Shadow Complex Remastered (PC, 2015)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-7.5 Control-7 Challenge-7 Story-5
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7
+
Some interesting abilities gained (create temporary platforms with the foam gun by shooting repeatedly at a point from the same angle to build a tower or bridge (also freezes enemies in place though you can't stand on most of them? - can grab onto certain wall crawler enemies, freezes some platforms and elevators in place, shuts off some traps, can be used to stick a grenade to a surface such as a breakable ceiling door)), wall and ceiling running+water surface running via the friction dampeners (Super Metroid, jumping hinders momentum a bit but not short falls), hookshot (optional; can also pull shields off of heavy gunner enemies and be used underwater, can be fired again while latched onto something - Zelda: TP?, can't swing while latching onto something though), triple jump via thrust pack+thrust boots, Ground slam/stomp - kills or knocks enemies out and can break some weak floors (Horace and the Spiders, Bonk, Yoshi's Island))
ARPG/MV (Metroid-like) hybrid (when leveling up you gain stats (stamina, accuracy, HP) and at certain intervals other abilities/perks: see whole map (lvl 20), infinite ammo for certain weapons (40/50/60); automatic gains) - can also find HP/Ammo capacity/Armor upgrades, interconnected world, exploration focus, ability gating, breakable walls, escape sequence)
360 degree mouse aiming w/ strafing/aim lock
Start w/ a flashlight that lets you notice breakable objects when aiming at them by color coding them in green (similar to the x-ray in SM but faster and more flexible, also similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum)
SM-style map system with some additions (marks points of interests with a question mark and collected items with a dot, map stations, zoomable and browsable with the mouse - can't change the zooming to something other than the mouse wheel though)
2.5D element (can shoot into the background like in Dick Tracy for MD as well as towards the camera)
Decent environmental storytelling at times (cameras during early gameplay - nod to Super Metroid, some good foreshadowing of future areas)
You basically start with a wall jump+temporary wall grab with sliding down (similar to Meat Boy) as well as automatic ledge grabbing (gained soon after the prologue)
Pretty good bosses overall (minor puzzle/tactical element to most of them)
Detailed and optional tutorial
Can slide down ladders and after getting the jetpack, boost up them as well
Fully configurable controls besides the map zoom
Exploding enemies also hurt other enemies
Various shortcuts early on (some mid-late game though there could've been a couple more)
Skippable cutscenes
Some decent puzzles (water raising to reach some items and to beat a boss (here you trick it into drowning itself), some spatial awareness puzzles (some elevators), some speed booster rooms - SM)
One major environmental change in one area becoming almost completely flooded
Some sequence breaking possibilities (can swim into the factory area after the first boss and in that area you can make enemies that shoot foam open purple scanner doors (systemic element), unintended double jump lets you reach some platforms earlier+reach the foam gun very early (although it won't work properly as without the actual gun you'll shoot into the background instead but it's still useful in some ways), with infinite foam (lvl 30/new game+) you have more flexibility in what you can reach early on, more with glitches)
Stealth element (silent melee takedowns from behind - can also do jump kicks or knock enemies over and then KO them (what happens depends on your position relative to the enemy when pressing the button), security cameras although these can pretty easily be destroyed - SS2, some waiting for patrolling guards in a couple of rooms)
Satisfying explosions and weapon sfx
You can toggle both the objective marker and blue route line (Dead Space) to it that the game adds after each finished sub objective on the map screen meaning they're optional
Decent VA overall (sometimes so-so (parts of the intro, Jason's overly calm reaction to seeing his gf kidnapped and punched) and it's kinda cheesy in tone, funny how an enemy voice sample can keep playing after they die)
Unlockable new game+ (keep your level and stats, get access to upgraded main weapons (gold weapons) near the interrogation room if you get all 12 during your playthrough)
Limited invincibility via the late game helmet (stand still or walk slowly; need 12 key cards)
Difficulty options (easy-very hard)
Challenge mode (proving grounds, kinda cool but should've been part of the main game)
One alternate bad/funny ending (make your way back to the jeep at the beginning of the game and hit a certain button)
Shows your item collection stats in the menu
+/-
Partially non-linear structure (very linear between certain upgrades such as between the jetpack and rebreather however where the game locks doors behind you and most detours lead to temporary dead ends to funnel you towards the latter, linear upgrade progression between the jetpack and all the way to the missiles (jetpack, rebreather, foam gun, omega armor), can't go back to the surface after getting the rebreather until you go further south for the foam gun etc.; finally opens up after getting the missiles and lets you go after either of three different suit upgrades or go for the final boss (which is cool and kinda similar to Chrono Trigger) - about 2/3 into the game)
