Shadow Complex Remastered

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 45
  3. Negative: 7 out of 45
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  1. ghostgate2001
    Aug 19, 2016
    8
    Despite some reservations about the quality of the PS4 port - which I'll cover - I can't bring myself to give this game anything less than a "green" score, because it's such a darn good game.

    I'm sure you already know what kind of game it is, so let's keep the description brief. It's a 2.5D (i.e. played on a 2D plane but depicted with 3D graphics) non-linear exploration-based platform /    Despite some reservations about the quality of the PS4 port - which I'll cover - I can't bring myself to give this game anything less than a "green" score, because it's such a darn good game.

    I'm sure you already know what kind of game it is, so let's keep the description brief. It's a 2.5D (i.e. played on a 2D plane but depicted with 3D graphics) non-linear exploration-based platform / shooter game. Adhering to the classic "Metroidvania" template, there's a sprawling map just begging to be explored, and re-visiting earlier areas with new-found abilities means you'll be able to access places you could see but not reach before.

    In my humble opinion, this is about as good as a "Metroidvania" game gets - apart, of course, from an actual "Super Metroid" or "Symphony of the Night" Castlevania game! There are the games which gave the genre its name, and then - right behind those - there's Shadow Complex. It's that good.

    Your mileage may vary, but my playtime was around the 10-hour mark. I'm not sure where other people are getting a "4 hour" figure from. I can only assume they rush through games ignoring everything but their immediate objective! Which is a darn strange way to play a game of this sort, which is about exploring every nook and cranny. Put it this way: completing the game with 100% map discovery in 2 hours is one of the Trophy challenges, and only 0.4% of players have managed that feat. That's a seriously hard "speed-run" challenge for people who know the map inside-out. For any normal player, exploring the game for the first time, 10 hours is a much more likely figure.

    No game is perfect, and Shadow Complex has a few design "quirks" that prevent it from being a perfect 10. For example, there are scenes where the game uses the "2.5D" perspective to have enemies attack from the background, not just to left and right of you. Occasionally in those scenes it can be a bit iffy whether the right-stick aiming chooses to aim upward or into the back of the screen. It’s nothing game-killing, but it does add a little unwelcome aiming-uncertainty to some gunfight situations. The view can also zoom in a bit too close for comfort in certain areas, meaning you can end up in a firefight with off-screen enemies. These are minor complaints, though, when the core game is so good.

    As for the PS4 port ... well, it's not as great as I had hoped. "Serviceable" would be the word for it. The game shows its age with some quite dated-looking and ugly “Unreal Engine 3” character models, particularly in cut-scenes. Despite the alleged "HD remaster" it still looks exactly like what it is: a Xbox 360 digital release from 7 years ago that's being rendered at 1080p instead of 720p, but is otherwise essentially unchanged. Not a problem. It never was the prettiest game out there, but it's a great example of gameplay that's so engaging you won't be worrying that the graphics aren’t “cutting-edge”.

    What's less easy to overlook, though, are the frequent stutters in the PS4 port. Again, it's not bad enough to be game-killing, but it is bad enough to drag the experience down and make things look more shonky than they should. You'd hope that a PS4 could run a 7-year old Xbox 360 game (never a massively demanding title to begin with) with presentation that was more slick and buttery-smooth that the original hardware - but that's not the case here. The PS4 port “works”, and is perfectly playable, but it feels like the game has been shovelled over to the newer console in a perfunctory state that’s merely “functional", and lacks the polish and love that it deserved. One section where you have to time a jump out of a rolling mine-cart is particularly choppy, harming the playability – and that's a shame to see. In the 3+ months since the game's EU release there has been no patch to address those performance hitches. Clearly, Epic Games consider the port to be "good enough." I wish they had loved it a little more, because the game deserves better.

    Overall, though, it's still the great game it was in 2009, and the gameplay is good enough to allow us to (mostly) overlook the port's lack of polish. How many games have you played where right at the beginning of the game-proper, tasked with rescuing your girlfriend, you can actually choose not to bother - get back in the car, drive off, leave her to her fate, and see the credits roll - game over? Now THAT'S what I call "player agency" :)    … Expand
  2. stellarnomad
    May 15, 2016
    9
    I usually like to breakdown a game's components for those that like a reasoned, meaty look at a possible purchase, but there's really no need here.

    This game sits in a class I like to refer to as "palate cleansers"; that is, games that you play between the big budget titles or as a break from said titles. The story is irrelevant, kicking you into the action almost immediately, and    I usually like to breakdown a game's components for those that like a reasoned, meaty look at a possible purchase, but there's really no need here.

