Shadow Complex Review

Shadow Complex is easily the most ambitious Xbox Live Arcade release to date. It combines gorgeous visuals with fast and addictive gameplay. The game is built using the Unreal Engine and Epic Studios even had a hand in delivering the final product. You play as Jason Flemming, a young man thrust in to a heroic role when he unknowingly uncovers a radical militia's devious plot to overthrow the government and start a 2nd civil war. All of which starts when Jason ventures on a hiking trip with his new girlfriend (evidence that exercise is indeed bad for you). The game is a companion piece to the Orson Scott Card Empire series of novels.

Shadow Complex is very much a traditional side scrolling adventure game, however the unique twist comes in it's execution. It features fully three dimensional environments rendered with actual depth. Enemies no longer attack from above, below, left or right as they can now flank you from behind. This is a small touch that makes the game feel very original and helps bring it in to the modern gaming era.

One of the more addictive aspects of the game is it's use of deep exploration to upgrade your character. Many areas will not be accessible until the appropriate upgrade is found. Some puzzles can be found throughout the map, but few are overly challenging. Most upgrades can be found through simple yet time consuming level exploration. Your character will also gain levels through experience earned from exploring and combat. The more you search the world, the more powerful you become. This is a necessity as the enemies and bosses will become increasingly challenging. A bulk of the upgrading will happen naturally through story advancement. If you run right through, you'll be able to best the radical militia in less than 5 hours. If you're going for 100% completion, you'll be grinding for about 8-10 hours.

From beginning to end, Shadow Complex is an exceptional game with few hiccups worth mentioning. The graphics maintain a very high technical standard throughout, although there is occasional screen tearing and stuttering. I also had a few instances where audio and video were not synced correctly. In most cases, restarting the game from a previous save room corrected the issue. The main campaign is short enough that it merits a 2nd or 3rd play though, which will be necessary to unlock all of the achievements. Several challenge rooms are also included to test your metal for those looking to smash high score records. All in all, Shadow Complex is a definite purchase and one of the few Arcade titles worth 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.0