The game starts with players as recruits of the Shadow Squad, a branch of the Legion that will not hesitate to use Shadow Energy. As they progress further, they will come into contact with other factions and be able to experiment, mix and match equipment, learn new tactics, fighting styles, and ultimately make choices that will determine the outcome of the war. You must create your own samurai, equip him with a vast array of armor and weapons, and try to defeat all the enemies you encounter. Players can customize their in-game avatar at the beginning of the game by choosing their name, gender, facial features, and hair style and color. Throughout the course of the game, this player character will gain new levels and skills and develop in the direction of the player's choice.
You can move your character with the left arrow keys and attack with the kick and punch keys. As with all great fighting games, using a combination of arrow keys and action keys, you'll be able to pull off incredible combos.
As you progress through Shadow Fight 3, you'll meet a variety of enemies, each with their own unique attributes and fighting styles. Some enemies are extremely aggressive and won't give you any respite, while others will wait for you to make a mistake.
In Shadow Fight 3, you will gradually unlock a large number of weapons and armor: swords, spears, batons and various fighting weapons, and you can also equip your character with helmets and shields. Of course, you can also customize your protagonist.
The game features three unique fighting genres, each of which offers dozens of martial arts techniques, weapons, and equipment that players can use to gain expertise or combine to create a unique fighting style. The first three chapters of the game focus on introducing players to these three factions - Legion, Dynasty and Herald - and their secrets and agendas, after which they must choose between the three.
In addition to the main quest, the game allows players to participate in several side quests that expand the story and provide more information about the world. They can also participate in duels, a player-versus-player mode with its own reward and ranking system.