defintely a step down from pirates curse, despite some of the improvements it makes.

best way to sum it up is this:

PROS:
- Visuals look much better
- Still lots of fun
- Soundtrack is still fantastic
- More modes and ways to play the game
- Some of the transformations feel super fun
- Still lots of personality, maybe even more so than Pirates Curse

CONS:
- Suuuuuper easy
- Feels really short
- Goes over the top with backtracking
- NPCs directly telling you what to do ruins feels cheap and ruins any chance at immersion
- Collectables feel less rewarding to collect, especially the switch to "Heart Containers" instead of the Heart Squids
- Lackluster and confusing final boss
- Story a downgrade over pirates curse
- A handful of the dances feel completely useless

Why a not give it a lower score? Because Shantae is just plain fun regardless if it messes up in a lot of aspects.