GAME: Shadow Fight 3 by Nekki

GENRE: Fighting, role-playing

PLATFORM: Android, iOS

The first thing that strikes you about Shadow Fight 3 is the shift from 2D silhouette graphics found in earlier versions of the game to smart 3D animation. This has brought colour and depth to the characters, replacing the dark silhouette gamers were familiar with. The swift combat experience of earlier games has been retained.

Coming to gameplay, it is an overall smooth experience, even with budget phones. There is hardly any notable lag or stutter while playing. And if you are worried that the shadow characters will be gone, there is good news. Players can now transform their characters to the dark shadow creatures from time to time during a fight, which comes with a dose of nostalgia for those who've played Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. During fights, a second bar right below the health bar represents shadow energy and indicates when the players can transform themselves to shadow creatures. The bar fills up with each strike. The shadow mode comes with special powers, depending on which upgrades and powers the character has obtained and equipped.

The game boasts a pretty tight storyline which picks up a decade after the events of the second game. It has a world map that unlocks bit by bit as the player progresses through the story. It also has dynamic side quests throughout the story so that the players can have different fighting experiences with different types of opponents. There is an online duel mode in which players can fight against bots -with similar weapons and abilities - to practise their skills and earn coins or just for fun. A co-op multiplayer mode was released for the previous games where players could fight super powerful AI-powered bosses with the help of their team or clan members. Players have to dedicate their time and attention to recruiting and building a good team so they can use it to defeat some super powerful bosses in this game as well. Keep in mind that there is a separate training mode, in which players fight endlessly against "June", whose health regenerates indefinitely in the Training mode.

You can purchase equipment with coins or gems. Players earn coins from each fight or buy coins with gems. To obtain gems, players can participate in online surveys or watch online videos or pay money. There are also chests which can be won in fights. Though they take time to unlock, the chests have some good treats in them.

The game also features various customisation options for the characters. Players can collect hundreds of types of helmets, armours and weapons. They can also change their character's appearance and abilities whenever they want. The best thing in this game is that players can create their own fighting style, which will suit their gameplay pattern.

Verdict: If fighting games are your blue pill, then you'll surely enjoy this game.