Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an easy recommendation to any fan of the genre with its lush visuals, memorable soundtrack and varied environments, making it one of the best 2D platformers of recent times.

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The ultimate edition of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero comes with all of the previously released DLC, Modes, and Costumes in one epic collection! Includes an exclusive Blue Bathing Suit for use in Beach Mode!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,146 reviews

music298 positive mentions

grinding29 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and animations that bring the characters and world to life.
Catchy soundtrack with a variety of enjoyable tracks that enhance the gameplay experience.
Fun and engaging platforming mechanics with a good mix of transformations and abilities.

The game is relatively short, with a main story completion time of around 6-8 hours.
Excessive backtracking required to collect items and complete quests can become tedious.
The difficulty level is inconsistent, with some areas being too easy and others presenting frustrating challenges.

music
459 mentions
65 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, vibrant soundtrack composed by Jake Kaufman. Players highlight the music's ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with memorable tracks that fit the various levels and situations perfectly, making it one of the standout features of the game. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major highlight, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack is awesome, with a variety of catchy tracks.”
- “The music is killer!”
- “The entire game's soundtrack is one that stays with you long after you put the controller down, and it's easily one of the biggest highlights of the game.”
- “Without being too negative, the art and, to a lesser extent, the music are good, but there lacks meaningful content. There are only a handful of levels, and with the linear design and backtracking, it makes playing this game too tedious for me to recommend.”
- “My only real complaint is that the music can get a little repetitive due to the metroidvania nature of the game, forcing you to backtrack a ton and hear each track plenty of times.”
- “There was also no volume slider for music, so you can't turn it off, which was extremely irritating.”
graphics
368 mentions
58 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero" have received widespread acclaim for their vibrant, cartoonish art style that blends 2D sprites with 3D environments, creating a visually stunning experience. Many reviewers noted the significant upgrade from previous titles, highlighting the smooth animations and colorful aesthetics that enhance the overall gameplay. While some fans miss the pixelated style of earlier games, the new hand-drawn visuals and attention to detail have been praised as a fresh and appealing direction for the series.
- “The graphics are vibrant and full of rich color; the animation: silky smooth; the music: kickin'; the sense of humor: as meta and fanservice-y as ever.”
- “The graphics have been greatly upgraded to look like you're playing a cartoon without sacrificing those fluid controls the franchise is just as famous for.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, the platforming is tight, the abilities and puzzles were interesting and the boss battles were spectacular!”
- “Graphics is so primitive and ugly in this game.”
- “Pixel graphics in previous games are way better and more beautiful.”
- “The overall art style in this game isn't as great as it could be.”
story
360 mentions
24 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story in "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero" is characterized as lighthearted and whimsical, filled with pop culture references and humorous dialogue, though it often feels disjointed and episodic, resembling a series of fetch quests rather than a cohesive narrative. While some players appreciate the charm and character interactions, many criticize the plot for being shallow, predictable, and lacking significant stakes, with a main storyline that is notably short and sometimes disconnected from previous entries in the series. Overall, the game is enjoyable for its gameplay and visuals, but the story leaves much to be desired.
- “The story is as great as the previous entries of the series and somewhat more interactive with the other characters.”
- “The characters are enjoyable, the story is cute and funny; it's just a fun time.”
- “The story is entertaining and the transformations keep the gameplay interesting.”
- “The very little story you get at the start and end of each level is either disconnected from the main universe or simply doesn't make sense in regards to the main story.”
- “But I had a good time with it until I realized the complete absence of stakes in my actions as the plot elements teased at the start went nowhere and didn’t end up paying off in any way.”
- “The story doesn't go anywhere and there is so little content that finishing the game in 7-8 hours isn't even a challenge.”
gameplay
332 mentions
45 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero" is generally praised for its smooth controls, vibrant art style, and engaging mechanics, particularly the transformation abilities that add variety to platforming challenges. However, many reviewers noted issues such as repetitive level design, excessive backtracking, and a lack of depth in combat, which detracted from the overall experience. While some players found the gameplay enjoyable and reminiscent of classic platformers, others felt it fell short compared to previous entries in the series, particularly in terms of innovation and complexity.
