Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

That isn't to say that ITSP isn't brilliantly designed or fun, but it eventually suffers from lacking an incentive to tackle its puzzles. [Issue#76, p.103]

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is an afternoons worth of mildly entertaining exploration and bug blasting, but doesn't leave much of a lasting impression.

Despite the fact that Shadow Planet is an exploration game that doesn't have enough to explore, the charm of the visual style, the ambience of the world and the silent communication itself makes the short journey completely pleasurable. Just be aware that you're dropping a tenner on something pretty that won't fill an evening.

If you liked Shadow Complex two years ago, then you should like Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.

A side scrolling space puzzle shooter that borrows a lot from Pixeljunk Shooter-series. A bit clumsy equipment system and sometimes hard to know what to do, but still a great cozy experience.

Should you find yourself with an abundance of MS points this summer and not much to play, you could still do worse than give this a whirl.

A good "metroidvania-style" adventure game, but its structure is a little bit too simple for the category. The level design is awesome, but the lack of a real challenge transforms a potentially great experience in something too flat for an hardcore gamer. Anyway, the game is still pretty good, and if you like Metroid-style adventures, you definitely have to try it.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet follows in the footsteps of games like Super Metroid and Shadow Complex. Even though it's not as deep, it's still good entertainment with a lot of discovering to do for a couple of hours.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is a puzzle-arcade game with some shooting elements and as such is a job well done. It satisfies but does not enchant. It seems that the game would be better if the developers focused more either on the puzzle side or on the shooting side. The game's strongest moments are its looks and boss fights but you need to remember that a trip to this interesting world won't last longer than one afternoon.

Quotation forthcoming.

The game has its good aspects, but it's a bit far away from what it pretended to be, mainly due to the lack of fresh ideas and its repetitive gameplay. A fun game with an interesting multiplayer, but not as good as it should be.

Super-responsive controls make your ship tricky to fly and the game, though a tad pricey, isn't short of nice visual ideas. [Nov 2011, p.91]

A little less hand holding when it comes to map exploration would have made the experience a tad more interesting for me, and while I can't deny that the visuals look nice, the effect being used is certainly starting to get a little tired the more I see it pop up in digital releases.

The emphasis on twitch action means that gamers looking for a surreal puzzle experience are going to be put off, while the short length and straightforward mental challenges make the 1,200 Microsoft points ($15) price tag seem a little steep for the hardcore. If you're a sucker for the visual flair, go ahead and jump on this one; otherwise, it's probably best to wait for a sale before purchasing.

An interesting 2D shooter with a few intriguing boss battles and an art style very similar to the Pixel Junk series. On the other hand, it feels very repetitive and some puzzles are just trying to "buy time" for the campaign.

A beautiful disappointment – a great look in search of a great game to go with it. The genre template may be rock solid, but the end result is an adventure that's been strung across a fault line.

Unfortunately a complete lack of characterisation, derivative gameplay, and a difficulty setting that's clearly meant to make a winner out of even the most incompetent makes Shadow Planet 2011 Xbox Summer of Arcade's first inessential release.

It copies and borrows from the best - and often very well - but competence is no substitute for character in this forgettable 2D adventure.

What's left is the nucleus of a Metroidvania game, mechanically functional and regularly interesting, but a shadow of its inspiration nonetheless.

Scores points for its moments of genuine cleverness and tight, logical design, but the majority of the experience is a lukewarm and superficial one. It tries to merge three types of gameplay together, and while the intention is admirable, the effort made is far from total.