As the sequel to a great re-imagining of a '90s PC classic, Shadow Warrior 2 has been on our radar for quite a while now. You could say that we're more than ready for another dose of Wang. That of course being in reference to the foul-mouthed and lovable protagonist Lo Wang. But, instead of being a sequel that more or less plays like the first game Shadow Warrior 2 does things a little different. In that it feels like a cross between DOOM, Borderlands, and Diablo. Click through for the launch trailer, and some early impressions.

Okay so on paper, adding action-RPG elements to a shooter sounds like a recipe for success. Borderlands was fantastic and the idea of gun-loot, co-op action, and hyper violence sounds like a good fit for the over-the-top Shadow Warrior. A series that first came to prominence in the Duke Nukem era, but thanks to its fluid action and humour doesn't seem anywhere near as dated today. And in turn, works incredibly well as a modern shooter franchise.

And in its hefty use of gore, provides the lighter '80s power-chord side to DOOM's heavy metal action. Which the launch trailer more than sells.



So, after spending a couple of hours with Lo Wang and Shadow Warrior 2, it's safe to say that the loot experiment is a lot of fun. If a little spotty. For one the interface is clunky and a bit of mess, which means the RPG mechanics don't make much sense at first, and the whole town centre as your base and then fast-traveling to each mission or dungeon takes a bit getting used to. But it won't be long before you start seeing different weapon drops from enemies and start looking at using skill points and gem things to augment weapons and stuff.

In terms of control Shadow Warrior 2, like the original, has a great feel to it. And using all the different blades can arguably be more fun than the solid gun combat.

And above all, it's still funny. And listening to Lo Wang never gets old.