Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - Friends to the End (PC) Review

In love with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero? Well, who can blame you, as it was a pretty damn good platformer, despite a couple of shortcomings. What's that? You've played it again and again to 100% it? Great, that's part of the fun, after all. Oh, you've also tried out Pirate Queen's Quest, too? Sure, it was kind of boring to replay the same levels all over again, but, hey, it was good, wasn't it?

Now, would you like to do so one more time?! Exactly! Like the first DLC, Friends to the End has you running through the levels of the original campaign, but with a different crew, specifically, likeable doofus Bolo, smelly cutie Rottytops, and the bird-training desert rat called Sky. The mission? Enter Shantae's mind/memories and save her from madness. The catch, these folks aren't genies (not even half ones), yet that doesn't mean that they don't have their own set of skills.

Bolo has a grappling hook that he can use to Tarzan his way through obstacles, and he can also break rocks or throw a spiked ball at his foes; Rotty can toss her head to warp to hard-to-reach spots, and… well, eat some brains to replenish health; and, finally, Sky can glide, hit with her ranged attack, and, even better, create some platforms in the air. Furthermore, by collecting gems, all characters can level-up their damage input.

Everything is fine and dandy? No, as some abilities work far better than others, and, while it's possible to swap heroes on the fly, don't expect any major grey-matter work. Hard to reach place? Sky. Energy barrier? Rottytops. Rings in the air? Bolo… and so on, with some parts requiring mixing and matching the tools of the trade. Plus, the level-up system is more annoying than helpful, as it's easy to downgrade your level when getting hurt - insanely aggravating in boss fights.

The real problem with all this, however, is that this DLC pits you against the same levels once more. Yes, they are slightly altered to make room for the team's skillset, but that's not enough to make fans (even the most passionate ones) replay it all. The visuals are great, the tunes (new and old) are, too, and each individual hero plays very well, but it would be better if all of this was a part of a new Shantae title, not a half-baked DLC…