- “The gameplay is fast and fun, the transformations are a fun gimmick, and most of all, the soundtrack is godlike.”
- “The art style and animations are incredibly cute and vibrant, the music is ridiculously catchy, and the gameplay is exactly how any good metroidvania game should be: responsive, precise, and genuinely fun.”
- “The gameplay feels a lot better than Risky's Revenge and Pirate's Curse, so it's the first one I'd tell people to try in the series if they're interested.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay and mechanics have been simplified a bit; it is more platformer and less Metroidvania than previous Shantae games, there are no puzzles or dungeons, and it is much more linear than the previous games.”
- “The gameplay got repetitive after level 3.”
humor
124 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero" is widely praised for its clever writing, quirky characters, and light-hearted dialogue, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. While some reviews note that the humor may not reach the heights of previous entries in the series, it remains a charming and enjoyable aspect that complements the game's vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay. Overall, the humor is described as fun, whimsical, and integral to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for fans of the platforming genre.
- “Few games make me audibly laugh over anything that isn't an incredibly bad design choice, but this game had me laughing a lot, in particular Squid Baron's gag about paid DLC skins.”
- “The graphics are vibrant and full of rich color; the animation is silky smooth; the music is kickin'; the sense of humor is as meta and fanservice-y as ever.”
- “The dialogue writing is clever and funny.”
character development
37 mentions
43 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Character development in this game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant decline compared to previous entries, particularly "Pirate's Curse." While the character designs and animations are praised for their quality and appeal, the lack of meaningful character growth and narrative depth has left some fans disappointed, feeling that the game fails to build on established storylines and character arcs. Overall, while the visuals and design are celebrated, the absence of substantial character development detracts from the overall experience for many players.
- “The character designs are absolutely top notch and a treat for the eyes, whether they be cute, sexy, or both, not to mention that they are animated so fluidly and gracefully.”
- “An incredible entry in the Shantae series featuring exploration, animal transformations, and some of my favorite character designs of the series.”
- “Character design is especially nice, with some pretty funny and light-hearted dialogues, deceptively cute drawings, and brilliant animations.”
- “All the character development is thrown out the window instead of rewarding cult following.”
- “The pacing starts and stops, the true ending doesn't really feel satisfying, and kind of ignores the setup at the beginning, and character development doesn't really happen like it did in Pirates Curse.”
- “I really wish there had been more character development or some sort of additional focus on the characters than the game gave.”
grinding
31 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some appreciate the entertaining movement and transformations that alleviate the tedium of backtracking and item collection, others feel that the repetitive nature of revisiting levels and farming for upgrades can become monotonous and detract from the overall enjoyment. The game's linear design and limited content contribute to a sense of tediousness, particularly for those aiming for 100% completion.
- “Good humor and not too tedious, especially when you have to backtrack as it gives you new abilities to have fun with and explore. I would recommend it for anyone who likes platformers and maybe even for someone who doesn't play games too much.”
- “It's not tedious to collect everything in the game, far from it. The game is designed around replaying levels and collecting items, but sometimes going through levels to collect one item you think you might have missed can get a little tedious.”
- “That being said, this is a metroidvania that can get very tedious at times, as they all can.”
- “Without being too negative, the art and to a lesser extent the music are good, but there lacks meaningful content. There are only a handful of levels, and with the linear design and backtracking, it makes playing this game too tedious for me to recommend.”
- “What follows is the tedious kind of backtracking: revisiting previous levels to find that one block you could not previously break, that one spot you could not previously climb, that one platform you could not previously reach, all while traversing exhausted content that has lost its meaning by the time you come back with your bag full of upgrades.”
replayability
28 mentions
36 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through multiple game modes, collectibles, and alternate story content, although some modes are locked behind DLC. Players appreciate the variety of challenges, character options, and the changing levels post-clearance, which enhance the experience. However, opinions vary, with some feeling that replay value may not be sufficient for everyone without additional DLC content.
