Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a 2D platformer and is the fourth game in the Shantae franchise. Players take control of Shantae, a half human, half genie who sets out to foil the plans of her pirate nemesis, Risky Boots.
General Gameplay
Shantae runs and jumps through levels, as well as attacks by using her ponytail to hair-whip enemies. Shantae can also belly dance to transform into a variety of different creatures, as she navigates a world of interconnected levels and labyrinths. She also solves puzzles by using her transformation abilities as well as pushing blocks for added height to traverse through levels.
The game is divided into chapters, each introducing new subplots, puzzles, friends and enemies, including a boss character. Players will also discover new transformations and revisiting past chapters with newly acquired abilities will open up new paths, powers and story plots.
Players can also choose to play the game as Shantae's nemesis, Risky Boots, who uses her tinker-tools instead of Shantae's powers to complete levels. Risky has her scimitar and pistol at her disposal to pillage Sequin Land and defeat Shantae.
Transformations
As Shantae makes her way through the game, she will learn new abilities that allow her to transform into various creatures. One example is a monkey, which allows her to cling to walls, as well as jump from them, making her able to scale vertical corridors. There will be at least five transformations in the game.
Customization
Players can also customize by learning new abilities and unlocking stat-boosting artifacts, magic and costumes. These costumes will bestow some special moves upon Shantae, and the player can replay the main campaign with rebalanced stats.
