Story
Shadow Complex follows the story of Jason, a mild mannered Joe Everyman who is on a date in the woods (with Claire, a girl he just met). Things soon take a turn for the worst, when Claire runs off and gets captured by mysterious soldiers. Now it’s up to Jason to save her, and navigate the maze-like Shadow Complex. Along the way, Jason reveals a sinister plot to overthrow the American government, and it’s up to him to stop it!
Although it comes off as cliché, the story in Shadow Complex doesn’t try too hard. It’s there to hold together the game, and give Jason motivation. Although not particularly interesting as a whole, it has its moments, and does a pretty good job. A lot of the dialogue can be corny and some parts just don’t make sense, however. Overall, it does a great job of making everything cohesive and giving the player reason to press on, but if it weren’t for the gameplay, it wouldn’t be enough to make this game worthwhile.
Story: 7/10
Gameplay
Shadow Complex does gameplay right. Simply put, it is a blast to play. You move Jason left or right on the screen on a 2D plane. It takes a bit to get used to this at first, since the environments are completely 3D, and there is no actually reason why Jason shouldn’t be able to move into the background or foreground (no rails or edges or anything). You use the right analog stick to aim your gun, and the trigger fires. You can jump (later double and triple jump) and climb ladders too (the first game I’ve played where you can slide down, and up, ladders).All of this works very well, except the aiming. Since the game is 3D, Chair uses enemies in the background as well as the foreground and you have to use the stick to aim on a different plane. This is really confusing since aiming into the background is also done the same way as aiming up, and it can be very awkward. In six playthroughs of the game, I still don’t quite have the hang of it. Luckily the game does a pretty good job of pointing the gun where it needs to be pointed, so after a few stray shots, you’ll usually hit the mark.
When you find a new room, open a new door, or kill enemies, you gain experience. With enough experience you’ll level up, gaining more health, or better accuracy to help you down those enemies. Every ten levels, you’ll unlock a special bonus like unlimited grenades or a full map reveal.
Shadow Complex is set in a huge complex. It’s made up of single rooms with doors leading off in multiple directions based on a grid map. There are tons of rooms to explore with lots and lots of secrets throughout. And this is where the fun in Shadow Complex comes in. The game tracks your percentage of items found, most of which are upgrades to weapons or your health, but others are new items and weapons, including modifications to a high-tech powersuit. These are really fun to find, and some can be quite challenging. Overall, it’s very rewarding.
Shadow Complex borrows a lot from the Metroid games. Lots of doors in the complex can only be opened by being shot by a certain weapon. If you don’t have the weapon, you aren’t getting in. Luckily, Jason is equipped with a flashlight from the very beginning. When shone upon objects, they change color corresponding to a certain item. For example, a door that illuminates green needs to be destroyed with grenades. It’s very useful, and can even help you spot doors or passages you may have otherwise missed.
In the end, Shadow Complex is great fun. Its fun doesn’t come from killing enemies or progressing the story, but exploring the huge map and collecting all the hidden items you can find. It can be incredibly rewarding and satisfying to go back to an area previously explored with that new item you’ve been waiting to get, unlocking the treasure you knew was there, but just couldn’t reach.
Gameplay: 10/10
Presentation
Upon first glance of Shadow Complex, one would never guess that it was an X-Box Live Arcade title. The graphics are superb. They are beautifully rendered and the models are realistic and lifelike. The animations, while sometimes stiff and arcadey, do a great job of portraying the action and immersing you in the game. For as many rooms as the complex has, you can visually tell each of them apart. They all have unique properties and very little assets are reused. And the forest above ground is well detailed and believable.The sound work is also great. The voice acting is good, even on the enemy soldiers you’ll overhear as you crawl through air vents. The music is moody, and while not really noticeable, it does a great job of keeping you in the scene. The sound effects all sound very good, from the gun fire to the sonic boom from Jason’s fancy new shoes.
Finally, the menus are very useful. They are simple and easy to navigate, but the map is where the real importance lies. A simple mini-map at the top displays your vicinity, while bringing up the larger map shows all the rooms in the complex. They are color coded and well keyed, and it’s easy to tell where you have and have not been.
Shadow Complex really sets a new standard for how an X-Box Live Arcade title can look and sound. It’s on the quality of a retail release, which hasn’t really been seen before. The graphics, sound, and menus all do fantastically to engage the player in the gameplay, and create a pleasant experience.
Presentation: 10/10
Summary
Shadow Complex is a must play game. If you are a fan of the older 2D action/adventure games, or if you are new to the scene, you won’t be disappointed with this download. The story, while not terribly original or deep, does a great job of holding together the fantastic exploration gameplay. The presentation is remarkable for a downloaded game, and really sets a new standard. This game is worth the $15 price tag. Go download it, you won’t be disappointed.Final Score: 9/10
(Average of Story, Gameplay, and Presentation)
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