Shadow Warrior

Shadow Warrior followed the success of Duke Nukem 3D using the same Build engine, this time with the protagonist Lo Wang, a former hitman for the Japanese arms corporation Zilla Enterprises, who turns against his employer after discovering its true intentions. The game combines firearms such as shotguns, rocket launchers, and explosive-tipped grenades with a katana for melee combat and a range of throwing weapons like shurikens, placing greater emphasis on melee combat within the FPS genre than most of the competition at the time. The environments draw on Asian aesthetics – temples, gardens, dragon statues, and industrial complexes are full of traps, secret passages, and interactive elements typical of the Build engine. Enemies also included supernatural foes and mythical creatures, giving the game a touch of supernatural horror alongside its action.

Like Duke Nukem 3D, the game reveled in self-aware, borderline politically incorrect humor and a wealth of one-liners from its hero, which drew criticism from some audiences but contributed to its popularity and cult status among others, similar to previous 3D Realms titles built on a similar type of humor. The graphics engine enabled high resolutions on DOS computers, sloped surfaces, and vertical viewing angles, so the level design could be clearer and more open than in older titles, with plenty of outdoor areas and changes in elevation.

Shadow Warrior is remembered today mainly as one of the last great Build engine titles from the era when the engine dominated the market, before it was ultimately overshadowed by fully 3D-accelerated technologies like Quake. A later remake and sequel revived interest in the original, which remains a favorite among connoisseurs of nineties shooters with an Asian action flavor and its unmistakable combination of melee and ranged weapons.