#Shadow warrior game easter eggs Pc#

It might be self-aware but you are still collecting fortune cookies and antique Japanese statues. However, you couldn’t say Shadow Warrior is enlightened. His gullible ignorance serves to reflect our own. When Wang correctly pronounces Hoji, Hoji surprisingly tells him he must be the one the prophecy spoke of, before mockingly revealing, “that the one will also…believe any goddamn idiot thing you make up on the spot!” The writers are clearly toying with western preconceptions about eastern mythology by putting us in Lo Wang’s place. Hoji reluctantly tells Wang his name, warning him that mortal men can’t pronounce demons’ names. Eastern mysticism - or the western expectation of it - is addressed near the end of the Chapter 1 when Lo Wang commands his spirit companion to tell him his name because if you speak a demon’s name, you can control it. Mizuyaki’s antique Japanese art collection only adds to the eastern milieu of the game. The katana moves smoothly with the thumbstick, leaving the player feeling very much in control. Wang unsheathes his katana, and dismembered Yakuza limbs, torso parts, and heads litter the showroom floor. Wang’s offer is rejected and what breaks out is a scene reminiscent of Kill Bill Volume 1 (a film also known for its blending of Asian cultures through a western lens). Nonetheless, Lo Wang is on a mission to purchase an ancient sword for his boss, Zilla, from a Mr. I guess koi ponds and cherry blossoms will have to do.” And while they are beautifully rendered trees in a sea of pink and calming bodies of water, the setting is clichéd. As Lo Wang reaches his destination, an stereoypically crafted Japanese villa, Lo Wang sarcastically remarks, “I was hoping for a more clichéd setting.

Shadow Warrior addresses its racially questionable past in the opening moments of the prologue. Lo Wang is representative of a male power fantasy, one equal to that of his often-white counterparts, and given his personality quirks, is relatable to a larger audience, as opposed to being reduced to a stereotype. Hoji further gives Lo Wang grief after his discovery of his “Wang-cave,” lamenting, “500 hit men in this country and I have to get the nerd.” Still, Lo Wang is given an identifiable presence, recognizable for more than his simply being Asian. This tongue-n-cheek approach to the buddy-movie dynamic also provides a commentary on the amount of killing that goes on in first-person shooters in general. Lo Wang is guided by a banished spirit, Hoji, who often remarks on Wang’s egomaniacal behavior to a comic degree. It’s clear this game was aiming for the audience that was a fan of the original game and a fan of 80s culture in general. And he has a penchant for 80s rock music, as the game opens with him singing “The Touch” from The Transformers Motion Picture Soundtrack. He “Drinks Four Roses bourbon, neat, collects…comic books…and works for…Orochi Zilla.” Lo Wang speaks with a less stereotypical “Asian” affectation in this rendition. After all, Lo Wang is now given some nuance to his personality. Once again the player steps into the shoes of Lo Wang, the wise-cracking badass assassin, albeit less of a caricature this time.

While it revels in its own nostalgia - almost to a gratuitous level - it still manages to straddle the line carefully enough to remain fresh. Shadow Warrior is a game that faces its racial past, acknowledges it, and embraces it - mostly for the better.

#Shadow warrior game easter eggs Pc#

Shadow Warrior is a reboot of the 3D Realms cult-classic PC shooter from 1997 and in many ways retains much of the same spirit as the original.

Shadow Warrior is a game with one foot in the past and one foot in the future of the first-person shooter genre.