Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Review Summary

Enjoyable characters and humor: Players appreciate the game's characters, finding them fun, interesting, and charming. The humor is also highlighted as a strong point, making the game enjoyable.

Fun and enjoyable gameplay: The game is frequently described as fun and enjoyable, with players praising its gameplay and overall experience.

Solid addition to the franchise: The game is seen as a solid addition to the Shantae series, maintaining the high standards and quality of previous entries.

Beautiful pixel art: The pixel art style of the game is highly praised for its beauty and quality, adding to the game's charm and visual appeal.

Shantae's classic action and humor: Players enjoy the classic Shantae action and humor, appreciating the character's jokes and the series' creative gameplay.

Costumes locked to Deluxe Edition: Players are frustrated that costumes are not available as separate DLC and are locked behind the Deluxe Edition, requiring purchase of the entire game again to access them.

Poor optimization and performance issues: The game suffers from various performance issues including bad optimization, slowdowns, freezing, and stuttering.

Confusing level and map design: The level design and navigation can be confusing and disorienting, with maze-like levels and unclear foreground/background mechanics.

Overpriced and poor value: The game is considered overpriced, especially the Deluxe Edition, which does not offer enough new content to justify the cost.

No map system: The game lacks a map or mini-map, making navigation difficult and confusing for players.

Two-layered world navigation: The game features a unique mechanic of two-layered world navigation, allowing players to switch between foreground and background layouts.

Metroidvania with unique features: The game is a classic Metroidvania adventure with new features, including shape-shifting gameplay, magic, and transformations to save the day.

Variety of enemies and bosses: The game offers a variety of enemies and bosses, contributing to its challenging and engaging gameplay.

Linear gameplay with backtracking: The game has a linear approach with backtracking elements, requiring players to find new abilities to advance and discover secrets.

Transformations and power-ups: Character transformations and power-ups are key mechanics, allowing players to use magic and transformations to progress.

Black screen issues: Many players experience black screen problems, which can sometimes be fixed by adjusting language settings or using Proton Experimental mode on Steam Deck.

Soft locking and glitching: The game has soft locking issues and various glitches, which were particularly problematic at launch.

Performance issues on different screens: Players report performance issues on both laptop screens and external monitors, indicating widespread compatibility problems.

Random stuttering and slowdowns: Occasional slowdowns and random stuttering are common, affecting the overall gameplay experience.

FPS limitations: The game runs at locked FPS rates, such as 30 FPS or 40 FPS, which can be limiting for some players.

Wait for a sale: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a price drop or getting the game on sale. It is often mentioned as worth getting but better to wait for a discount.

Not ideal for newcomers: The game may not appeal to newcomers and is not recommended as a starting point for the series. It is best suited for very fans of the saga.

Recommended for Shantae fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of the Shantae series, including those who enjoy classic games or have nostalgia for the GBA era. Casual fans might want to wait for a sale.

Deluxe Edition for costumes: The Deluxe Edition is recommended for those interested in additional costumes and content, especially if bought on sale.

Recommend with caveats: The game is recommended with some caveats. It might not be the best in the series but is still worth considering.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 10.0h.

Story completion: 5.0h.

The game has initial friction due to tedious mechanics and repetitive elements, but it becomes enjoyable once players get past these early issues.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Tedious foreground/background switching mechanic; Repetitive bosses; Confusing navigation.

Unlock drivers: Overcoming initial tedious mechanics; Getting used to the game's flow.

Shantae Franchise Fan: Completionist and achievement hunting. Motivation: Enjoyment of the Shantae series and its unique elements. Stance: buy.

Casual Platformer Enthusiast: Casual playthrough, not necessarily aiming for completion. Motivation: Accessibility and ease of getting into the game. Stance: sale.

Old-School Metroidvania Purist: Seeking challenging and traditional gameplay. Motivation: Appreciation for classic, old-school gaming experiences. Stance: buy.

Steam Deck: The Steam Deck experience with this game is marred by significant compatibility and stability issues. Users frequently need to manually intervene by forcing Proton Experimental compatibility mode, and some experience frequent freezing. However, when the game runs, it performs well. Localization issues also pose a barrier for non-English speakers.

Linux and Proton: The game requires Proton Experimental to run properly on Steam Deck, indicating some initial setup is needed for optimal performance. However, once configured, it runs well, suggesting good compatibility with Linux-based systems.

Monetization: The primary concerns revolve around the inability to purchase Deluxe Edition costumes separately as DLC, forcing players to repurchase the entire game for additional content. This practice is viewed as predatory and has led to significant user dissatisfaction. Additionally, there are complaints about the game and its DLC being overpriced compared to similar titles, and a lack of substantial new content in the DLC, further exacerbating the perceived poor value.

DLC costumes affect gameplay: Players have noted that DLC costumes come with changes to gameplay mechanics, which can alter the gaming experience.

Purchase issues with DLC: There are reports of problems related to purchasing costumes and other DLC content, indicating potential issues with the in-game store or payment system.

Bunny suit sprite jumpscare: A specific mention of a bunny suit sprite causing a jumpscare, which could be a notable in-game event or bug.