Some backtracking w/ gained abilities to progress
Optional collectathon element (12 keycards for the fusion helmet - projectile shield when moving slowly or still, 12 gold bars for the gold versions of each main weapon)
Auto-saving only (when entering a room marked with a star on the map - these tend to also contain health and ammo, one slot per game, no collecting or exploration progress is auto-saved if you die). There are also some checkpoints before tougher segments
Some voiced communicaton via radio (non-interactive, basically tells you where to go/what to do next)
Can't ever move on the z-plane, only shoot (sometimes feels like the game is teasing you with background paths and doors)
Can't carry additional health items with you for later
Mixes in some TP view turret segments - easy
Enemy respawning after reloading a save (can make certain rooms harder as you'll come into them from a less optimal direction)
Enemy reaction ranges are generally quite short (although in some larger rooms some might react from off screen while others won't until you're very close and the camera shows them (some parts where the camera gets too loose))
Can cancel the sliding animation when turning during running by letting go of the run button right before turning
Some instant death traps and some that are close in that they drain your health super fast
Can't hack security turrets, moving platforms or doors (Zillion, Impossible Mission 2, System Shock, Deus Ex)
-
Some control/interface issues (various issues with the camera not following your avatar properly or zooming in leading to shots from off screen - you might think you're alone in a room but then you set off an attack with a grenade or shot), can't look around with the mouse - some leaps of faith, map doesn't mark green and red obstacles besides the regular horizontal doors - also doesn't mark one-way switch operated doors, can't place map markers, no subtitles, overly "springy" (fast start when starting to jump) and kinda vertical-focused jumping (see Contra for the latter), your avatar sometimes takes a couple of backwards steps before turning even if you don't hold Q to strafe/aimlock, need some forward momentum or a wall jump won't work which sometimes breaks flow, kinda slow upwards ladder climbing (alleviated after the early game via the jetpack) and most elevators (also can't stop an elevator mid-way)+ceiling climbing (thankfully pretty rare), can sometimes wall jump continuously using a single wall but other times not (less of an issue after double jump), poor-no control over how you shoot the grenades on the z-plane/into the screen, overly slow backwards movement - makes aim locking less useful, kinda long movement delay after you stop super running if you turn around during a sprint)
Some trial & error (if you go too far east during the final boss you automatically die instead of receiving a warning, arbitrary wall that can't be opened if you come at the triple jump thruster from the left - frustrating if you got there without the hookshot, the escape sequence after the explosion - at first made it seem like it wasn't doable, some cheap enemy placements - sometimes overly zoomed in camera, in the southern factory area with the large mech it's hard to tell where the floor above what is basically a death trap floor ends, if you didn't use the route guide (blue line) on the map then you might get stuck and/or waste a bunch of time post-foam gun/pre-omega armor due to an out of the way one-way path in the south+various missile gates that aren't marked on the map and the next objective marker not being visible due to how zoomed in the map screen is, 4 gatling gun guys trap)
Some story oddities ("stash me behind those cabinets" - puts her in front of them instead)
Different areas aren't distinct enough and the overall art style is a bit bland (the villains look like a toned down version of Cobra Commander from GI Joe)
Some tedious aspects (some unlocked/broken doors don't stay unlocked, can't use missiles to destroy green (grenade-able) obstacles, some annoying one-way obstacles like green boulders placed so you can only hit them from one side for seemingly no reason or the platform to the left of the "tower around the middle of the northern map that can't be jumped even with triple jump, upwards shaft that leads you into a purple scanner door)
Easy green tarantula boss and heavily armored soldier mini-bosses (besides the one where you fight two at once). Easy wheel boss (just have to start running and catch up to it once) and fairly easy final boss (still cool though)
Some unnecessary one-way paths and indestructible crates and sandbags that stop you from running
Too many later items are locked behind basic weapon doors rather than making you use your equipment or abilities in a skillful or creative way
Underused hookshot
Some things feel half-assed in terms of visuals/presentation (some intro animation, some screen tearing and a bit of stutter during the intro, windows-style minimize/maximize/close icons in the top right of the main menu)
Bugs:
-Not sure if it's a bug or not but at one point in the factory area I respawned with about 20% HP, then increasingly more HP with each death. Otherwise you seem to respawn with about 90% but why not 100%?
