Posts tagged chair

I’ve spent a little over twelve hours playing Chair’s Xbox Live Arcade game Shadow Complex, and during that time I’ve probably shouted “fuck!” more often than I have at any other game in recent memory. And I like it. The fact that I’m cursing in frustration while at the same time being utterly enthralled is one of the best compliments I can give to a video game.

Like the classic side-scrolling games Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Shadow Complex is all about exploring a huge environment while taking down throngs of bad guys. You move from room to room, blowing away enemies and searching for new doorways and hidden items. I’m a big fan of this style of gameplay, especially the relatively recent Castlevania games on the Nintendo handhelds. So having this type of game on a current-generation console with high-def graphics definitely appeals to me.

Let’s talk about what’s good, what’s bad and what’s sexy in Shadow Complex.

The Good

Shadow Complex completely sucked me in. Every few minutes you’re on the verge of discovering a new location, finding weapon or armor upgrades, or fighting an intense battle. I’m on my second play-through and I’m not even close to getting tired of it. There are somewhere around 120 items to find, spread throughout the facility, and like the games on which its based, Shadow Complex keeps constant track of your progress. For me this gives extra incentive to find every hidden item and collect every upgrade. Especially with a Gamerscore achievement tied to it.

Unreal Tournament and Gears of War studio Epic Games is co-creator of Shadow Complex, so it’s no surprise that it runs on the latest Unreal Engine. And the capabilities of the engine really shows, even on a small side-scrolling scale like this one. Great lighting, physics and explosions all work together to make a dynamic action game. The explosions especially are some of the most satisfying I’ve seen in a game in a while. I love taking down a bipedal walker and watching it blow apart. Fantastic.

Not to be outdone by the visuals, the music and sound effects of Shadow Complex are equally as impressive. The gunfire and explosions all sound appropriately devastating. The music is spot-on. Every now and then, after a period of relative quiet, the music will swell like a film score at just the right moment and I’ll feel like a complete badass. It’s really cool. It reminds me of moments in the original Half-Life, which from me is huge compliment.

The Bad

Remember all those “fucks” I mentioned shouting earlier? Well I don’t just swear for no reason. This game came be pretty tough and frustrating in some places. I’ve literally played some  sequences eight times in a row because I kept dying over and over again. But I’ve never felt Shadow Complex was being unfair. Some parts might have taken me while to figure out, but once I did they were never a problem again. It’s almost like a puzzle game in that respect. A violent puzzle game.

For a downloadable game, Shadow Complex has a pretty cool premise. Unfortunately the story is pretty much all premise with very little explanation. I’d really like to know more about this world and the baddies” proposed plan to start a new American Civil War. But I don’t want to know about it enough to read Orson Scott Card’s books Empire and Hidden Empire, which are based on the same fiction. I want to play the story!

The Sexy

The main character Jason and his date Claire (who he must rescue) are both attractive enough characters. Jason’s appropriately buff without being some over-muscled meat head and Claire has a pretty nice figure (she’s got a weird face though). Jason looks awesome in the white armor and face mask he picks up. There’s even a little bit of hugging and kissing throughout the game. But as far as sexiness goes, there’s very little.

I found Shadow Complex to be a wholly satisfying and exciting experience. The fact that it’s a download-only Arcade game for $15 makes it all the more impressive. If you’re at all a fan of this style of gaming you owe it to yourself to check it out. It’s one of the best games I’ve played all year.