Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut brings hair-whipping, belly-dancing to your PC! Play one of the most critically acclaimed handheld series of all time, now with brand new features!
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is a platformer, female protagonist and metroidvania game
developed and published by WayForward.
Released on July 15th 2014 is available in English only on Windows.
It has received 1,591 reviews of which 1,366 were positive and 225 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 0.62€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut into these genres:
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows®XP™ SP2, Windows®Vista™ or Windows®7
- Processor: Intel™ Pentium 4 2.4 ghz with Hyper Threading
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA® Geforce 9600GT, AMD® Radeon™ HD 3870 or higher (it must be able to manage Pixel Shader 3.0) with at least 512MB of display memory
- DirectX: Version 9.0
- Storage: 1 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
6,5/10 It's an okaish short game with simple mechanics, tho sometimes it can get annoying with the backtracking It also has Shantae hi Shantae omg hi Shantae
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I do not feel strongly about this game in either a positive or negative angle. It is definitely an improved port of Risky's Revenge by virtue of the fact the fast travel is no longer tied to two specific statues to warp between as you can now warp to any statue you've activated along the way. Simultaneously, it is still the most rushed and restrictive Shantae game by virtue of shop upgrades being tied to jars of Magic Jam, which are collectibles scattered throughout the world. These do nothing but guide you to make a beeline for what you know works well while disregarding the rest until endgame cleanup for the sake of making your completion percentage go up. I'm grateful this concept was ditched entirely for the future entries in the Shantae series. It's a detriment to the fun of experimentation. I think this is mostly just a weaker Half Genie Hero by today's standards. It's not a bad game, but we have better offerings nowadays, so it just became harder to recommend with time. If you do like this series, I'd still say it's fine for a playthrough, but that's about it. Jake Kaufman's phenomenal musical compositions and Wayforward's excellent sprite art, if nothing else, still absolutely rule!
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Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is a charming and highly stylized 2D Metroidvania platformer developed and published by WayForward. Originally released as a DSiWare title, this reimagined version takes what was already a strong foundation and enhances it with a number of thoughtful quality-of-life features and visual refinements. The game follows Shantae, a half-genie guardian of Scuttle Town, as she embarks on a mission to thwart her longtime nemesis Risky Boots, who seeks to unleash the dark power of a stolen magical lamp. While the story serves as a light narrative frame, the true appeal lies in its blend of classic platforming, colorful aesthetics, and the exploration-focused gameplay loop typical of the Metroidvania genre. The core gameplay mechanics revolve around tight, responsive controls and clever level design that encourages backtracking with newly acquired abilities. Shantae’s signature hair-whip attack is simple yet satisfying, and the transformation magic—allowing her to turn into animals like a monkey, elephant, or mermaid—adds depth to the traversal and puzzle-solving elements. Each transformation opens up previously inaccessible areas, creating a natural sense of progression that rewards exploration. The Director’s Cut also improves the experience by streamlining fast travel between zones, making exploration feel less tedious than in the original version. Combat in Risky’s Revenge is relatively straightforward but fun, with Shantae able to buy magic spells to enhance her offensive options. The enemy variety isn’t overwhelming, but it serves its purpose, and the boss fights, while not revolutionary, are designed with enough flair to be memorable. Where the game truly excels is in its sense of rhythm—platforming, combat, and exploration flow together smoothly, making the moment-to-moment gameplay consistently engaging. This sense of cohesion is further enhanced by the game's snappy controls and tight hitboxes, which rarely lead to frustration unless the player simply miscalculates a jump or mistimes an attack. Visually, Risky’s Revenge showcases a colorful, vibrant pixel art style that balances nostalgia with modern crispness. Every area in Sequin Land bursts with personality, from sun-drenched deserts to moody caves and lush forests. The Director’s Cut introduces high-resolution character portraits that bring even more charm and personality to the game’s quirky cast. Shantae herself is a particularly well-animated protagonist, with expressive movements that capture her energetic personality. Despite being originally designed for a smaller screen, the transition to modern hardware has been handled with care, ensuring the game looks sharp and clean without sacrificing its retro charm. The audio design complements the visuals wonderfully, with a catchy and eclectic soundtrack that ranges from energetic battle tunes to whimsical exploration themes. Jake Kaufman’s compositions are a highlight of the experience, elevating the atmosphere of every location and encounter. The game also features a fair amount of voice work and written dialogue that helps flesh out the personalities of the supporting characters, though the story remains light and comedic rather than deeply dramatic. The game isn’t without its shortcomings. Navigation can sometimes be confusing, especially due to the somewhat rudimentary map system that doesn’t always clearly indicate your objectives or current position relative to previous obstacles. It’s easy to miss key paths or forget where to return with new powers, leading to moments of disorientation or backtracking that feel less rewarding than they should. Additionally, while the transformation system is central to the gameplay, switching between forms requires entering a dance menu, which can interrupt the pacing during segments that demand quick changes. It’s a system that works, but feels a bit dated compared to more fluid transformation mechanics in later games in the series. In terms of content, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut offers a moderate playtime, typically ranging from five to eight hours depending on how thorough you are in collecting all the hidden items and completing optional objectives. The addition of Magic Mode—a more challenging replay option with limited defense but increased magic power—provides a bit of extra incentive for returning players. Achievements, trading cards, and other Steam-specific enhancements also round out the package, giving it added appeal for completionists. Ultimately, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut stands as a well-crafted, personality-driven platformer that successfully modernizes a beloved entry in the Shantae series without losing its retro soul. It may not be the most expansive or mechanically complex Metroidvania on the market, but its heart, charm, and polished gameplay make it easy to recommend. Whether you're new to the series or revisiting it with fresh eyes, this Director’s Cut delivers a delightful adventure full of humor, color, and satisfying exploration. Rating: 8/10
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Ok, there's a thumbs up here on the review, but my opinion is a bit more complicated than that. Yes, it's a Shantae game, so there's a lot of quality and heart put into it. It's funny, it's memorable, the art is great- overall, it's a good time. However, without a doubt, Risky's Revenge is probably the least interesting Game in the series. If I'm being honest, there's not much special about it, esepecially when compared to the other titles in the series. It just feels like a remastering of the original Gameboy Colour Game for the DS, and that game could get repetetive very, VERY quick. But wheras the original game had all sorts of interesting things to find across the map like the Zombie Caravan, the gambling mini game, and the equippable items, Risky's Revenge has pretty much nothing. Sure, it introduces some of the best characters in the series (Rottytops' brothers, the Barons, etc,) but you can find them in the better games that come after it. I'm not saying in any way that this game is bad, but if this is your first Shantae game, you're probably not gonna want to stick through the entirety of the game. If you need an intro to the series, go play Half Genie Hero Deluxe edition.
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I played the first Shantae game and the 3rd (Pirate's curse). Out of the 3, Pirate's curse is better, but it might be a good idea to do this one first and then play #3 so you don't get disappointed with this one. Do the 1st game after you appreciate the series.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 9.99€ on Steam.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut received 1,366 positive votes out of a total of 1,591 achieving a rating of 8.20.
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Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut was developed and published by WayForward.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is not playable on MacOS.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is not playable on Linux.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is a single-player game.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut does not currently offer any DLC.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut does not support Steam Remote Play.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut.
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Last Updates| Steam data | 13 March 2026 14:23 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 09 March 2026 20:07 |
| Steam price | 15 March 2026 04:43 |
| Steam reviews | 13 March 2026 20:00 |
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Game modes
Features
Online players
4
Developer
WayForward
Publisher
WayForward
Release
15 Jul 2014
Platforms
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