-Sometimes inconsistent z-plane aiming (for example at the pit before reuniting with your gf you'll start shooting into the background with no enemies there, the room above the water raising puzzle and in a room in the mines... ) - there should've been a toggle button instead
-At several points my avatar would just stop shooting until I moved to a certain point in a room or reloaded the weapon
-Sometimes glitchy hit detection
-Occasional heavy breathing noises while underwater
-Occasional bugs where enemies don't notice a gun shot in the same room
-One bug where an enemy got stuck inside a crate that fell on him and I could do a melee takedown but he would just stay inside the crate and spaz out
-Bug where I could shoot grenades through a breakable wall
-Enemies sometimes try to shoot you trough walls/floors (especially funny in a Section B room with gatling gunners shooting into small glass looking obstacles)
-Sometimes the game gets stuck on the last bootup logo, forcing an alt+tab to make it proceed
Notes:
-Originally released for XBLA in 2009
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7
+
Some interesting abilities gained (create temporary platforms with the foam gun by shooting repeatedly at a point from the same angle to build a tower or bridge (also freezes enemies in place though you can't stand on most of them? - can grab onto certain wall crawler enemies, freezes some platforms and elevators in place, shuts off some traps, can be used to stick a grenade to a surface such as a breakable ceiling door)), wall and ceiling running+water surface running via the friction dampeners (Super Metroid, jumping hinders momentum a bit but not short falls), hookshot (optional; can also pull shields off of heavy gunner enemies and be used underwater, can be fired again while latched onto something - Zelda: TP?, can't swing while latching onto something though), triple jump via thrust pack+thrust boots, Ground slam/stomp - kills or knocks enemies out and can break some weak floors (Horace and the Spiders, Bonk, Yoshi's Island))
ARPG/MV (Metroid-like) hybrid (when leveling up you gain stats (stamina, accuracy, HP) and at certain intervals other abilities/perks: see whole map (lvl 20), infinite ammo for certain weapons (40/50/60); automatic gains) - can also find HP/Ammo capacity/Armor upgrades, interconnected world, exploration focus, ability gating, breakable walls, escape sequence)
360 degree mouse aiming w/ strafing/aim lock
Start w/ a flashlight that lets you notice breakable objects when aiming at them by color coding them in green (similar to the x-ray in SM but faster and more flexible, also similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum)
SM-style map system with some additions (marks points of interests with a question mark and collected items with a dot, map stations, zoomable and browsable with the mouse - can't change the zooming to something other than the mouse wheel though)
2.5D element (can shoot into the background like in Dick Tracy for MD as well as towards the camera)
Decent environmental storytelling at times (cameras during early gameplay - nod to Super Metroid, some good foreshadowing of future areas)
You basically start with a wall jump+temporary wall grab with sliding down (similar to Meat Boy) as well as automatic ledge grabbing (gained soon after the prologue)
Pretty good bosses overall (minor puzzle/tactical element to most of them)
Detailed and optional tutorial
Can slide down ladders and after getting the jetpack, boost up them as well
Fully configurable controls besides the map zoom
Exploding enemies also hurt other enemies
Various shortcuts early on (some mid-late game though there could've been a couple more)
Skippable cutscenes
Some decent puzzles (water raising to reach some items and to beat a boss (here you trick it into drowning itself), some spatial awareness puzzles (some elevators), some speed booster rooms - SM)
One major environmental change in one area becoming almost completely flooded
Some sequence breaking possibilities (can swim into the factory area after the first boss and in that area you can make enemies that shoot foam open purple scanner doors (systemic element), unintended double jump lets you reach some platforms earlier+reach the foam gun very early (although it won't work properly as without the actual gun you'll shoot into the background instead but it's still useful in some ways), with infinite foam (lvl 30/new game+) you have more flexibility in what you can reach early on, more with glitches)
