Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut
Overview -
WayForward is a small developer that's really made themselves known over recent years. In the past they were a relatively niche, making unique games for portable systems that were quite good, but often overlooked. However, with both the sweeping revolution that is the internet and WayForward's great licensed games such as 'DuckTales Remastered', they have become more prominent.
Out of all of WayForward's IP, its most expansive and most beloved franchise is the 'Shantae' series, platforming titles starring a dancing half genie that can transform into different animals. 'Shantae: Risky's Revenge' is the second game of the series, and comes out on PS4 ahead of the fourth title, 'Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero'.
Video Review
At its core, 'Risky's Revenge' is a good looking pixel game. The enviroments are nice and colorful, and the animation is relatively smooth. The character portraits also look decent, and bounce around the screen in a lively fashion. However, for a PS4 title, it's still a little underwhelming, particularly with the pixels blown up on gamers' HDTVs. It's still not bad looking, but with the blemishes blown up and the pillar-boxing (area that could have been used for gameplay), the look is just a little disappointing.
Audio Review
'Risky Revenge's' audio is quite good, overall. The music is bouncy and fun, and has an Arabian feel to it. There aren't very many games that really draw effectively from such a rich background, and the Shantae games are one of the few that pull it off appropriately. The sound clips that are played for Shantae and her nemesis Risky Boots are decent as well, although they are just battle grunts and there's no real voice acting to speak of.
Final Thoughts
While this title may not take full advantage of the PlayStation 4 hardware, 'Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut' is an enjoyable platformer adventure that's worth the time for most anyone that enjoys the genre. It is not a perfect title, and it's also not a particularly long game, but anyone who considers themselves a fan of Metriodvanias, platformers, or wishes there was a sequel to 'Monster World IV,Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut PS4 review' should not hesitate to pick this up.