Review: Shadow Complex (XBLA).

Unless you missed the multitude of adverts on Live, you may very well be aware that Shadow Complex (the collaboration between Epic Games and Chair Entertainment) was released on XBLA yesterday.

Shadow Complex has been billed by Microsoft as the “height of old-school side-scrolling design combined with modern, cutting-edge gameplay” and early previews have all suggested that it was set to be a stellar title. So is it?

In a word, yes. In fact Shadow Complex may very well change the expectations of what consumers on XBLA expect in future as it raises the bar some distance in terms of graphics, gameplay and production values.



Essentially Shadow Complex is a 2D side scrolling adventure shooter set in a rich 3D environment (which is powered by Unreal Engine 3) and harks back to the days of greats such as Super Metroid, Flashback and Castlevania SOTN.

Based on Orson Scott Card’s Empire series of novels (the second of which is launched this December), Shadow Complex casts you in the role of Jason Fleming, a fairly unassuming guy who stumbles across a secret base run by Progressive Restoration. Having kidnapped his lady friend Fleming (voiced by Nolan North who also voices Nathan Drake in Uncharted) takes off in hot pursuit and so begins the start of your adventure as you enter the base.

In all honesty despite the collaboration with one of sci-fi’s most interesting writers, the plot of Shadow Complex is rather thin and for the most part very much part of the background.

That said, you probably will not notice or care that much because the game itself is just so playable; you’ll be far more interested in what’s in the next room ahead or seeking out hidden entrances (more on this in a moment) which lead to a variety of collectables and upgrades.

The weapons and items of Shadow Complex are introduced gradually starting off with your Torch; the use of which is essential if you want to find all of the many hidden routes.

This is not because of an over use of darkness but because the torch beam will reveal the entrances through the use of a colour system which changes the colour of an item (such as a vent hatch) to show the player what item is needed to pass (in most cases a weapon). It may sound complicated but it is in fact a very simple system that is completely intuitive to use.

In terms of weapon control, you aim with the right stick and in some instances you can fire into both the background and foreground. This system makes the world feel much more vast and alive as although the game essentially plays in 2D, you will feel very much part of a 3D environment.

Fleming jumps and climbs around his environment with ease and this is many ways reminiscent of the recent Drakes Fortune (but thankfully no where near as frustrating!) and Shadow Complex certainly rewards thorough exploration.

Along your travels you’ll encounter numerous enemies ranging from the basic cannon fodder grunts to the large boss enemies which are often large mech type contraptions. You’ll earn XP as you go which boosts your abilities and this rather nicely carries across different games which is handy for when the difficulty ramps up and for gaining the level 50 achievement.

The game also has leader boards which up date as you are in game and this provides an extra and welcome competitive element.

Shadow Complex is in many ways a hard game to criticise. It has the production values of a full price game and yet it’s cheap to purchase, it’s immensely fun to play and exploring its vast environment is a genuine joy.

The aiming mechanic can at times feel a little loose and the story is certainly not very apparent in many ways despite the writing heritage but to be frank you won’t care, there’s simply too much enjoyment on offer here for these things to really grab your attention.

I could quite easily write a lot more about this game, but for now I will hold fire, Shadow Complex is a title which you need to experience for yourself and discover the joys it has to offer.

You certainly won’t find a better way to spend around a tenner this year and in many ways Shadow Complex puts the vast majority of its full price brethren to shame. Grab yourself some points and buy it, you won’t regret it.

9/10.