# Dark Sword vs Shadow Assassin

The clearest difference is rating: Dark Sword at 4.6 against Shadow Assassin's 2.6. Dark Sword also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 50%) and ratings volume (288 vs 5). Shadow Assassin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dark Sword sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Shadow Assassin asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dark Sword holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dark Sword has 288 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Dark Sword's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shadow Assassin's.

Dark Sword ships an update every 5 weeks, Shadow Assassin every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Sword | Shadow Assassin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (288 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sword/id1070709625/reviews)** | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-assassin-fighting-game/id1658935656/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **288** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **81.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 201 MB | 600 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +12 | 9+ |
| Developer | [NANOO COMPANY Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1011714859) | [Tien Pham](https://appshunter.io/developer/936271249) |

## What reviewers say

### Dark Sword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sword/id1070709625)

Embark on a dark silhouette action RPG adventure to defeat a dark dragon and restore light. Recruit allies, battle in PvP and raids, and collect over 150 items and skills.

**Highlights:** Defeat the Dark Dragon, Silhouette Action RPG, Acquire Allies, PvP, Raids, Dark Dungeon, Over 150 Items & Skills

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First Purchase Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| STARTER PACK | $1.99 | one-time |
| 90 SOUL PACK | $2.99 | one-time |
| 165 SOUL PACK | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 3x Legendary (Tier 3) | $4.99 | one-time |
| SPECIAL 360 SOUL SET | $5.99 | one-time |
| TIER 3 LEGENDARY PACK | $6.99 | one-time |
| TIER 8 LEGENDARY PACK | $7.99 | one-time |
| TIER 13 LEGENDARY PACK | $8.99 | one-time |
| 390 SOUL PACK | $9.99 | one-time |
| Essential Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 900 SOUL PACK | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game with smooth gameplay
- 🎨 Awesome art style and visuals
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive hack-and-slash combat
- 🆓 Enjoyable without paying
- 🕰️ Good for short play sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Energy system limits playtime
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤖 Unbalanced PvP matchmaking
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of clarity on progression

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing and crashing on launch
- Purchased items not being delivered
- Sync issues causing data loss
- Unresponsive controls and input lag

**Requested features**

- More RPG elements and customization options
- Offline play mode
- Gender selection for character
- Improved tutorial and onboarding
- Rebalanced in-game economy


### Shadow Assassin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-assassin-fighting-game/id1658935656)

Embark on a revenge quest as Leo, a descendant of Beowulf, in this shadow-style platformer. Battle through increasingly difficult levels and upgrade your hero's skills and damage to defeat the Supreme Empress of Hell and save your loved one.

**Highlights:** Shadow-style platformer gameplay, RPG elements with skill upgrades, Intense combat against enemies, Multiple challenging scenes, Resource collection and obstacle avoidance, Story-driven revenge quest

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dark Sword free?

Dark Sword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shadow Assassin free?

Shadow Assassin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dark Sword or Shadow Assassin?

Dark Sword is rated higher. Dark Sword averages 4.6 out of 5 from 288 ratings, while Shadow Assassin averages 2.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Dark Sword or Shadow Assassin have ads?

Both Dark Sword and Shadow Assassin show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dark Sword or Shadow Assassin?

Dark Sword ships an update every 5 weeks, and Shadow Assassin every 10 days. Most recently, Dark Sword was updated on October 22, 2026 and Shadow Assassin on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*