Just like Adam and Eve, even the most benevolent of people can succumb to evil. This clearly happens in Shadow Fight 2 when the nameless protagonist disobeys his elders, opening the Gate of Shadows. Countless of demons rush forth, tearing at his flesh and stealing his soul in the process. What remains is a mere shadow of his former self. Now, he’ll have to hunt down and fight these demons for his soul.

Shadow Fight 2 is a free to play game similar to classic fighting games such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter but with toned down intensity and speed of combat. This is a good thing as it  makes picking up the game slightly easier for newbies to the genre. As you beat up demons, you’ll earn money or gems that can be spent on purchasing new equipment and learning magic spells at the store.

The game also boasts hundreds of weapon types, each with its own unique fighting style. For example, if you’re wearing brass knuckles, your attack speed is faster at melee range versus wielding a sword which slashes at a slower pace with further attack reach. Once you own a weapon, you can use gold to upgrade it to deal more damage, the same can be done to armor and helmets to give them better defensive stats.

With every victorious fight, your character levels up, unlocking active and passive perks to enhance your fight style, building the ultimate demon hunting warrior.

In order to progress to the next chapter, players must beat five bosses of incremental difficulty. It is really tough to get through each boss without the right gear and experience; this is where the three other modes will come into play and help you gain experience. The first mode you’re introduced to is tournament mode where your skills are put to the test in a one-to-one match against 24 unforgiving demons, each with its own weapon specialties. Survival mode is subsequently unlocked to determine how many demons you are able to defeat in a single lifetime, the more you beat down the better the rewards. The last mode, Duel, matches you to a random demon challengeable once every four hours, weapons will be assigned by the system even if you do not own them. The gold and experience earned from these modes will prepare your character to eventually beat the final boss.

What I enjoyed about the game is how these silhouette styled characters contrasted beautifully with the vibrant backdrop during battle. It helped to highlight how detailed and fluid the fight animations are, making every fight seem real. Fights are made more dramatic when it slows down for a few seconds as you connect a critical hit or a finishing blow, making every encounter satisfying.

However, what I was not a fan of are the positional controls – mainly the directional stick on the left and the tiny punch and kick buttons on the right. The controls are also not as responsive as I’d like, which resulted in delayed kicks and punches that led to bad positioning when countering enemy moves. Since close-quarter combat is fast paced and intense, you’ll need to focus keenly. Your hand-eye co-ordination could tire after a short spell, making this game best played in spaced out intervals.

While Shadow Fight 2 is a challenging game…

• The user interface is friendly with really simple controls
• The game is beautiful and animations are incredibly detailed
• Defeating demons becomes a very satisfying experience
• There are many chapters packed with content to keep you entertained

Difficulty: Challenging

Shadow Fight 2 is available on the App Store and Google Play.

Source for Images: In game screenshots