Stealth element (silent melee takedowns from behind - can also do jump kicks or knock enemies over and then KO them (what happens depends on your position relative to the enemy when pressing the button), security cameras although these can pretty easily be destroyed - SS2, some waiting for patrolling guards in a couple of rooms)
Satisfying explosions and weapon sfx
You can toggle both the objective marker and blue route line (Dead Space) to it that the game adds after each finished sub objective on the map screen meaning they're optional
Decent VA overall (sometimes so-so (parts of the intro, Jason's overly calm reaction to seeing his gf kidnapped and punched) and it's kinda cheesy in tone, funny how an enemy voice sample can keep playing after they die)
Unlockable new game+ (keep your level and stats, get access to upgraded main weapons (gold weapons) near the interrogation room if you get all 12 during your playthrough)
Limited invincibility via the late game helmet (stand still or walk slowly; need 12 key cards)
Difficulty options (easy-very hard)
Challenge mode (proving grounds, kinda cool but should've been part of the main game)
One alternate bad/funny ending (make your way back to the jeep at the beginning of the game and hit a certain button)
Shows your item collection stats in the menu
+/-
Partially non-linear structure (very linear between certain upgrades such as between the jetpack and rebreather however where the game locks doors behind you and most detours lead to temporary dead ends to funnel you towards the latter, linear upgrade progression between the jetpack and all the way to the missiles (jetpack, rebreather, foam gun, omega armor), can't go back to the surface after getting the rebreather until you go further south for the foam gun etc.; finally opens up after getting the missiles and lets you go after either of three different suit upgrades or go for the final boss (which is cool and kinda similar to Chrono Trigger) - about 2/3 into the game)
Some backtracking w/ gained abilities to progress
Optional collectathon element (12 keycards for the fusion helmet - projectile shield when moving slowly or still, 12 gold bars for the gold versions of each main weapon)
Auto-saving only (when entering a room marked with a star on the map - these tend to also contain health and ammo, one slot per game, no collecting or exploration progress is auto-saved if you die). There are also some checkpoints before tougher segments
Some voiced communicaton via radio (non-interactive, basically tells you where to go/what to do next)
Can't ever move on the z-plane, only shoot (sometimes feels like the game is teasing you with background paths and doors)
Can't carry additional health items with you for later
Mixes in some TP view turret segments - easy
Enemy respawning after reloading a save (can make certain rooms harder as you'll come into them from a less optimal direction)
Enemy reaction ranges are generally quite short (although in some larger rooms some might react from off screen while others won't until you're very close and the camera shows them (some parts where the camera gets too loose))
Can cancel the sliding animation when turning during running by letting go of the run button right before turning
Some instant death traps and some that are close in that they drain your health super fast
Can't hack security turrets, moving platforms or doors (Zillion, Impossible Mission 2, System Shock, Deus Ex)
-
