Shantae and the Seven Sirens

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is easily the best in the series and one of WayForward's most enjoyable video games to date.

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In Shantae and the Seven Sirens, Shantae, the belly-dancing half-genie, finds herself in a tropical resort island for a dance competition. However, things take a dark turn when her friends are kidnapped by the Seven Sirens. Join Shantae as she explores the island, battling monsters, solving puzzles, and using her hair-whip and dance moves to save her friends. The game features stunning 2D hand-drawn animations and a variety of new abilities and transformations for Shantae.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 712 reviews

music96 positive mentions

grinding38 negative mentions

The game returns to a Metroidvania style, allowing for exploration and a large interconnected world.
The animated cutscenes and character designs are vibrant and charming, enhancing the overall experience.
The new card system adds a layer of customization to gameplay, allowing players to tailor their abilities.

The game is significantly easier than previous entries, with an abundance of healing items making it hard to die.
Loading times between areas are excessively long, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
Some characters and bosses feel underdeveloped, lacking depth and personality compared to earlier games.

music
222 mentions
43 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in "Shantae and the Seven Sirens" has received mixed reviews, with many fans noting a significant drop in quality compared to previous titles, primarily due to the absence of longtime composer Jake Kaufman. While some tracks are enjoyable and capture a retro chiptune vibe, others are described as bland or forgettable, lacking the catchy and memorable melodies that characterized earlier games in the series. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as decent but not up to the high standards set by its predecessors.
- “The music is a nice, swinging mix of beats and chip-sounds I couldn't help but jam to every now and then, and the colorful backgrounds, cute characters, and bouncy animations are all peak Shantae!”
- “The soundtrack is still pretty good, but the game is very bad about giving you an inkling of what to do next.”
- “The music was amazing and I definitely will regularly listen to some of the songs in the future.”
- “The music lacks an overall identity, I feel.”
- “The music was ehhh, not very special; the only one I can really say I liked was the intro. The only good part of the game is the animations; they're pretty well done (if you can ignore the boring designs of most characters).”
- “For the first time in Shantae's history, Jake Kaufman had no part in the OST, and it shows.”
gameplay
206 mentions
30 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Shantae and the Seven Sirens" is widely praised for its fluidity and refinement, particularly with the transformation mechanics that now allow for instant changes, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the return to a metroidvania style, combining elements from previous titles while introducing new mechanics like collectible monster cards that add customization options. However, some critiques highlight a lack of challenge and repetitive gameplay, with certain mechanics feeling underdeveloped or tedious, leading to mixed feelings about the game's overall difficulty and depth.
- “Seven Sirens brings plenty of new ideas to the series, such as a fully interconnected world map in true Metroidvania style, a collectible card mechanic that provides small bonuses or minor enhancements to abilities, and a streamlined dance/transformation system, with transformations now mapped to a button or automatically triggering when usable, along with gorgeous fully animated cutscenes throughout the game.”
- “The gameplay is so satisfying and well polished; it has this Nintendo platformer quality feel, the writing is great - all the jokes landed for me, and I can say that this is the most hilarious humor in the series so far, and the music... oh man, the music is amazing!”
- “Transformations are faster than ever, and gameplay is fun and diverse.”
- “Honestly a waste of money, the gameplay was really boring, hit enemy, get powers that basically do the same things, buy overpowered powerups from the store and make the game really easy, and the story was the worst part, super generic and very predictable.”
- “Level design, gameplay features, story, puzzles, platforming, secrets, bosses... everything is just so plain and basic.”
- “I found the gameplay to be too repetitive and with so much backtracking.”
story
175 mentions
29 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "Shantae and the Seven Sirens" is generally regarded as lighthearted and entertaining, featuring a mix of humor and charm typical of the series. While some players appreciate the colorful visuals and engaging character interactions, many criticize the plot for being predictable and lacking depth, particularly in its treatment of new characters and lore. Overall, the narrative is seen as enjoyable but not particularly groundbreaking, with a structure that often feels formulaic and reliant on fetch quests.
- “The main plot resolves in a convoluted but pretty interesting way.”
- “The story keeps you invested in what's going on in a straightforward manner.”
- “The story is quirky and fun.”
- “The story is so predictable and shallow that it's ignorable.”
