Instead, you fly around from the central hub to each new locale.ĭespite this, each stage is wonderfully crafted with plenty of clever ideas and hidden secrets to uncover. This cuts down on a lot of backtracking, but sadly makes actual traversal through stages a little cumbersome as you have to unlock a warp spell, and even that only works within stages. Unlike previous entries though, Half-Genie Hero adopts specific stages instead of a more open ended world that you traverse manually. The controls are as tight as ever and still retain the deliberate pace any long time fan is accustomed to. You’re still hair-whipping your way through colourful and diverse worlds filled to the brim with character.

The formula is ever present but still unique in its own way. If you’ve played any prior Shantae game then you know what to expect. Platforms: PC, Wii U, PS4, Vita, Xbox One Finally having hit the world little over three years later, has the wait been worth it? Originally pitched to the public via Kickstarter in September 2013 and successfully hitting its goal, it took its time in the oven. Once again, the crew at WayForward have come forward with another title in the Shantae series, which has been gained a lot of traction lately.

Shantae half genie game play