    This game sits in a class I like to refer to as "palate cleansers"; that is, games that you play between the big budget titles or as a break from said titles. The story is irrelevant, kicking you into the action almost immediately, and driving you forward on a wave of perfectly tuned levelling and item unlocks. The game looks great, functioning on a 2D plane juxtaposed against 3d backdrops -- enemy placement taking advantage of this throughout.

    For the collectors, there is every reason to return to previous areas to access previously blocked sections once you collect the appropriate device, and achieving 100% almost feels like a requirement rather than a possibility due to its inviting fluidity. It really moves; perfect speed run material, that effortlessly combines platforming and gunplay on the fly without taking a breath. Weapon handling is accurate, even when lining up headshots or popping off grenades. Rounding out the experience are some interesting boss battles that usually rely on specific equipment for you to succeed.

    It's worth mentioning a varied amount of challenges available from the main menu that can be accessed from the beginning, and usually challenge certain skills for better medals. Short and sweet.

    If you missed this first time around and this sits in your wheelhouse, then buy, play and enjoy.    … Expand
  3. JTJSGamer
    May 5, 2016
    8
    Pretty good. Its great that I can finally play this game on my PS4. PlayStation's lack platforming games and it is a nice new addition to the genre. It is worth a try.
  4. HaloFever
    Aug 28, 2017
    8
    Shadow Complex Remastered brought a unique sense of fun to "metroidvania" style games. I liked its use of familiar military game style weapons and abilities. Metroid was great but smashing an orange blob thing is not as satisfying as punching an insurrectionist off a cliff.

    Coming off 2014's Strider, I wonder what was remastered in this release. I missed this game on Xbox 360 despite    Shadow Complex Remastered brought a unique sense of fun to "metroidvania" style games. I liked its use of familiar military game style weapons and abilities. Metroid was great but smashing an orange blob thing is not as satisfying as punching an insurrectionist off a cliff.

    Coming off 2014's Strider, I wonder what was remastered in this release. I missed this game on Xbox 360 despite all the good press it received. Now I feel like I did because the game looks like an Xbox 360 release. Textures are muddy and colors are heavily drawn from the brown palette overused in the early days of the Xbox 360. Although the gameplay holds up well, and I wonder if my tempered reaction to this game in this review is a result of the last gen graphics.

    Shadow Complex has a rough story told through its bewildered protagonist. The enemies also give you story through their conversations. The little asides while traversing the complex bring more personality into this game than any "metroidvania" game I've played since Dust: An Elysian Tale. The entire game is fairly short, and I am thankful for the respite from this generation's rinse and repeat slogs. In my playthrough, I unlocked 65% of items. If my stack of unplayed games were smaller, I might go back and collect these to see what they do. As it stands, it feels good to complete the game and stop the bad guys without too much busy work.    … Expand
  5. Tomle1202
    Jun 20, 2016
    8
    Shadow Complex Remastered is fun, entertaining and complex during the four-hour long journey, yet its graphics offer too few changes that can be called significant over the original version.
  6. PaladinX360
    May 13, 2016
    9
    The most modern of Metroidvanias is one of the best Metroidvanias. I can only hope the sequel isn't too far off in the future. The hd update helps an already fairly good looking game. Although it's showing it's age a bit graphically,
  7. AJY84
    Aug 5, 2017
    6
    At its core, Shadow Complex is a Metroid inspired game that has its own unique style to it. The storyline is meh, but in a game like this, it's the gameplay you're after. It hits a lot of high notes for me, but the one thing that drags down the score is the control. Aiming can be a pain; especially if you leave auto-aim turned on. The real control flaw though lies in the wall jumping.At its core, Shadow Complex is a Metroid inspired game that has its own unique style to it. The storyline is meh, but in a game like this, it's the gameplay you're after. It hits a lot of high notes for me, but the one thing that drags down the score is the control. Aiming can be a pain; especially if you leave auto-aim turned on. The real control flaw though lies in the wall jumping. When you're in a vent, you can stick to the walls like Spiderman. Outside of the vents though is a very different story. More often than not he will refuse to do the wall climbing maneuver at all, just sliding back down to the ground as if such an ability isn't even doable. The jet boost pack you get also hinders wall climbing greatly in the most ridiculous way possible; if you jump off a wall and turn back to face it, your JBP will make you fly AWAY from the wall. If you're not trying to get 100% on the items and/or map, it's an enjoyable game. Sadly the Remastered part only applies to the graphics. Had they fine tuned the controls to work better, I would've easily given it a 8 or 9.… Expand
  8. Madbeast8
    Aug 22, 2016
    10
    A solid argument could be made for this being the greatest game in the Metroidvania genre, depending of course on your personal tastes.

