Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex is an Xbox Live Arcade game developed by Chair Entertainment and produced by Epic Games. It is a 2D platformer in the Metroidvania (http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Metroidvania) style with 3D environments and graphics. The game features a story written by Peter David, a prolific comics writer, and set in Orson Scott Card’s Empire universe.
I’ve seen this game referred to as “this generation’s Super Metroid.” I’m not willing to go that far. I will forever keep and maintain a Super Nintendo system in order to replay Super Metroid on a regular basis. Having devoured Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission multiple times, I’ve been hankering for a new 2D Metroid game for a long time now. Shadow Complex isn’t Super Metroid, but if Nintendo hired Chair Entertainment to port Shadow Complex into the Metroid universe, I would be very, very happy.
Shadow Complex is set in a near future setting. You control Jason Flemming, out in the woods on a first date with Claire. You stumble on a secret complex, Claire gets kidnapped, and you feel an obligation to save her. Really, the story’s not all that compelling. It’s not bad, in any way, but it’s a pretty thin veneer that really just serves to give you reason to explore the complex and shoot the bad guys.
Thankfully, exploring the complex and shooting the bad guys is a lot of fun. Initially, you don’t have a lot going for you. You’ve got a pistol. You can jump. You can duck under stuff. That’s about it. As time goes on, in the great Metroidvania tradition, you will acquire better weapons, better abilities, and generally become the badass you always wanted to be.
By you, there, I mean “you, the player.” There’s some bit of backstory about how Jason won’t follow Dad’s footsteps into the military because he doesn’t want to be involved in the violence. This seems to matter little as you go through the complex killing everything in sight. Jason makes the occasional guilt-ridden aside, but they end up being more hilariously ironic than morally relevant.
Indeed, the achievements in the game really inspire being as violent as possible to the enemies within the complex. From “My Head A-splode” to “Make ‘Em Scream”, the game really embraces what it does well and doesn’t try to make you feel guilty for enjoying it. Regular achievement status updates help encourage the carnage, and, once you’ve completed an achievement, the game starts comparing your scores versus your friends. The prospect of beating my friend’s scores was surprisingly effective at keeping me playing and exploring after completing the story.
I’ve only talked about the story mode so far. There is a challenge mode, where you’re tasked with getting through a variety of levels using a limited set of weapons and power ups. I found this mode to be more frustrating than fun. The nature of the 3D environment seems to remove some of the precision found in a true 2D game. This isn’t all that noticeable in the story mode, but the challenges are all about precision. Thankfully, they’re just a bonus, not the main selling point of the game.
Ultimately, if you enjoy old-school platformers at all, you should check out Shadow Complex. Even if the Metroidvania games aren’t your style, give the demo a shot. There’s lots to like about this game; it’s pretty, it’s big, it’s replayable, it’s cheap, and it’s a lot of fun. I can’t ask for much more from a game.