Wanted Shadows
- October 31, 2023
- Radhood Originals
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamWanted Shadows is a bullet heaven/horde survival game where you fight monsters to become an unstoppable force, with permanent upgrades, weapon merging, and a combat system that allows dodging and attacking. The game features Octopath Traveler-inspired graphics and a soundtrack of handmade melodic RPG tracks. You will like this game if you enjoy Vampire Survivors, Brotato, 20 Minutes Till Dawn, Soul Stalker, Spellbook Demonslayers, and Bio Prototype.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging rogue-lite experience with a quirky stamina system and varied character playstyles.
- Visually appealing with nice pixel art and a catchy soundtrack, making it enjoyable to play.
- At its low price point, the game provides good value with a satisfying leveling process and potential for future content updates.
- The game lacks content, with many players feeling they unlock everything too quickly and desire more items, skills, and levels.
- There are significant quality of life issues, such as a lack of a visible mouse cursor and unclear upgrade descriptions, which hinder gameplay.
- Gameplay can become trivial at higher power levels, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement, especially with visibility issues during intense action.
- graphics22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and beautiful visuals, which enhance the overall aesthetic experience. Many reviewers appreciate the vibrant art and effects, noting that they contribute positively to the gameplay, despite some criticism regarding the game's fun factor and difficulty. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's appeal.
“The visuals are genuinely terrific, the music's nice (but more on that later), the levels don't feel as barren as those in vampire survivors, and the fact that you have to manually attack intrinsically makes the gameplay more involving than a lot of the lesser entries into this burgeoning field.”
“The art style and VFX are beautiful, music is catchy.”
“Love the visuals, and the difficulty is just right with the new update!”
“I seldom do reviews, but Wanted: Shadows takes the cake for nausea-inducing graphics.”
“The game basically feels like 20 Minutes Till Dawn with more flashy graphics.”
“The pixel-y art style of the critters is pretty decent, but it could use more refinement.”
- music21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as catchy and enjoyable, with some tracks evoking familiar themes reminiscent of classic titles like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy Tactics. However, technical issues such as music cutting out during intense gameplay moments detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration among players. While the soundtrack has potential, its execution suffers from glitches and a lack of variety, making it feel somewhat generic at times.
“The art style and VFX are beautiful, and the music is catchy.”
“The overall theme and music are fun.”
“Visually, it reminds me of Nintendo style, with music that sounds like a Dragon Quest soundtrack featuring the trumpet.”
“The music seems too quiet and slow; a faster, louder theme would work well.”
“There are also technical glitches, like the music constantly cutting out the more projectiles/explosions are happening, which is a shame because it's probably the best part of the game.”
“The latter can be pretty hilarious, as actually good games in this genre have proven, but in concert with the music dying on the vine, it just leads to a really pitiful experience.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging manual attack mechanics and good core design, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and lacking depth, as players can unlock everything within the first hour. The visuals and speed of gameplay are highlighted as strong points, but many feel the levels are empty and do not offer enough challenge or variety compared to similar titles in the genre. Overall, while the gameplay has potential, it may not satisfy those looking for a more substantial experience.
“The visuals are genuinely terrific, the music's nice (but more on that later), the levels don't feel as barren as those in Vampire Survivors, and the fact that you have to manually attack intrinsically makes the gameplay more involving than a lot of the lesser entries into this burgeoning field.”
“[*] The core gameplay is good.”
“So far the only thing going for the game is the gameplay speed and how it looks; otherwise, it's just empty. The maps are empty, and you unlock everything within the first hour of gameplay.”
“It is only similar to Brotato or Vampire Survivors by virtue of being a roguelike with similar gameplay, but it's so empty that it's nothing alike.”
“If you like what you see in the gameplay VOD, that's exactly what you're going to get.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report smooth performance even with numerous enemies on screen, others experience significant bugs and technical glitches, particularly with audio cutting out during intense action sequences.
“Runs great, no performance issues with hundreds of enemies on the screen.”
“The game is buggy for sure.”
“There are also technical glitches, like the music constantly cutting out, especially when more projectiles and explosions are happening, which is a shame because it's probably the best part of the game.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the character development in the game, highlighting the impressive character designs and the enjoyable simplicity that allows for a more relaxed gaming experience. The active controls complement the engaging visuals, making it a fun and accessible bullet heaven game.
“I love the character design and the simplicity of this game over some others these days - not that complexity is bad, but sometimes you just want to turn your brain off a bit and enjoy some explosions!”
“Character designs go hard, active controls work well.”
“An incredibly fun bullet heaven game with awesome character designs.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be potentially hilarious, akin to successful titles in the genre; however, it suffers when paired with a lackluster musical experience, resulting in an overall disappointing effect.
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the game evokes strong emotions through its unique powers and gameplay mechanics, reminiscent of the engaging experience found in "Risk of Rain." This emotional connection enhances the overall enjoyment and immersion in the game.
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized, demonstrating excellent performance even with hundreds of enemies on screen, resulting in a smooth gameplay experience without any noticeable issues.
“Runs great, no performance issues with hundreds of enemies on the screen.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is described as simple yet solid, with a nostalgic visual style reminiscent of Nintendo games and a soundtrack that evokes the feel of classic Dragon Quest music. Overall, it provides a welcoming experience for players.