    All of the necessary elements exist for this to fit the mold: procedural advancement via upgrades/abilities, immersive side-scrolling experience, and rewarding exploration. What sets this game apart from its predecessors, however, is how well it    A solid argument could be made for this being the greatest game in the Metroidvania genre, depending of course on your personal tastes.

    All of the necessary elements exist for this to fit the mold: procedural advancement via upgrades/abilities, immersive side-scrolling experience, and rewarding exploration. What sets this game apart from its predecessors, however, is how well it improved upon some key elements of the experience. The in-game map might be the best that I have ever seen in a game of this genre, being detailed enough to be usable without spoiling the "right answer" when searching for those hard-to-reach secrets. The environment is not only gorgeous, but also immersive in what could really be termed 2.5D. And finally, the added abilities (especially the foam) bring to bear interesting and unique ways to access previously inaccessible areas of the game.

    With all of the right notes struck on this one and a fun combat system based on precision with solid controls, this is a MUST PLAY game if you have any love for the Metroidvania genre!    … Expand
  9. Chris-Krollz
    Jan 10, 2017
    8
    Very very enjoyable platform game with great gun mechanics and exploration of the map. The story is totally ireelevant as well as the voice acting you are here to kick butts, big mechs, get a nice badass armor and that's it. It's an amazing game to get especially if you get a discount.

    I didn't play the non remastered version so I can't say if there was a graphic bump but quite frankly    Very very enjoyable platform game with great gun mechanics and exploration of the map. The story is totally ireelevant as well as the voice acting you are here to kick butts, big mechs, get a nice badass armor and that's it. It's an amazing game to get especially if you get a discount.

    I didn't play the non remastered version so I can't say if there was a graphic bump but quite frankly who cares if you have not played it and you've always had a soft spot for old school platform/shooting games go for it it's instant classic !    … Expand
  10. Naedeslus
    Jul 1, 2020
    7
    Pros:
    Solid combat.
    Good exploration. Good progression system. When music kicks in, it's good. Cons: Due to the nature of background enemies in a 2D game, aiming can sometimes be an issue. Bad voice acting. A mediocre story that ends as it gets interesting. It is also in your face the entire time. Short. Can beat it in 3 hours if you're not worried about 100%ing the game. Do    Pros:
    Solid combat.
    Good exploration.
    Good progression system.
    When music kicks in, it's good.

    Cons:
    Due to the nature of background enemies in a 2D game, aiming can sometimes be an issue.
    Bad voice acting.
    A mediocre story that ends as it gets interesting. It is also in your face the entire time.
    Short. Can beat it in 3 hours if you're not worried about 100%ing the game.

    Do I recommend Shadow Complex Remastered?

    Yes and no. If it's on sale, or you subscribe to PS Now service, definitely give it a go. It's short, sweet, and fun but it does have its issues. Depending on what difficulty you play it on, you could easily beat it in about 3 hours if you really just focused on the main path. Of course, there are secrets do the nature of the game and things to find but if it could easily be beat in one sitting if you wanted to.

    All and all, it's not bad at all. It has fun combat, and while the story does get interesting at the end, it is in your face too many times and it's pretty mediocre most of the time. The voice acting is definitely bad and could've been more convincing.

    The aiming is also an issue due to the nature of the 2D plane where the action takes place. It's hard to describe but it can be hard to hit background enemies.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Gaming Age
    May 10, 2016
    67
    Minor Gripes aside, Shadow Complex: Remastered is still a great game. Could it have used a couple gameplay changes and some new playable content? Absolutely, but it doesn’t ruin what was a great experience in 2009 and it is still a really fun game in 2016.
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  2. Multiplayer.it
    May 9, 2016
    85
    Shadow Complex Remastered is a great game, but you won't find many new elements in this remaster apart from standard graphical upgrades.
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  3. Examiner
    May 9, 2016
    80
    Despite its few shortcomings, Shadow Complex: Remastered is an extremely fun game to play. The upgraded visuals look great and the controls are on point. Enemies and backtracking to become a bit redundant, but the platforming elements and exploration make up for it.
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