![]() ![]() Controls are also tight and precise, when things went horribly wrong for Shadow I knew it was my fault, even if I didn’t want to admit that to myself. You’ll rarely have to travel too far before finding a handy machine that’ll offer you a quick save, a health boost and the opportunity to buy a power-up. These frustrations are alleviated somewhat by some wise development decisions that act as a soothing balm to damaged gamer egos. There’s also too brief of an invulnerability interval after Shadow is struck and knocked back for my taste – it’s far too easy to lose several lives before you have any chance of recovering. Not a massive problem initially but when a lot of the later action takes place on precipitous platforms positioned above insta-kill spikes, you’ll soon be wishing that Shadow kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. ‘Big bad robot ninja killing machine’ Shadow leaps back a good metre if only even gently caressed by a teeny tiny monster. ![]() ![]() The first example is in the intensely irritating ‘knockback’ mechanic. Overall, it’s mostly fair, though there are some glaringly cruel exceptions. For far too long you’ll be stuck jumping with a basic attack and not a lot else going for you.ĭifficulty wise Cyber Shadow is as challenging and unforgiving as you would expect a game of this genre to be. Whilst this ability certainly opens up the game world for exploration, it felt late in its arrival – I’m used to being able to double jump and wall climb in my retro platformers from the get-go. There are some more interesting abilities to eventually be unlocked, but by the time you can parry, dash and cross slash like a ninja master it all feels a little too late into your adventure. In fact, I was well into a third of the game before unlocking the wall climb skill. You’ll be bashing bosses for many a level with the slim reward of useful but tedious health boosts and uninspired abilities that you’ll rarely use. Normally this is an excellent device to drive a player’s engagement and commitment to the game, yet Cyber Shadow waits an absolute age before dishing out the fun stuff. Just like any 2D action platformer, Shadow gradually gains a slew of abilities which can be used to further explore previous levels. The description of ‘spot-on pacing’ can’t be applied to the lethargic dribble of power-ups that come Shadow’s way. Smooth animation, super-detailed characterisation and a palpable sense of atmosphere – Aarne has perfected the art of 8-bit visual design. What Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker of Mechanical Head Games has accomplished is nothing short of astonishing. The 8-bit visuals are, quite frankly, kissable. Because, if like me, your first experience of a video game console was the NES then seeing Cyber Shadow in motion will give you a nostalgic dopamine hit of epic proportions. But can a retro-infused nostalgia fix succeed without having a sense of humour? Whilst The Messenger was a loving parody of retro classics, Cyber Shadow takes itself very, very seriously. But that would be to do Cyber Shadow a disservice. Cyber Shadow answers a very specific question, namely: What would a modern AAA video game look like if it existed in the eighties? Now, if you’re feeling pedantic you could argue that Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger already answered that question way back in 2018. ![]()
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