The foam gun looks like it comes straight out of Metroid
The term “Metroidvania” has been around for decades, referring to the Metroid (or Castlevania) non-linear side scrollers that were all the rage in the last millenium. Chair Entertainment has brought Metroidvania games into the new century with Shadow Complex, a download only XBLA title that can be had for $15. The short of it is, this game is a great deal, and a no brainer if you are a fan of the aforementioned.
The weakest part of the game is the story, which is told every once in awhile through Unreal Engine cut scenes. They look great, but they are few and far between, and the story is kind of generic, something about some evil faction trying to take over America (there is some sort of civil war going on). It’s decent enough to move the game along, but where Shadow Complex really shines is in the gameplay.
The easiest way to describe the game is to call it an homage to Metroid. You are navigating through a complicated maze of a base, in two dimensions, and new areas of the base open up to you as you power up and get more equipment. The only difference is there is a pseudo third dimension: you aim using your right analog stick and can fire at enemies in the background that way. The aiming is kind of finicky at first, but as you get better and level up, your aiming gets smoother. You gain experience by killing enemies and discovering new areas, and every level increase results in an upgrade.
There are tons of collectibles hidden throughout the game world, which is what I am having the most fun finding. If there is a collectible in a particular area of a map grid, a question mark appears in the grid and it’s up to you to find it. As the game progresses, you really need to start using your new weapons, sometimes in conjunction with one another. There are some small puzzles that are really fun to solve. Of course, you can skip all this and just plow through the game with the guidance turned on (a blue line that tells you where to go) if you wish.
But that would really be missing out on the charm of this game. With a ton of collectibles to find, a challenge mode, multiple difficulty settings, an achievement for beating the game with a MINIMUM of upgrades, speed runs, etc., there are hours of enjoyment to be had in this game. It’s an old school product in a new school package – try it out and you’ll know what I mean.
I’ve spent a pretty good amount of time with this game (already beaten it twice), and have to say for the most part it’s a pretty enjoyable adventure/platform game. However, I will also warn that I was a bit underwhelmed by the game just because of the pure hype that came from reviews and people talking. GOTY? 9.5? 5/5? Come on. I think those reviews and ratings are a bit too forgiving of the game’s faults, and I recommend checking out 1UP.com’s more down to earth review of the game (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3175605&p=4) so you don’t go in thinking this is the best game since sliced bread.
I grew up playing all of the Metroids and Castlevania games, so the purchase for me was a no-brainer. Maybe I’ve gotten spoiled with the directions that both the Metroid and Castlevania games have evolved – Shadow Complex looks great, but it’s simpler in game design than I would have liked for this day and age. The game is a great homage to the original Metroid, but if you’ve been playing the Metroid games up until now, the series has advanced a lot further these past 20 years (Metroid Prime is still amazing). I think there’s a certain lack of variety in Shadow Complex, as it revolves too much around upgrading inconsequential items (does anyone actually need to hold 50 grenades at a time with them plentily available everywhere?) and backtracking. At least in the more recent Castlevania games on the DS, the items you’re finding are equipment upgrades, healing items, etc. that all have use.
Let’s just say those that do not like Metroidvania games will not find this Shadow Complex to change their mind. The game doesn’t really bring much innovation to the table except for the 2D/3D plane (which definitely takes a while to get used to). And what’s with enemies shooting me when I can’t even see them on the screen? This may seem trivial on a lower level difficulty, but on the hardest one, when you die before you even know who shot you, it can get frustrating. In any case, Shadow Complex implements the classic Metroidvania gameplay style well and gives it a presentation fitting for this generation’s audience, but it does’t bring enough innovation to really make the game hit “must-play” status in my book.
I may seem overly negative in this post, but it’s more to enlighten you all that the game has its faults. Is it worth $15? Absolutely. While you can rush through the game in about an hour, a more typical “exploring” style game will last you closer to 6 hours if you actually want to enjoy it. cmfl3x also mentions that the gameplay lends itself well to multiple playthroughs, and I heartily agree (I’m currently on my 3rd playthrough myself, and it’s just as enjoyable as when I first started). Also, there’s all sorts of Leaderboards, encouraging a nice competitive element to this adventure if you are inclined. In addition to the main game, there’s a set of about two dozen or so “challenges” that are not unlike the addicting Time Trials in Mirror’s Edge, allowing you to see where you stand in your Shadow Complex skills compared to your peers. I’ve come close to top 10 on the Leaderboards on a couple, but sadly, never close enough.
If you are hungry for more after adventure/platforming after Shadow Complex, consider checking out Castlevania SotN for $10, an older fan-favorite that still has more depth than Shadow Complex, even though it came out during the original Playstation lifecycle.