Recently I have been playing a welcome new addition to the Metroid style adventure game genre, Shadow Complex. The game is a hybrid of 2d/3d, as you are confined to a two dimensional plane while everyone else is running around in three dimensions. It takes a little while to get used to if you’re used to 3d games. But, once you get the hang of it, it is a load of fun. The game built on the unreal engine, so the graphics are decent, but not revolutionary.
Shadow Complex features a basic leveling system in combination with unlockable equipment and upgrades. The game areas are designed well so you can get around without having to back track through some of the more annoying ones. And, as you advance through the game you grow enough in power to make you feel like a super hero. And, I am not kidding, you start out as a dude in a shirt and jeans, and end the game decked out in futuristic armor all but invincible. Another nice feature of the game is that on subsequent play throughs you start with the experience from previous run throughs. I love this feature, and I would like to see it in more video games. I still go back and play through Chrono Trigger from time to time with my godlike team.
Unfortunately, despite all the good in the game there are some glaringly bad issues. The first, and foremost is aiming. Aiming is achieved through a combination of the left and right analog sticks, and it can be maddening sometimes. You mostly have control on the 2d plane, thought it is a little touchy. The main problem lies in relying on the “auto aim” to shift the aiming axis in the third dimension. It is infuriating when you are sitting there, looking at your laser pointing over the enemy only to have your bullets go whizzing by them. On my first play through I was playing on hardcore, and while the aiming issues were annoying, it was forgiving enough that it usually did not get you killed. Unfortunately, on insane difficulty the aiming issues make some sections nearly unplayable.
Other game play issues are not so much a problem, but are really annoying. The first one is related to aiming, and that is using the hookshot. Apparently, the hookshot has a fairly limited number of angles it can work at, so you’ll be frustrated trying to swing around only to find the hookshot going in the wrong direction and thus miss the mark. A tip to new players, when maneuvering with hookshot, aim with the right stick and hit the hookshot button without jumping (this doesn’t cover all situations but it will save you a lot of head aches).
Next, is wall jumping. I would say that wall jumping works most of the time, but there are times when your avatar just refuses to cling to the wall and you just have to try over and over until he eventually latches on. Last, ceiling grenade panels. Seriously, grenades are time delayed explosive devices, why require the player to destroy panels on a ceiling with them? Basically this has to be done using foam and then chucking a grenade into it. Usually it is just a pain in the ass that doesn’t really add anything to the game. But, even with these short falls, I love this style of game.
Super Metroid is one of my all time favorite video games, and I am afraid I have been depriving myself of this style for too long. I really enjoyed getting back into the exploration adventure style of game play. Originally I was considering passing on the game, but vanlandw was gushing over it so much that I decided to give it a go thinking that if its like Super Metroid, it can’t be that bad. The irony here is that I loved the game, and vanlandw cannot stand it.
This game has been fairly reinvigorating and has inspired me to replay Super Metroid, which I plan to do soon. And, since Castlevania Symphony of the Night has been ported to XBLA I am considering picking that up as well (I didn’t have time to play it when it originally came out on the PSX). So, on my special undecim punctum scale, I have decided to rate the game a 4.
UPDATE: Since I originally wrote this post (its been sitting in my drafts folder for a while), I have since “completed” the game. I managed to get all the gamer achievements, and even some of the zero value achievements in the game. And, I have to say, I have never had so much fun grinding. Today I was power leveling, so I played through on insane, got most of the items, beat the game, and started again. I cannot think of the last time a game would good enough to play through more than once, let alone starting over immediately after finishing. Good stuff.
Granted, not everything is rosy. The Proving Grounds challenges are pretty brutal. Most of them are cake, but once you get to the third level you’re sure to start pulling your hair out. So, I don’t really expect to go back and try to get better times on those. But, I can see myself going back and playing the campaign more. I have been debating trying to do some speed runs now that I am level 50. My personal best time is just under 50 minutes, and that was when I tried to do the sequence break the first time, I wasn’t even trying to beat it quickly. I’ve gotten pretty good at the sequence break, but I need to work on my time for getting the missile pack. But, I digress.
Now that I have played through the game six times, I have decided to revise my initial impression, and give this game my maximum score: 5.
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