- “Honestly a waste of money, the gameplay was really boring, hit enemy, get powers that basically do the same things, buy overpowered powerups from the store and make the game really easy, and the story was the worst part, super generic and very predictable; Shantae just goes on a very stereotypical hero quest, characters were super flat, and their voices were extremely annoying.”
- “Unlike the past games where the story revolved around the characters and the lore of the world, this game has a pretty generic and predictable storyline with no surprises that is also easily completable in 5 to 8 hours.”
graphics
139 mentions
39 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Shantae and the Seven Sirens" have received widespread praise for their vibrant, hand-drawn art style and smooth animations, particularly in the newly added cutscenes that enhance the overall presentation. While some reviewers noted inconsistencies and a reliance on reused assets from previous titles, the game's visuals are generally considered a significant improvement, offering a colorful and engaging aesthetic that complements its metroidvania gameplay. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's charm and appeal, making it a visually delightful experience.
- “Amazing art style, and amazing mini animated cutscenes.”
- “The graphics are awesome.”
- “The world is pretty amazing, graphically the game looks amazing; the game's cute and fantastic art style is something appealing to look at.”
- “The graphics are back to looking hand-drawn instead of the vapid-looking 3D visuals they had in the previous game.”
- “I was skeptical of this game at first, mainly because the conflicting art styles, obviously reused assets, and cheap animation positively scream low-budget.”
- “The visuals of the game are flat; the world feels like a sort of Atlantis-type fallen city, and every part of the map just feels like that—oh, here's Atlantis but it's blue, here's red Atlantis, and green Atlantis.”
humor
60 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its lightheartedness and charm, featuring classic Shantae quirkiness, funny dialogue, and memorable characters, particularly the fan-favorite Squid Baron. While some reviews note a slight dip in the humor's impact compared to previous titles, many still find it engaging and entertaining, with a mix of fourth-wall breaks and silly jokes that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game maintains a fun and irreverent tone, making it a delightful addition to the series.
- “The gameplay is so satisfying and well polished, it has this Nintendo platformer quality feel, the writing is great - all the jokes landed for me and I can say that this is the most hilarious humor in the series so far and the music... oh man, the music is amazing!”
- “The series' tongue-in-cheek sense of humor is as strong as ever, including the return of fan-favorite side characters like Squid Baron and the Squidsmith.”
- “There are short but beautiful animated cutscenes, tons of fun writing with the same silly sense of humor that we’ve come to expect from the Shantae games, and of course, lots of fan service.”
grinding
39 mentions
8 % positive mentions
-5 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it comes to collecting rare drops and completing the card system. Many reviews highlight the frustration of low drop rates and the repetitive nature of farming for items, which can detract from the overall enjoyment, especially for completionists. While some appreciate the pacing during normal playthroughs, the grind for 100% completion is often described as unfulfilling and unnecessarily complicated.
- “WayForward does a great job with pacing in the Shantae games; at no point do you feel rushed, you don't need to grind, and there are no tedious parts.”
- “The grinding in this game feels rewarding and satisfying, making each level-up a true achievement.”
- “I appreciate how the game balances grinding with engaging gameplay, ensuring that it never feels like a chore.”
- “Drops are rare, so grinding for all the cards takes forever.”
- “I swear I spent an hour grinding the same cards over and over, and more often than not it was from an enemy with an awful drop rate or one that required multiple of the same card.”
- “Completing the game at 100% is pretty tedious, since there is no way of telling which areas you already found everything in, so completing it basically just boils down to trying every power everywhere once you got them all.”
character development
18 mentions
44 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Overall, character development in the game has received mixed reviews. While the character and enemy designs are praised for their vibrancy and fluid animation, many players feel that the depth of character development, particularly for bosses and new half-genies, is lacking compared to previous titles in the series. The storytelling quality remains strong, but some reviewers express a desire for more substantial character arcs and challenges.
- “It matches it in quality of storytelling, character development, amazing music, and amazing visuals!”
- “The character design is as fantastic as it's ever been, with many of the new NPCs and enemies really catching my eye.”
- “Pirate's Curse does it all better, including critical appeal in story and character development.”
- “The lack of character development for the bosses and especially the new half-genies is underwhelming, and the game felt a little too easy with a lack of challenge.”
- “When are we going to be allowed to start saying Shantae games need to start doing something drastically different with their gameplay instead of selling exclusively on the art and character designs?”
- “It's a bit difficult to describe, but it was as if the dialogue and character development was by someone else.”
