Shieldmaiden: Remix Edition Review | TheXboxHub

Whereas performing some analysis for my evaluate of Shieldmaiden: Remix Version from Dumativa Sport Studio, I found that present pondering is that Shieldmaidens, warriors from the Viking tradition, did really exist in spite of everything. Imagine me, it’s all very fascinating, and should have led me down a variety of Wikipedia rabbit holes. 

It doesn’t nonetheless inform us something in regards to the recreation which is up for consideration, not less than not past the truth that the heroine has a protect. I’m not going to invest on whether or not she is a maiden!

However let’s go to the long run, to a destroyed world no much less – why is the long run by no means good, with free lollipops and stuff?

Trying on the presentation of Shieldmaiden: Remix Version first, and a dreaded phrase is making its manner in the direction of my fingertips once more – this can be a retro-styled platformer. Now, despite the fact that I’m vulnerable to sporting out these specific keys on my keyboard, what Shieldmaiden brings is a brand new really feel to the style, as though it’s accomplished in a pixel artwork type, it additionally has a sort of neon Cyberpunk-fuelled vibe to the sport. The motion is seen from a side-on perspective and whereas the top of the world has been grim, there’s nonetheless a robotic canine to pat, so I’m fairly glad. 

The graphics on supply are fairly good, with an actual cool vibe occurring, helped by the synthwave soundtrack that matches in with the motion completely. The hero is nicely animated, the robots are a diverse bunch, and the bosses are excellent examples of retro recreation design. I’ve been mighty impressed by the sound too, aside from one factor – the narrative is offered in textual content packing containers however the heroine, Asta, or the individuals she is speaking to, will generally make sounds, like amusing or so on. If you skip the textual content scenes, Asta can find yourself sounding like Beavis and Butthead – “Huh, huh, huh,” over and over. I don’t must inform you how annoying that may get. Apart from that, the Tron-like world seems to be and sounds good. 

For a lot of it’ll be the story of a recreation that’s all the time necessary, and fortunately Shieldmaiden has one. 

Asta, the heroine we play as, has a sister who was misplaced when the world ended. Fortunately, she additionally has a pleasant AI that may monitor traces of her sister by the assorted worlds, and so the scene is about for Asta to go on an epic journey to attempt to discover the one household she has left. In the way in which are a bunch of haywire robots, some tough platforming sections and some bosses, and all she has to assist her is a trusty protect that magically seems from a bracelet that her sister gave her. Are you able to make it by the imply streets of Modigard to seek out your sister, or will you be stomped flat by a giant robotic? It’s in your arms!

Now, it might be stated that the easiest video games from this style come have two strings to their bows – the fight part, be that towards small foes or larger bosses; and the exploration and traversal a part of the sport. We’ll begin off with the way in which that Asta will get round, as this isn’t with out its issues. After all, the fight isn’t excellent both, however one factor at a time. 

The way in which Asta will get round is fairly commonplace fare, to be trustworthy. She will be able to soar, and for those who press the button for longer, she jumps greater. She additionally has a splash transfer that she will use within the air, so clearing giant gaps is a breeze. Additional is a useful line in wall leaping, and it’s right here that the controls are a bit, nicely, odd. For the sections the place Asta has to leap up between two vertical partitions, it really works okay, however there are sections the place there is only one barely too excessive wall in the way in which. It’s left to Asta to leap as excessive as she will, bounce off the wall, after which sprint again the opposite technique to land on high of the impediment. It’s actually onerous to do that, and to ensure it wasn’t my drained outdated fingers letting me down, I obtained my son to attempt, and he stated the identical – the controls don’t “really feel” proper. Really feel is a tough factor to quantify, however you recognize when one thing is correct, and this side of the exploration isn’t. 

Fortunately, fight is lots less complicated – stand up subsequent to the enemy and press X to hit them with a protect. What might be simpler? Properly, Shieldmaiden: Remix Version does go a bit deeper than that, because the protect also can double up as a surfboard. You’ll want it to be too as at sure factors within the recreation, there are electrified flooring, and Asta can use the protect to bounce throughout them with out dying. 

She will be able to additionally use the protect in its conventional position; blocking injury from hitting. On this mode, the protect will be charged with power, after which this power will be launched as a particular assault that offers heavy injury – largely to bosses. Certainly, sure bosses want you to make use of this assault to make them weak, so blocking every thing you may is a good suggestion. Apart from that, the fight is fairly simple and simple to grasp. 

Shieldmaiden: Remix Version shouldn’t be an extended recreation, and you should have just about seen every thing inside a few hours. The sport appears to recognise that this is a matter, nonetheless, including in collectibles to seek out by exploring the degrees past the crushed path. But what Shieldmaiden offers with one hand, it takes away with the opposite, as there are some baffling design selections on show right here. 

The pits that result in your doom should not marked in any manner, and so that you by no means know if falling down will lead you to a brand new space, or to the final checkpoint you handed. Dying to a boss will be annoying too, as the closest checkpoint is commonly a number of screens away, resulting in you attending to the boss combat with decreased well being. However, to be honest, these are niggles and the essential construction is fairly stable. 

Shieldmaiden: Remix Version isn’t going to set the world on hearth, however there are worse methods to spend your gaming time. 

Shieldmaiden: Remix Version is on the Xbox Retailer