Only a few days after the release of the Shadow Warrior 3 announcement trailer, a gameplay trailer was premiered at insane Devolver Direct which introduced a grappling hook into the fast-paced action-packed world of Shadow Warrior. A series of insane boss fights were also shown during the trailer, some allowing the player to use the grappling hook in combat.
Shadow Warrior is known for its goofy antics and outlandish combat, and Shadow Warrior 3 is the third installment in the franchise following Shadow Warrior 2 released in 2016. While running on walls and jumping on enemies is nothing new to the series, the grappling hook adds anew way to traverse the landscape, and it also allows for even more exciting battles. The trailer also showed that the grappling hook can be used to activate traps from a distance which can come in handy while fighting loads of bad guys.
The gameplay trailer was premiered during the Devolver Digital gaming showcase which was broadcast live on Twitch. Shadow Warrior 3 is being developed by Flying Wild Hog which also developed the two previous installments of Shadow Warrior. Staying true to the first two games in the series, the trailer showcased witty banter and catchphrases from the game’s main protagonist. As well, the fighting looks like an absolute gore-fest allowing the player to use wacky weapons and perform merciless finishers.
While the grappling hook looks exciting, the boss fights look incredible. The designs of the bosses shown are unique, and each battle seems to have a pattern that players will need to learn in order to deal damage to the boss. Two drill-headed bosses burrow underground and can only take damage, and deal damage, while above ground. An accordion-bodied monster hides behind pillars, and a four-armed swordsman deflects the player’s bullets with ease. As cliche as the comparison can be, the designs of the bosses are Dark Souls-esque.
Some of the gameplay elements are reminiscent of the most recent DOOM titles. The player uses parts of downed enemies to finish them, or even rips out portions of an enemy’s body to end a battle. The fast-paced shooting and map traversal also looks as it could be from a DOOM Eternal DLC. However, the designs of the enemies and unique arsenal of weapons look to set Shadow Warrior 3 apart from other modern third-person shooters.
