Update: This article originally stated that Shantae and the Seven Sirens was a timed exclusive on Apple Arcade, which is not correct. This has been corrected.
Exciting news for fans of WayForward’s hair-whipping half-genie hero: Shantae and the Seven Sirens is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 28, and Part 2 of the Apple Arcade version is available now.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens is the fifth game in the series, and returns to the more Metroidvania-esque form of the first three games (as opposed to the more linear Shantae: Half-Genie Hero). It sees Shantae exploring an interconnected “tropical paradise” with the aid of a variety of new animal transformations and belly-dancing powers, as she endeavours to put a stop to the sinister happenings that are interrupting her well-deserved holiday.
The first part of the game was released on Apple Arcade last year, with the promise of a Part 2—which brings the adventure to its conclusion—and complete PC and console releases to follow. As well as the second part of the story (and the new locations and abilities that come with that), the Apple Arcade update includes a variety of improvements to things like the in-game map, character portraits, and touch controls.
The console and PC version will include the full, complete version of Shantae and the Seven Sirens in one package, with 4K support on PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, Mac, and PC. There are plans to release a physical version, in both regular and limited-edition forms, through Limited Run Games; more details on those will come at a later date.
Not being an Apple user, I haven’t been able to jump into Apple Arcade at all, and Shantae and the Seven Sirens is easily my most anticipated of the lot. Knowing that it’s a return to the series’ non-linear roots makes this all the more exciting (I was a bit cold on Half-Genie Hero, and the linearity of it was a big part of that). Knowing that the console release is on the horizon—and due out the day before my birthday, no less!—has me very excited indeed.