Shadow Complex Remastered

Xbox 360 XBLA-era metroidvania. Holds up pretty well in 2025, with high frame-rates, resolutions and good controller support. Some textures and geometry could use a re-remaster, but otherwise the game looks good given its age. The story is goofy: fascists are trying to take over the USA. (Imagine that.) The moment-to-moment combat is fluid (and easy). The real challenge is the navigation system and layout. The map lies. 8 hours to win at a casual trot, plus 4-ish for 100%. Be careful not to accidentally trigger the final boss before getting all items... you'll be denied the 100% achievements.

A fine runngunvannia mired in the naughts aesthetic and gameplay sensibilities. If you liked what you just read get it. If not, well there's no accounting for taste I suppose.

Shadow Complex Remastered is an acute, poignant, philosophical allegory of modern life. Why? If you ditch your girlfriend you beat the game in the easiest, quickest way possible and get an achievement for it.

Amazing evolution of a metroidvania into the 2.5 dimension years before Nintendo decided to try it with Metroid Dread. Dated, Uncharted-esque adventure carries you forward through a well-crafted take on the genre. Be warned, this game will likely NEVER go on sale. It has been stuck at $15 for nearly a decade on Steam. Worth it if you are fan of the genre and never played it but a much harder sell to anyone who has or could easily spend far less on several other great metroidvanias on Steam already.

I never played Shadow Complex when it was a big deal on the Xbox Live Arcade, so may as well 17 years later... the game still flows surprisingly well as a metroidvania/platformer/shooter. I ended up playing for way longer than intended multiple times. My critiques are that the leveling and gear upgrading systems feel pointless and only exist for people who want something else to do in the game. I would also say that once I beat the game (after beating it once normally, I recommend looking up how to do the funny secret ending as well), I felt done with it and had no desire to go around collecting these, once again, pointless upgrades. But, I suppose they're there for people who want an excuse to run around the map some more.

Одна з кращих метроідваній, дуже класна для входу в жанр

This game basically never goes on sale, last time I think was in 2019. However, I think it's worth the sticker price (currently $15). It's a decent metroidvania with some fun mechanics and enjoyable acting. Something kind of unique about this game is it's in 2.5D so you can shoot at enemies in the background/foreground, which is pretty interesting. There are contextual melee kills and you progressively get better gear as the game goes on. Weirdly, the upgrades are backloaded so you don't get most of them until the final half of the game. Getting all of certain types of items will let you unlock weapon selection for NG+ or invulnerability, which makes the final boss a breeze. I did like the writing and story. It's fairly basic but it's got just the right amount of camp while still playing it fairly straight. I don't think this game will set anyone's world on fire, but it's a very enjoyable and solid experience.

Gem from 360's era.

+ Incredible metroidvania, one of the best + Still holds up after 10 years + Nolan North! + The range of movement, the powers, it's just so slick. + Props for being Steam Deck compatible, ran perfectly and looks GREAT. - Epic Games - Can't even buy it in the AU steam store right now. That's so silly. Epic Games again. - Plot is ( Y ) but whatever, it gets the job done! - Epic Games truly are awful - Mobile games: the success of Infinity Blade meant they canned Shadow Complex 2. A- A GOOD TIME

A little jank and a little Xbox 360 nostalgia but all in all this game still holds up pretty well