Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – Costume Pack (PC) Review

Costume Pack is not what it sounds like. Yes, Shantae will get to wear some new clothes (and look quite cute while at it), but these aren't just for show. The three costumes this adds are basically new classes. More specifically, there's Ninja Shantae, Beach Shantae (that's a class?), and the Mega-Man-esque, Officer Shantae. Plus, each costume follows its own, "what-if" scenario, although this is mainly an arcade experience, with little to no unnecessary, narrative annoyances.

As for the abilities of Shantae's versions? The Ninja can bounce off walls, throw shuriken, and use a teleport evasion; the Officer shoots pellets from her blaster, and can activate/disable blocks in order to reach higher places; finally, the Beach costume has you throwing beach balls, fly via entering a soap bubble(?), and, more importantly it forces Shantae to constantly be on the move in order to collect sunscreen bottles(?!), as the life-draining heat from the sun can hurt her.

Let it be mentioned that this isn't a rushed product. All "characters" are fun, control exceptionally smoothly, and are perfect for speed-runs, which, by the way, is the best way to unlock additional 'Win Screens' artwork. Similar to the Friends to the End DLC, each different iteration of Shantae can upgrade the costume-specific abilities by collecting gems, and, like it, it can be pretty annoying to lose a great deal of your power by getting hit once. As a whole, however, it all feels good.

Sadly, for all the effort put into this, it repeats the same mistake of all previous packs: it has you playing the same damn levels all over again! Yes, the abilities let one approach the game from a different angle, but that doesn't mean that this is a DLC worthy of a purchase. Costume Pack treats each of its attires as completely new modes - they aren't, though. It's the same meal, reheated, with its taste slightly altered, and nothing more.