever seen before 20th rank—there are just bots, but after 20th rank, you keep facing over-leveled players. The game even has pay-to-win weapons and always the same events with the same elements, same shop, same challenges, and more. Also, the story mode is so bad that some parts don't even have dialogue, so they can talk. This game is very bad; it doesn't deserve the time you spend on it.”
- “It's impossible to play even the story mode.”
- “Finishing a chapter of any story is just a full disappointment; it's not even rewarding enough!”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players praise its ability to run smoothly on low-end devices and commend its performance on PC, others report issues such as long matchmaking times, audio stuttering, and concerns about hidden algorithms affecting gameplay. Some users feel that the game has improved post-update, but there are still complaints about it being a lazy port with no significant optimizations. Despite these criticisms, many players find the game enjoyable and well-optimized for competitive play.
- “It's a great game, the UI is simple and it has everything you need. It's greatly optimized, allowing you to play on low-end devices with high/ultra graphics.”
- “Controls are precise, fights feel more tactical, and overall performance makes every match more intense and satisfying.”
- “I'll be honest, this game is optimized as hell. It deserves every bit of praise from my perspective.”
- “The game actively manipulates your performance through hidden algorithms—your attack speed and blocking are artificially altered between matches to control outcomes.”
- “No optimization, no improvements, just a lazy port.”
- “I also get those connection and lag performance issues while my FPS is literally 300-400.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring significant time investment with little reward, compounded by a reliance on RNG mechanics. Many reviewers express that the game leans heavily towards a pay-to-win model, making it difficult for free-to-play users to progress without spending money. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a major drawback that could deter players from continuing.
- “Almost everything you get here is either super grindy or watch an ad to unlock it, and sometimes when you grind your ass off to get the thing, you probably won't even get it because it's all RNG and gambling.”
- “I can tell you with confidence that this game is pay to win at its finest. Weapon skins actually give you a damage bonus and an additional ability. Leveling up characters with real money increases your health and damage. Nekki says that you can level up characters for free by just playing and grinding, but that's just a straight lie. I have been playing the mobile version of this exact game for 5 years, and I swear to god almost all my characters are still level 8, and that's not the worst part!”
- “It's a pathetic way to keep the players grinding over and over and over again.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game has been praised for its divine quality, contributing positively to the overall experience alongside the animations and art. However, some users have reported audio sync issues during loading screens and menu transitions, which can disrupt the enjoyment of the soundtrack.
- “Plus, the great Lind Erebros has created a divine soundtrack.”
- “I have to say, the animations (except Raikichi's weird snapping) and art and music of the series are still very good.”
- “Maybe there was a design, animation, attack, voiceline, story bit, or music that you really liked.”
- “Sure, I can play matches at 165fps (maximum refresh rate for my screen), but the moment there is any loading screen or menu transition, the fps takes a hit. This happens both during combat and in the menus while in the lobby. The fps drop is usually accompanied by momentary audio sync issues, resulting in annoying cuts to the music. These used to happen in the mobile version as well; upgrading the phone changed nothing either, so it's a fundamental issue in optimization.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the visuals and character designs are praised for their stunning quality and high-level animations, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the game.
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character's backstory and growth.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their personalities and skills changing based on player choices.”
- “The way the game handles character arcs is impressive, making each character feel unique and their journeys truly engaging.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the mobile version of the game more replayable than the PC version due to a subscription option that enhances access and removes ads. Additionally, the reworked story mode has been noted for its increased engagement and replayability.
- “The reworked story mode feels more engaging and replayable.”
- “The mobile version is way more playable than the PC version since you can at least buy a subscription that gives you full access to the battle pass and removes ads completely.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with minimal crashes, eliminating the need for emulators. However, some players have noted issues with character freezing during combat, suggesting occasional gameplay interruptions.
- “Your character freezes while the enemy chains hits like it is scripted.”
- “But I'm happy because I don't need to use an emulator or deal with buggy crashes every time I enter it.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional response to the game is largely negative, with players expressing frustration over its unbalanced matchmaking system that favors experienced, pay-to-win players, making it difficult for newcomers to enjoy. The presence of intrusive ads further detracts from the experience, leading to a sense of disappointment and discouragement among users. Overall, while the game has potential, its current design leaves many feeling overwhelmed and disheartened.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game stemming from the repetitive nature of duels, where opponents often resort to spamming a single move and exiting after being countered, creating a comical and absurd experience.
- “It's pretty fun, but the fact that 90% of the duels are just people spamming one move and then leaving after you counter them is just funny.”