Shio

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. DarkStation
    Jun 11, 2018
    70
    At the end of the day, whether you would enjoy Shio or not is largely dependent on your preferences. It's a stunning and understated game that offers rather difficult but enjoyable platforming experience and a very cryptic story for you to crack. If that is exactly what you're looking for, then Shio shouldn't be missed.
  2. Digital Chumps
    May 31, 2018
    70
    All things considered, if you’re looking for a challenge that will keep you occupied for an evening, Shio is worth a shot.
  3. PlayStation Country
    May 30, 2018
    70
    Shio isn't perfect, but offers the right type of player a challenging platformer which rewards patience and tenacity.
  5. Digitally Downloaded
    May 30, 2018
    70
    It’s the combination of well designed levels, hauntingly picturesque visuals and a consistent overarching tone which make this game hard to put down. I admire the developers’ ability to keep the player fixated on a pensive mindset, so that regardless of how difficult the levels become, they always have something deep to ponder on as they repeat each level until the correct button timings are ingrained into their fingers.
  6. New Game Network
    May 31, 2018
    69
    Shio evidently understands the appeal of gliding elegantly between obstacle-riddled levels like an invincible pro, and often comes across as a more casual Super Meat Boy. Yet, the foggy storyline feels distanced from its rapid-fire level design, which can make the attempts at a meditative atmosphere feel forced and alienating.
  7. PlayStation LifeStyle
    May 21, 2018
    65
    The story sections where you control a little girl as she takes tiny slow footsteps across the screen until absolutely nothing happens do nothing but annoy. Then the trial-and-error sections of gameplay that actively force you to suffer unnecessary deaths are frustrating enough to put a downer on things. But, even with all the flaws considered, when Shio gets things wrong – which it does pretty much everywhere outside of the platforming itself– it generally makes up for the errors with challenging action.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 2 out of 4
  1. oddreel
    Mar 30, 2019
    1
    This game could have been great. The art style is wonderful and using lanterns as extra jumps is a nice concept. But none of that mattersThis game could have been great. The art style is wonderful and using lanterns as extra jumps is a nice concept. But none of that matters because of a number of major issues I simply couldn't overlook. Believe me, I tried. I wanted to love this game but I couldn't, and here's why:

    - Controls: The most egregious error this game makes is that every single jump from the ground is a max-height jump. Why? Why could the devs not allow you to light tap and hold jump for varying height? How is that not a standard for modern platformers? This is simply unforgivable. It cheapens the whole experience, removes the need for skilled play and is just simply awful. And don't even get me started on not allowing a character this tall to 'duck' by pressing down.
    - Physics: This game has a terrible implementation of inertia (momentum) throughout. One example: landing on a water slide surface while facing upstream allows you to somehow slide upstream? Really? It even does this if your momentum is carrying you the complete opposite direction before landing. I can't even...
    - Level design: There are many sections where you are suppose to somehow know ahead of time what obstacles exist in an off-screen area you have never explored. I understand that if you die, you simply respawn and, "now you know", but that is just an artificial way to raise the difficulty. Good level design teaches and shows you what to do ahead of time and lets the complexity and compounding platforming mechanics add difficulty. Hiding off-screen obstacles is just a cheap way to raise your death count.

    Maybe I would have been able to overlook those development errors. Everything I've listed so far would have added polish and allowed for more dynamics and even harder levels. But even so, I might have been willing to overlook all of it if it weren't for the aesthetic of the story being told.

    Don't get me wrong, I like poetic, even abstract stories in games. But this one just shoved the nihilist "all is meaningless" down your throat. I understand the game revolves around eastern themes but common' this was just not even compellingly done.

    It isn't like the themes are there to explore if you want. Nope, instead the devs decided to completely interrupt the gameplay with mandatory and painstakingly long (and I mean LONG) portions of just holding right while a character crawls their way across the screen for no reason. "All is meaningless" is apropos since this game's story is meaningless. I hate it. Truly I do. I almost couldn't make it through this game - not from the gameplay mind you, from just how upsetting it was to have to sit there and watch meaninglessness.

    If you have any amount of belief in the value of life, maybe steer clear of this game. What a waste of a potentially fun game concept.    … Full Review »
  2. captaint
    Oct 12, 2018
    9
    Beuatiful and challenging leve design (I love the sun level). Good story but terrible story telling. This game sees to have very controversialBeuatiful and challenging leve design (I love the sun level). Good story but terrible story telling. This game sees to have very controversial review for the difficulty. Still, I am pretty into playing it and I finished it.… Full Review »
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