Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds
Combat-focused adventure gives more than one way to advance.
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Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds is an action game for iOS devices. Gameplay features a lot of fighting -- battles are the main activity. Kids use a variety of weapons and abilities in fights. They aren't always given much information upfront about what each one involves, and due to the scale of the images, you can't always see exactly what's happening. They fight creatures to the death, and the main character can die, but kids won't see excessive blood or anguish -- characters essentially collapse. There's no formal introduction to the game. Kids are dropped into it and will have to figure out how to play as they go. They can buy some extras to help, such as packages of in-app currency, which are sold with real-world money. They don't really need to, though -- they can play for some time without even checking what purchases are available, and they won't see constant ads for those or other items. Although the first screen kids will see when they download and open the app looks a bit iffy -- the image appears to contain a woman with her eyes closed who is topless, with tree branches covering part of her chest -- that type of visual seems to be an anomaly in the game.
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What’s It About?
As a warrior with special powers, kids fight demons that have taken over in SHADOW HUNTER: LOST WORLDS. They can play as numerous characters with different fighting skills and will also face off in boss battles against large beasts. They tap on circular buttons to walk left or right and choose fight moves such as sword use. Actions that may produce a bigger impact often have a waiting period before they can be used again. As kids succeed, they'll be able to upgrade their equipment and unlock new abilities, which helps their performance.
Is It Any Good?
With many weapons and attack stances, this role-playing game gives kids enough autonomy to feel like their decisions matter -- although the scant instructions may leave them with questions. In Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds, kids play characters who have been blessed, giving them special abilities to fight demons who, along with shadow monsters, reportedly attacked and now rule the world. The game's look is very dark -- the color palette involves a lot of blue and black, and the demons, at times, look like shadows. The battles can be fierce. Kids face off against demons as they try to make their way to the end of the scene. It's not uncommon for multiple demons to appear in short succession, or for some to pop back up after they appear to die, requiring additional hits. They'll earn HP and other items when they win.
In the early levels, many game elements are unclear, leaving kids to try to figure out which move will have the biggest impact. At least having more than one option during fights gives kids a chance to strategize. Kids can also advance in more than one way. They can earn Campaign Keys which you need to gather to enter a dungeon as a reward, or they can buy keys by exchanging diamonds they've earned for another type of currency -- which is a refreshing change from games that reach a point where it feels like you have to buy something or beat impossible odds to continue. The lack of a backstory, aside from what's mentioned in the App Store description, may bother kids who'd like more context and a better sense of what their ultimate goal is. Providing detailed instructions early in the game would also give kids a better understanding of what actions would be best in battles. They'll need to experiment to find what combination of moves will defeat them -- which is a structure that ultimately helps keep Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds from feeling like an overly repetitive or dull place to be.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about learning how to do something by trying to do it, instead of reading instructions first in Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds. Kids don't get much written guidance initially, so how did your child decide what moves to make?
Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds offers in-app currency and other purchases, although kids can also earn some of the items as rewards, but does your child feel pressured to buy anything to speed the game up? Could earning some of the items as you play offer any advantages?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: March 3, 2023
- Category: Role-Playing Games
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Publisher: ENIGMA SOFTWARE JOINT STOCK COMPANY
- Version: 10.74.8
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 10.0 or later or macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with an Apple M1 chip or later.
- Last updated: March 14, 2023
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