optimization
16 mentions
19 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
44 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has seen significant improvements, particularly with loading times, which were previously criticized for being excessively long and resource-intensive. While recent updates have resolved many performance issues, some users still report occasional stuttering, especially on lower-end PCs, indicating that further optimization could enhance the experience. Overall, the game is now more playable, but there are still areas that could benefit from additional refinement.
- “As of March 4th, 2021, the performance issues have been resolved, and the load times are amazing now.”
- “I was able to play the game on a GTX 1050 Max-Q with ease, and even if you can't run the game smoothly at first, there are a few options that let you tweak the performance in terms of detail.”
- “Although it needs a bit of optimization for lower-end PCs, especially in the cutscenes where it bugs out, the audio remains fine for me.”
- “The game's biggest flaw is probably its poorly optimized loading screens -- moving between zones causes a huge spike in the game's resource usage, and it often takes several seconds to finish the transition.”
- “I cannot recommend the PC version of this game due to the horrendous performance issues.”
- “Although it needs a bit of optimization for lower-end PCs, especially in the cutscenes, which are just bugging out while the audio is fine.”
replayability
9 mentions
56 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers various modes and challenges that can engage completionists, some players feel that the content does not justify the price compared to other titles. The combat and controls are praised, but concerns about a lack of depth in replayable content and execution of features may leave some players wanting more. Long-time fans may find enjoyment, but new players might consider waiting for a price drop.
- “Controls are at their best here, combat is way faster than it even is in Pirate's Curse, and there's lots of replayability with all of the different modes.”
- “Even with the short story, the game has good replayability with many challenges to complete after beating the game for the first time.”
- “Great metroidvania with a nice bit of replay value for those completionists out there and great humor.”
- “You'd have fun playing it for the first time, but I doubt there will be much replay value.”
- “This nullifies any challenge and replayability.”
- “I wondered if the game was going to be as good as the last one, and to an extent it was. Here I’ll be covering the pros and cons about this game, and why I think there were some decisions that would have made the game a bit more replayable or easier to navigate through.”
atmosphere
9 mentions
78 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its engaging art style and effective music, particularly in specific areas like the lava dungeon, which enhances the overall experience. While some reviewers note that the presentation and level design may detract from the atmosphere compared to previous titles, the integration of talented studios for cutscenes adds a unique charm. Overall, the game is recommended for its atmospheric qualities, especially for fans of platformers and metroidvanias.
- “Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone that was interested in platformers, metroidvanias, and games with a fun art style and atmosphere.”
- “The music is great as well; specifically, the lava dungeon is one of my favorite tracks in the game, but every track in the game is pretty great and creates a wonderful atmosphere for the area you're in.”
- “In Half-Genie Hero, we had a wonderful performance that let us feel the action and epicness of its weird adventure, while Seven Sirens has a very atmospheric feel to it. I think if you're not interested in the games in general, just listen to the OST at least—it's good, really.”
- “However, this time the presentation and level design somewhat hurt the atmosphere.”
- “I wouldn't put it on par with Pirate's Curse, since the atmosphere and story were, in my opinion, better then.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a mixed emotional response to the game; while some players found the characters lacking depth and struggled to connect with them, others appreciated a few touching moments that elicited genuine feelings. The inclusion of more cutscenes and voice acting contributed to a sense of potential growth for the characters, making the experience feel wholesome despite its shortcomings. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly among players.
- “There's even a few touching character moments that got a verified 'awww' from me.”
- “This time with the cutscenes and more voiced parts it made me feel like Shantae is going to go some places in the near future.”
- “And with this, I'd say this game is highly recommended if you wanna get started with metroidvanias, it’s a wholesome experience packed into 7 hours of gameplay.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent graphical glitches and prolonged loading times that cause the game to freeze and heavily tax CPU resources. These performance problems lead to noticeable lag, affecting overall gameplay experience.
- “I've been excited to play this, but I'm still waiting for them to fix the graphical glitches.”
- “Every loading screen, the game freezes for several seconds while using 100% of your CPU during that time.”
- “This game is a resource hog; every time you move to a different area, it chugs the whole computer for 5-10 seconds (e.g., YouTube on the other monitor freezes).”