Shu

There’s something special about Shu. Though delightful, it’s not the graphics, the sculptured bones of its story, or even the titular character him/herself. It’s not the mechanics or the gameplay, despite a calm, intuitive system. The score is beautifully hypnotic, too, but no, it’s not that, either. While all of those things are pretty much fine and dandy as disparate entities in their own right, it’s the sum of these parts that gives Shu its uniquely whimsical magic.

A little platformer that offers new mechanics in a graduated, character-centric fashion.

Shu is a simple, pretty game that presents a tough challenge for even the most seasoned gamers. Its design is built for running and thinking on the fly, while at the same time asking the gamers to keep an active eye out for some collectible goodies. It’s definitely more than it seems on the surface.

Shu is my personal sleeper hit for 2016. I had no idea it had even been made but it charmed me with its look and hooked me with its gameplay. As someone who loves a challenge, it certainly provided the odd twist and turn but it was probably the most relaxed and fun ten hours I’ve had with a game in recent memory. It’s just so darned charming that it’s hard to really find fault, which isn’t to say that it is perfect but more to say that it is a fantastic game, that I had plenty of fun with, and I can’t wait to see what developer Coatsink produces next.

Shu is a standout indie platforming game with slick gameplay and a vibrant aesthetic. Though it will remind you of some of the iconic sidescrollers of yesteryear, the game has enough of its own character to stand apart from a saturated genre.

It’s a love letter to a fantastic genre, and is such a pleasant way to spend an evening. It may not be a grand adventure like Super Mario World, but I enjoyed every single second of it, and that can’t be said about most games.