Shantae and The Seven Sirens Switch Review

Shantae and The Seven Sirens
Developed/Published by Wayforward
Date of Release: May 28, 2020
Price: $29.99



Back in 2002 when the original Shantae launched on the GameBoy Color to relative obscurity due to being released at the end of the handhelds lifecycle, little did the world know that the ambitious metroidvania adventure would become a cult classic. Now in 2020, with three sequels under it's belt, Shantae has become one of Wayforward's hottest properties. Shantae and The Seven Sirens is the fifth and most ambitious game yet in the franchise, with a return to it's metroidvania roots (after 1/2 Genie Hero's somewhat disappointing foray (only disappointing in the sense that there was less to discover) into the world of linear platforming). Shantae and The Seven Sirens is a full-fat metroidvania, and features a full automap, ability-based progression, secrets, and all the other trappings of the genre.



Not only that, but as usual for a Shantae adventure the production values are through the roof. The game opens with an anime intro by Studio Trigger, and has several animated cutscenes throughout to introduce important moments. The soundtrack is great as usual, though strangely doesn't seem to feature the longtime series composer Jake Kaufman, and is lacking his famous boss theme (which seemed to get even more amped up with each installment). Not sure what is up there, as his music has an awesome flair to it. Regardless, the score is decent, despite lacking some really rocking battle tracks. The graphics are their usual hand drawn greatness, and the animations are as smooth as it gets. Shantae's transformations are as adorable as ever, and because they're used as dynamic abilities rather than having top pick them through dancing (that's reserved for casting magic now) it really makes the flow of the game feel better. Then we have the perfectly tight controls whether playing in handheld or with a pro controller. Speaking of handheld, the game looks very crisp on the Switch's LCD, this is definitely a choice title for playing on the go.



All in all Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a technically proficient metroidvania adventure, though it's slightly on the short side. The humor is off the wall as expected of the series, and the writing is excellent. I just wish that there was a bit more content, hopefully Wayforward will add some new game modes down the line like they did with half Genie Hero. Other than that I have no other complaints, as this is a top notch game. I still wonder though why the original composer wasn't involved however. Regardless it all seems to have worked out in the end. Anyone who has a craving for a good metroidvania, or who are fans of Shantae should pick Seven Sirens up immediately!