Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an inviting game. From the onset, it's hard not to get sucked in with the tropical setting, and new characters. The humor can be very clever. The action starts right away, introducing players to what could be the greatest world in the Shantae games yet. At six to eight hours for the main playthrough, the game isn't too long, but there are still things to do for completionists. Combat can be easy, but this shouldn't wreck the enjoyment too badly. Shantae continues to show why she is the queen of independent games.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is easily the best in the series and one of WayForward's most enjoyable video games to date.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an entirely typical game in the Metroid-like genre that will be very familiar to anyone who plays them. Despite this, the game's gorgeous visuals, extremely responsive controls, strong level design, and witty writing make it a joy to play through.

While the difficulty level is unbalanced everything else in Shantae and the Seven Sirens works together to create an incredibly entertaining platform-adventure. The series leans more heavily on sex appeal than it needs to, but the world and characters are a huge amount of fun, bursting with color and personality. There’s a good variety in challenges, with the levels alternating between straight combat, platforming and even the occasional puzzle. Secrets are frequent enough that it’s always worth going back and re-checking an area, and even though I thought I’d done a thorough sweep for a first play-through, I still only ended up finding 84% of all items. They’ll have to wait for another play-through, though, because while my first save is still playable New Game+ is waiting with more magic, less defense, and a new outfit. Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a big, ambitious outing for the half-genie hero, and while she may not have gotten the vacation she was hoping for, it’s an adventure worth having.

Overall if you like the recent Shantae games you will like Seven Sirens. Do not expect anything game changing from this game as it is more of a follow on continuation from the previous game in terms of style and substance. If you are looking for a Metroidvania game to play this may not quite scratch that itch. The collection process can feel laborious at times but it does add towards the replay ability of the game.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an enjoyable game with great dungeons but a boring metroidvania exploration. Luckily, its beloved characters and nice boss fights make it worth playing.

This fifth installment in the Shantae series is still an enjoyable game but too short and with a flat-level challenge.