- “Lots to collect and backtrack for, tons of replayability and extra modes such as max difficulty, playing as other characters, alternate story content, etc. Rewards for collecting are also really great.”
- “With tons of collectibles that actually feel valuable and rewarding, unprecedented replayability options in alternate modes, legitimately funny writing, truly incredible music, and fun magical abilities that not only make for fun puzzles and platforming segments but also let you play in all sorts of unique ways, I cannot recommend this game any more than how my review hopefully has convinced you.”
- “Spent about 8 hours on my first playthrough, but I enjoyed those 8 hours so much, I immediately tried to speedrun the game on 'hero mode' right after finishing, so replay value is high.”
- “If you weren’t already sick of Half-Genie Hero’s lack of replay value, the DLC really hammers it down in the worst way possible.”
- “The game does offer a certain replay value, although it might not be enough for everyone to make them want to replay right away.”
- “Replayability is debatable and more geared towards a speed run, but we shall see what gets added for DLC later on!”
optimization
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Half-Genie Hero" has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and a lack of optimization options, particularly on PC. However, others have noted that the game runs smoothly on certain platforms, highlighting a disparity in performance across different systems. Overall, while some players find the gameplay enjoyable, many express a desire for improvements to the game's optimization to enhance their experience.
- “I had a very steady frame rate during my playthrough, and I felt the controls with the Xbox 360 controller worked really well and smoothly. Sadly, there wasn’t an option for windowed mode on PC, though there are very few optimization options in general.”
- “I don't see any flaws in this game at all; it's optimized well and the gameplay is smooth.”
- “As a platformer, Half-Genie Hero gives a solid performance.”
- “Performance is terrible.”
- “I'd recommend this game out of my mind if it weren't for the horrible performance.”
- “Nothing fixed the stuttering.”
emotional
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mix of feelings, from sadness and frustration due to challenging gameplay mechanics to moments of charm and heartwarming character interactions. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and nostalgia tied to the original story, others express disappointment over the game's difficulty and hitbox issues, which detract from their overall enjoyment. Ultimately, the game balances emotional highs and lows, leaving players with a complex experience.
- “Whenever I remember the sadness this game made me feel from time to time, I need to remind myself that the game still has plenty of charm, humor, and excitement.”
- “I want to cry right now; I've restarted this level over 25 times now, and each time I get a little further, I get one-shotted.”
- “Just seeing the characters bob to the beat of the rhythm is truly heartwarming.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a cheerful and lighthearted tone, enhanced by well-tuned music and fluid animations. While the dialogue maintains a playful and tongue-in-cheek style typical of the series, the resolution of certain plot points slightly detracts from the overall ambiance. Nonetheless, the game remains a fun platformer with an engaging and upbeat atmosphere.
- “The music, as ever, is so well tuned to meet the level's atmosphere.”
- “Gameplay is solid; the atmosphere and dialogue are lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek, as all Shantae games have been.”
- “Overall, it's still a fun platformer with an upbeat atmosphere and some compelling gameplay mechanics.”
- “Once the issue is resolved, the women are obviously gone, seeing how you saved them, but it kind of ruins the atmosphere a little.”
stability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for several glitches, including game-breaking exploits and animation issues, particularly during key sequences. While some players noted minor graphical glitches, they generally felt that these issues detracted from the overall experience, though the game's quality still shone through in many areas.
- “I skipped the cutscene, but the fade to black was still on the screen, leaving it black and making the fight impossible. I've encountered several glitches so far, some worse than others.”
- “The game has some pretty bad glitches and game-breaking exploits.”
- “A few animation glitches occur during the opening sequence when Shantae first gets out of bed and in the mid-level save sequence.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a cash grab, suggesting that developers are prioritizing profit over quality, particularly targeting uninformed buyers.
- “This version of the game is still available, which just shows how much the developers are focused on cash grabs for players who haven't done their research before purchasing.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it seems designed to squeeze money from players rather than enhance the gaming experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many paywalls and microtransactions that detract from the enjoyment of the game.”