Some control/interface issues (various issues with the camera not following your avatar properly or zooming in leading to shots from off screen - you might think you're alone in a room but then you set off an attack with a grenade or shot), can't look around with the mouse - some leaps of faith, map doesn't mark green and red obstacles besides the regular horizontal doors - also doesn't mark one-way switch operated doors, can't place map markers, no subtitles, overly "springy" (fast start when starting to jump) and kinda vertical-focused jumping (see Contra for the latter), your avatar sometimes takes a couple of backwards steps before turning even if you don't hold Q to strafe/aimlock, need some forward momentum or a wall jump won't work which sometimes breaks flow, kinda slow upwards ladder climbing (alleviated after the early game via the jetpack) and most elevators (also can't stop an elevator mid-way)+ceiling climbing (thankfully pretty rare), can sometimes wall jump continuously using a single wall but other times not (less of an issue after double jump), poor-no control over how you shoot the grenades on the z-plane/into the screen, overly slow backwards movement - makes aim locking less useful, kinda long movement delay after you stop super running if you turn around during a sprint)
Some trial & error (if you go too far east during the final boss you automatically die instead of receiving a warning, arbitrary wall that can't be opened if you come at the triple jump thruster from the left - frustrating if you got there without the hookshot, the escape sequence after the explosion - at first made it seem like it wasn't doable, some cheap enemy placements - sometimes overly zoomed in camera, in the southern factory area with the large mech it's hard to tell where the floor above what is basically a death trap floor ends, if you didn't use the route guide (blue line) on the map then you might get stuck and/or waste a bunch of time post-foam gun/pre-omega armor due to an out of the way one-way path in the south+various missile gates that aren't marked on the map and the next objective marker not being visible due to how zoomed in the map screen is, 4 gatling gun guys trap)
Some story oddities ("stash me behind those cabinets" - puts her in front of them instead)
Different areas aren't distinct enough and the overall art style is a bit bland (the villains look like a toned down version of Cobra Commander from GI Joe)
Some tedious aspects (some unlocked/broken doors don't stay unlocked, can't use missiles to destroy green (grenade-able) obstacles, some annoying one-way obstacles like green boulders placed so you can only hit them from one side for seemingly no reason or the platform to the left of the "tower around the middle of the northern map that can't be jumped even with triple jump, upwards shaft that leads you into a purple scanner door)
Easy green tarantula boss and heavily armored soldier mini-bosses (besides the one where you fight two at once). Easy wheel boss (just have to start running and catch up to it once) and fairly easy final boss (still cool though)
Some unnecessary one-way paths and indestructible crates and sandbags that stop you from running
Too many later items are locked behind basic weapon doors rather than making you use your equipment or abilities in a skillful or creative way
Underused hookshot
Some things feel half-assed in terms of visuals/presentation (some intro animation, some screen tearing and a bit of stutter during the intro, windows-style minimize/maximize/close icons in the top right of the main menu)
Bugs:
-Not sure if it's a bug or not but at one point in the factory area I respawned with about 20% HP, then increasingly more HP with each death. Otherwise you seem to respawn with about 90% but why not 100%?
-Sometimes inconsistent z-plane aiming (for example at the pit before reuniting with your gf you'll start shooting into the background with no enemies there, the room above the water raising puzzle and in a room in the mines... ) - there should've been a toggle button instead
-At several points my avatar would just stop shooting until I moved to a certain point in a room or reloaded the weapon
-Sometimes glitchy hit detection
-Occasional heavy breathing noises while underwater
-Occasional bugs where enemies don't notice a gun shot in the same room
-One bug where an enemy got stuck inside a crate that fell on him and I could do a melee takedown but he would just stay inside the crate and spaz out
-Bug where I could shoot grenades through a breakable wall
-Enemies sometimes try to shoot you trough walls/floors (especially funny in a Section B room with gatling gunners shooting into small glass looking obstacles)
-Sometimes the game gets stuck on the last bootup logo, forcing an alt+tab to make it proceed
Notes:
-Originally released for XBLA in 2009