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Shing!

Shing! Game Cover
74%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
character development, optimization
77% User Score Based on 185 reviews
Critic Score 66%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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Shing! Game Cover

About

Shing! is a single player and multiplayer arcade hack and slash game. It was developed by Mass Creation and was released on August 28, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Experience the most exciting and immersive beat-em-up combat system ever – become a kickass ninja and slice some demons in style!

Genres & Tags
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Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
Shing! screenshot
+12
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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 185 reviews
gameplay20 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • Unique and innovative combat system using right analog stick or mouse aiming, offering precision and fluidity in attacks.
  • Strong local and online co-op multiplayer support for up to four players, enhancing fun and replayability.
  • Impressive art style inspired by East Asian aesthetics with smooth animations, complemented by good voice acting and humorous character dialogue.
  • Default control scheme is unintuitive and frustrating, especially for keyboard/mouse players; alternative control options improve experience but are sometimes limited to controller users.
  • Gameplay can become repetitive with limited move variety, no character progression or meaningful differences between characters, and some tedious enemy and boss mechanics.
  • Technical issues including bugs, camera problems, occasional performance hiccups, and broken or buggy multiplayer detract from overall experience.
  • gameplay
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Gameplay in this beat-'em-up title offers inventive combat mechanics, including a unique right-stick attack control and cooperative play, which provide a fresh, tactical, and rewarding experience for those who master its rhythm and mechanics. However, it can feel repetitive, occasionally bogged down by tedious enemy encounters, confusing mechanics, and bugs that undermine enjoyment for some players. Overall, the gameplay is solid and engaging for fans of arcade-style action, though it may require patience to adapt to its complexities and occasional design flaws.

    • “I played this entirely on a whim with a friend and was blown away by the creative usage of mechanics.”
    • “This mechanic encourages a more tactical and rhythmic playstyle, where players can chain together combos with a level of finesse that feels fresh and rewarding.”
    • “Offers a compelling twist on the classic beat-'em-up formula, with its inventive combat system, striking artistic design, and solid cooperative gameplay.”
    • “Atrocious gameplay despite great voice acting and decent writing.”
    • “Repetitive boring gameplay that becomes exhausting after a short while.”
    • “The right joystick mechanic, while clever on paper, simply doesn't work well in practice, as your character will often do the wrong attacks or attack in completely the wrong direction.”
  • story
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is generally regarded as simple and serviceable, providing a light, humorous backdrop with basic character development that supports the gameplay rather than driving it. While not particularly deep or complex, it includes entertaining dialogue, quirky characters, and occasional mystery, fitting well with the game's fast-paced combat and cooperative focus. Most reviewers appreciate the story for adding charm and context without detracting from the primary beat'em up experience.

    • “The cast of characters are well written and developed and the story is intriguing.”
    • “It's a wonderful mix of flawless combat, interesting story and nicely written dialogue.”
    • “Good: the story and characters, while simple, are done exceptionally well.”
    • “The plot was told right at the beginning, and the following dialogues were just reiterations of that.”
    • “The story is not engaging.”
    • “It's sad because everything else is good: sound, graphics, etc., except maybe the dialogues with unfunny jokes at every corner that will make you roll your eyes or the poor story; but it's a beat'em up after all and everything can be skipped.”
  • graphics
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a distinctive and appealing art style inspired by ukiyo-e and 90s cartoons, offering colorful, polished, and stylized visuals that stand out for an indie title. While some find the graphics simplistic or dated, the overall presentation is praised for being vibrant, well-executed, and fitting the fast-paced gameplay, despite not matching AAA fidelity. The visuals enhance the experience without demanding high-end hardware, making it a strong aesthetic component for fans of retro and quirky designs.

    • “The art style borrows heavily from ukiyo-e aesthetics, lending the game a unique look that sets it apart from other games in the genre.”
    • “The visuals are top-notch for an indie offering.”
    • “The visuals are extremely eye pleasing, the controls are easy enough to learn in a short amount of time, but still complex that they never get boring and coming up with new attack combos becomes a lot of fun.”
    • “The bad graphics”
    • “If there is one area dragging on the game's graphics, it might be the visuals of the enemies you fight.”
    • “Going from all of three game screens, I wasn't inspired to push through the pain for the sake of story, visuals or gameplay either.”
  • humor
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is generally praised for its lighthearted, funny, and sometimes quirky banter that adds charm and a fresh, entertaining twist to the beat 'em up genre. While many appreciate its blend of witty, adult, and occasionally lowbrow jokes, some players find the dialogue cringy or unfunny, indicating a mixed reception depending on player taste. Overall, the humor enhances the fun and social experience, especially in multiplayer settings.

