WayForward Technologies have announced via Kickstarter update that the first paid DLC expansion to their crowdfunded platformer Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, based around series Pirate Queen villain Risky Boots and titled 'Pirate Queen's Quest', has a release date of August 29 on PC and consoles. It's available now free of charge for Kickstarter backers. The DLC activates Risky Mode, which allows players to play through radically altered versions of the regular Shantae levels while following a brand new storyline from the villain's point of view.
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The Risky Boots DLC was funded as a stretch goal for the Kickstarter campaign, which was met when the game was funded in October 2013. The expansion has been referred to by WayForward as "a huge add-on that is a literal game-changer". While the levels are generally the same as in the regular Shantae campaign, they are filled with new puzzles, new enemies including Game Boy fan favourite enemy BatGal, and a new End Boss.
With a hub set on her pirate ship, players will be able to visit any of the levels in any order. Risky Boots will be following a completely new storyline, and she has a completely different set of abilities based around cursed magic and stolen pirate gear such as a Grappling Hook and a Cannon. And that End Boss is probably Shantae herself, incidentally.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero was funded in October 2013 by 18,558 backers pledging $776,084. It's the fourth game in the popular Shantae series, all of which are now available on Steam. While we didn't review it we did play through the entire story and found it hugely enjoyable and addictive, although the storyline wasn't quite as important as previous games in the series. Hopefully Pirate Queen's Quest will readdress that balance.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero's Pirate Queen's Quest expansion DLC featuring Risky Boots Mode will be out on August 29.
