Shadow Complex Review

What is your motive? It starts off as a ruse to rescue your girlfriend but quickly (and perhaps a little too suddenly) takes a turn to saving the world (or, in this case, San Francisco) from the evil machinations of Cobra Commander. None of which matters – as soon as you take control of Jason Flemming, the protagonist, your sole motive is to move left, right, up, down, jump, shoot, explore the complex, explode the baddies. The game succeeds in that this simple gameplay mechanic is motivation enough for the next dozen or so hours. The fun part and real meat of the game is in the exploration. If you are the type that obsesses over finding out every secret, charting out the last centimetre of a game’s map, then this game will keep you sleepless over nights.

Aug 17, 2009  From the moment I was first shown Shadow Complex, I knew that I wanted to play it. Executive assault 2 how to play coop. Now that I've explored every nook and cranny of this massive Xbox Live Arcade game and saved the day multiple times, I still want to play it. If this is the direction the Xbox Live Arcade is going in, bring it on.

The underground complex is vast – it offers varying landscapes from jungles and underground mines, to overarching commercial ‘workplaces’ and claustrophobic air vents. This sprawling complex then, is the true hero of the game; the sole reason to keep going, finding items, unlocking doors, and yes, punching the odd baddy in the face. Out of my way chum, there’s a missile pack behind your ass! Another point of contention, at least for me, is that the map of the game – a very vital piece – can sometimes be misleading: You might find yourself plan a romp across the map, carefully charting your progress in your mind, but be stopped mid-travel, frustratingly, as you find a wall that was not shown on the map, stopping you in your track.

With From Software Armored Core V will propose to return to battle hard with giant robots in a delivery that promises to put a great emphasis on the online game component of building the network functions well established solid and offered on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Armored core 5 cheats.

Or when the map shows a locked door but there is no such thing in the actual game. Plus representing a 2.5d world as a 2d map makes for some head-scratching instances of “where is that damn item, should be right here!” Moments like these make you question the validity of the map; a very bad thing when the map practically serves as the game’s foundation. There are also minor bugs – the rag doll physics that see an enemy fly across the screen will sometimes cause one to spin like a top, Exorcist-like, at one place.

It’s almost uncanny how easily a romantic hike into the rocky mountain wilderness with your new girlfriend can turn into an explosive, power suit-fueled rumble through the secret underground complex of militaristic revolutionaries on the verge of launching a massive coup against the US government. Yes, appearances can be deceiving. As fresh as Shadow Complex looks and feels on the surface, it’s really a cleverly disguised homage to the SNES heydays of a certain armor-clad bounty huntress. We most heartily approve.As the game’s reluctant hero, Jason Fleming, you’ll seek to save your girlfriend and stop the plot to overthrow the government being hatched by her captors. You’re saddled with a gimpy pistol and a flashlight from the get-go, but by the end of this fast-paced 2D adventure platformer, you’ll be swinging from the rafters, face-punching burly brutes across the room, diving deep underwater, leaping impossibly high with the aid of thrusters, and laying waste to the enemy compound from the inside out with high-powered weaponry.

The game’s blood-spilling action is balanced by strong exploratory elements and frequent plot updates. In addition to acquiring the hot tech needed to thwart the armed resistance, your physical abilities are creatively honed though an experience system that levels-up gradually as you take down enemies and access new areas of the base.Shadow Complex blends old-school side-scrolling gameplay with a gorgeously 3D visual flair powered by the beefy Unreal Engine 3. You’ll venture through lush forest landscapes, dark tunnels carved deep into the earth, air ducts brimming with technology, and cavernous warehouses packed with automated assembly lines and giant killer robots.

It all provides for some marvelous sight-seeing opportunities. Enemy soldiers and their large, robotic counterparts are creatively worked into the environments as well. At times troopers will come spilling out toward you from the scenery itself with guns blazing. During these moments, you can shoot at odd 3D angles to take down opponents in the background. This adds another dimension of depth and further illustrates just how impressive the presentation is for a downloadable game.Much like the classic game it references, Shadow Complex is rife with color-coded doors that can only be opened with specific equipment gained at different points along your travels.

Following objectives laid out on the map leads you directly to these key items and advances the plot, yet there’s a ridiculous amount of power-ups to uncover and secret areas to explore by trailblazing. A straightforward run through can be completed in under five hours, but you’ll want to take your time to fully explore every brilliant nook and cranny to extend the fun. The already high replay value is bolstered by challenge missions that can be tackled at your leisure. Chair Entertainment has substantially raised the bar for downloadable games to come and helped us rediscover a long lost love in the process.Aug 17, 2009.