    • “The combat system is ridiculously fluid, and the story is hilarious.”
    • “All in all - a great game, you have well designed characters, engaging story, funny over the top humor, fluid controls, inventive combat and interesting turns on mechanics.”
    • “Shing is fun and has some awesomely funny moments and characters...not at all what you'd expect from shinobi fighting yokai in a fantasy setting.”
    • “It's sad because everything else is good: sound, graphics, etc., except maybe the dialogs with unfunny jokes at every corner that will make you roll your eyes or the poor story, but it's a beat'em up after all and everything can be skipped.”
    • “It might be just the four of us who don't really enjoy long cutscenes with a lot of unnecessary talking. We know that it's supposed to be funny, but for us, most of the time it's just cringy.”
  • music
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for complementing the visuals with a mix of traditional and modern elements, creating an engaging and upbeat soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. While it may not be particularly memorable outside the game, players find it fitting, enjoyable, and well-suited to the game's tone and action.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals well, mixing traditional motifs with modern beats to create an engaging auditory backdrop that heightens the overall experience.”
    • “Combat, art style, character design, music, sound effects are simply awesome!”
    • “Art design and animations are amazing, soundtrack and voice acting pretty good, gameplay and making combos so much fun and it has a funny humor too.”
    • “The music is comprised mostly of an upbeat collection of roughly oriental-influenced tracks, and while they all sound pretty slick and handle their role well, I found none particularly catchy enough to inspire an out-of-game listen.”
    • “~ music ~”
    • “”
  • character development
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is more visually focused, with bold, expressive designs and smooth animations enhancing combat dynamics. While the story is brief and prioritizes gameplay over deep narrative, character interactions in certain areas add modest development. Overall, the strong art style and well-crafted character designs contribute significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Character designs are bold and expressive, and the animations are smooth, which not only enhances the visual appeal but also makes combat feel dynamic and impactful.”
    • “There are also 'resting spots' in which you can hear the characters talk to each other, providing character development, or secret challenge rooms that deviate from the main quest.”
    • “The story is short and sweet, the visuals and character designs are nicely done and the voice acting is really good.”
    • “The game clearly prioritizes gameplay over storytelling, focusing on delivering tight, enjoyable combat and cooperative play rather than intricate character development.”
    • “There are also "resting spots" in which you can hear the characters talk to each other (character development) or secret challenge rooms that deviate from the main quest.”
    • “The character designer and dialogue writer may have been thirsty.”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally offers good optimization with smooth performance, especially when played with a controller as originally intended. However, some players report occasional frame rate drops and stuttering, which can disrupt gameplay, and the game is not optimized for mouse and keyboard play.

    • “A very decent 3D platformer for 4 players, it has challenges and a storyline, good optimization, and decent graphics.”
    • “Performance and technical aspects: no problems 9/10.”
    • “This is a game originally made for PlayStation and optimized for playing with the controller!”
    • “Some players have encountered performance hiccups such as frame rate drops and occasional stuttering, which can disrupt the flow of combat and undermine the immersive experience the game aims to create.”
    • “This is a game originally made for PlayStation and optimized for playing with the controller.”
    • “The reason for that is the fact that this game was not intended or optimized to be played with mouse and keyboard.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is generally viewed as tedious and bogged down by repetitive enemy mechanics, making certain battles, especially the final boss, feel unfairly tough and boring for solo players. However, the storytelling is praised for being engaging and not tedious.

    • “Fun combat mechanics, bogged down by extremely tedious enemy mechanics.”
    • “Final boss battle is tedious and boring, and the game is unfairly tough for a single player.”
    • “Ultimately it was very tedious.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game’s replayability is rated positively, with users describing it as "really good" and "infinitely replayable," indicating strong lasting enjoyment and frequent replay potential.

    • “Really good replayability, 7/10.”
    • “Infinitely replayable.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is richly crafted, featuring diverse environments from neon-lit cities to ancient mystical ruins, each detailed to immerse players and clearly convey their location within the map.

    • “The environments range from neon-lit urban landscapes to ancient, mystical ruins, all designed with a keen eye for detail and atmosphere.”
    • “Backgrounds have atmosphere and give a good sense of where you are in the map.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional tone of the game is primarily lighthearted and humorous, offering a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic NES and SNES titles. While this appeals to players seeking fun and challenge, it may lack the depth and emotional resonance desired by those looking for a more immersive or lore-rich experience.

    • “The dialogue leans into humor and lighthearted banter, which adds charm but may not satisfy players looking for a more emotionally resonant or lore-heavy experience.”
    • “On the positive side, it made me feel like the good old NES and Super NES days where games were this hard.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is poor, with multiple game-breaking glitches reported by users, leading to a buggy and unreliable experience.

    • “Got 2 game-breaking glitches, nothing new.”
    • “Buggy!”
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66%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Shing! is a arcade hack and slash game.

Shing! is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 1 hours playing Shing!.

Shing! was released on August 28, 2020.

Shing! was developed by Mass Creation.

Shing! has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its character development.

Shing! is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Full Metal Furies, Foul Play, Fight'N Rage, Apotheon, Shank 2 and others.